Originally Posted by
DCwom
All good info, but the best thing to do is ride a tandem and try it together, find one to rent. Riding together is a journey, its a compromise on both riders so it takes some adjusting and a lot of people don't/can't really adjust.
One thing I'd say is to have no expectations and see how it feels/works. A lot of 1st timers come in thinking that a strong/serious rider can make up for a weak/casual rider, but that's not a realistic expectation, its much more likely that the strong/serious rider is going to drop to the level of the weak/casual rider.
My stoker is much weaker than I, maybe less than 1/2 my watts and not that much lighter. But we trust each other, ride well together, spin the same cadence, stand together, etc. We've both gotten stronger on the tandem. IMO it's not that so much physical strength is required of the stoker, it's mental strength.
When we bought our tandem 9 years ago, I was leading the fast group on my single. Our first 20 mile tandem ride made my legs hurt like the devil. 7 years later, we rode our first double with very little pain.
The main issue with tandeming is control. If either partner is a control freak, it's not going to work. The relationship has to be cooperative, communicative, and based on trust. Tandeming is a team sport and it needs a team spirit.