Originally Posted by
gnappi
My GF who was born in Sicily when bikes were FAR scarcer then donkeys has never ridden a bike. She wants to learn (we're in mid 60's) I'm wondering if a tandem bike will give her a sense of balance before getting on a bike alone, or would it be more likely that she bring a tandem bike crashing down despite my balancing it for her?
Also would the foot brake be a problem should she panic and not let me stop the bike? Considering that can anyone recommend a reasonably priced tandem with hand brakes? Maybe even a few speeds?
TIA
My ex-GF (now wife) was born blind and never will learn how to balance a bicycle. She is strong though and with me doing the balancing we are formidable in the tandem club. Riding a tandem as a Stoker will NOT give a person a sense of the balance needed to balance a single. The opposite actually, which is why most experienced Captains find it VERY hard to be a Stoker, even for a short amount of time. If your GF wants to learn to ride a single bike (not recommended) then she should just get one and see how that goes. And it isn't likely that she could bring you both down just because she cannot presently balance. That's the idea of a tandem, the Captain balances for both riders. I can absolutely recommend the Kent Dual-Drive tandems sold through Walmart stores. 24 speeds and modern V-brakes (hand brakes). Others may quibble but you won't do better. Yah, you could get a 2,000 year old high end tandem that was amazing in its time but none of the components would be serviceable with the Allen Wrenches and Phillips Head driver bits that are the Gold Standard for bicycle assembly and adjustment in the 21st Century. We eventually moved on from the Kent but remember it fondly. You never forget your first ...