Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
It was said somewhere upthread that "the stoker is always right." That's not from the Proper Method, which instead states, "The stoker makes no mistakes." There's a big difference. That said, captains should certainly be aware of and respect a stoker's boundaries.
I agree. However it is up to the whole team to find a bike that fits properly. “Settling” for a bike that doesn’t fit isn’t about who is right or wrong nor about mistakes while riding.
How the stoker can best mount should be left to the stoker. My stoker's legs are quite short and so are her cranks. The boob tube being level, that makes her saddle quite high. Actually she rides dressage and can mount either way.
You don’t see the issue here? If the stoker can’t straddle the bike comfortably, how can they mount the bike in the manner that they want to mount? Again, would you ride a bike that you couldn’t straddle comfortably or one that requires you to climb up on it like a jungle gym?
By the way, the “boob” tube
isn’t the rear top tube. The “boob” tube is the lowest tube that links the two bottom brackets and comes from the BB for bottom bracket.
I saw the Proper Method mandate that the stoker mount first somewhere else, not here.
Then why bring it is here? I will say that in “The Proper Method”, the stoker
does mount first in that they get their feet on the pedal and are seated in the saddle before the captain. I don’t think anyone would suggest that the stoker straddle the bike before the captain straddles the bike. I have occasionally left the stoker to hold the bike while I get off to adjust something (saddle usually) but that is usually only after we are underway and the stoker says something needs adjustment.
So far in group tandem rides, I have not seen a Thudbuster type stoker post on which the stoker did not bounce. Bouncing robs power. So it's a choice which depends on team goals. We use a Specialized Cobl Goblr carbon post, which works well enough. I don't think the stoker's ride is any rougher than the ride on a single bike, but as pointed out above, they can't lift in anticipation of big hits and need warning. If I lift or level the pedals, Stoker lifts, without my saying anything.
I wouldn’t disagree. However, using a shock post is up to the team to decide. As a very long term mountain biker, I’m very used to raise off the saddle on bumps. Unfortunately most people don’t understand how to do this or why. I had to tell my wife why I did it just this last summer because she didn’t know why or what I was doing. She’s not a mountain biker and never really developed that skill. She now lifts up a little when I level the pedals so bumps aren’t that bad. She’s even told me that I don’t need to call out bumps.
Finally, we have been having discussions because of this thread. She finds the supposedly punishingly stiff aluminum Cannondale to be a very comfortable bike. She is actually enjoying riding it which isn’t something I could have said 35 years ago.