Originally Posted by
TobyGadd
Are you asking a question, disagreeing, or...? Please feel free to clarify, and I'll do my best to respond appropriately.
Sorry for the ambiguous response.
You state that rear tire wear is a result of "100% of drive (pedaling) forces"
That drive force at the tire contact patch is actually pretty minimal. Maybe 10-20-50 lbs of force from pedaling results in wheel rotation. The sheer force between the tire and road is minimal.
On the other hand, the weight of the riders and tandem bike between the tires and road is roughtly 100 lbs in front and 300 lbs in the rear. It's the unrelenting and constant tire squish that creates the sheer forces that wears on the rear tire so much.