Originally Posted by zonatandem
Did you have one or two starters holding the tandem at the start line?
Was it an out and back ride? How tight was the U-turn at the turn around?
20-some years ago we did time trials on our tandem. Starters were puzzled on how to hold us up for the start . .
On one 20-mile TT we had a much younger tandem team (we were in our 50s, they were in their 20s) start 1 minute behind us and they were gaining. At the tight turn-around we made the U-turn with about 2 inches of pavement to spare; they, however, ended up in the dirt and we gained our time back.
Must say we were riding a very short wheelbase tandem at that time (60 1/4" wheelbase) which really facilitated the turn around.
Nice to see that you did it on your tandem. Congrats to pilot/stoker!
There was one starter holding us and he did a good job such that we were both cleated in .
It was an out an back course with the predominant downhill going out and mostly climbing on the way back. We practiced the start and turn around to make sure we would be in the right gear and how to come in fast to the turn around, brake, turn, shift and accelerate. The course was a two lane highway with wide bike lanes on both sides. It was not a problem for a tandem to make the turn.