>Most inexperienced people can't stand up on a tandem. It's really not that difficult.

>The idea that tandems climb poorly is mistaken.<

My brother and I rode his mt. bike tandem on the same century ride for a few years. The first year, we didn't know how to stand up on the tandem, and didn't try it until near the end of the ride. By then we were tired, and quickly ended the experiment after learning how to do it.

The following year, we started standing up on the first hill, and suddenly we were blowing by single riders and hearing some of their surprised and dopplerized comments. We were still standing when we climbed up the last hill, about 98 miles into the ride, and still passing up cyclists. That ride is one of my favorite bike memories.