Originally Posted by
scouse
I suppose my point, and this is echoed in some of the posts contributed here, is that there is a certain arrogance and exclusiveness surrounding organized cycling when you are standing on the outside looking in.
You just have to find the right group for you. I like a group that's somewhere in the middle: friendly, but up for some speed and suffering.
Last summer, I did a few group rides on the tandem with a 5-y/o stoker. It worked out fine, we would fall off the back on hilly parts. So I only rode that combination when they were doing a less hilly route.
I also did the same group ride, on a hillier route, with my younger brother as stoker. He's a casual runner, not a cyclist. Hills were tough, but we could go pretty much as fast as we wanted on the flats, and had to slow down on the descents.
Tandems don't tend to mix well with singles on hills, IMO...