1oldRoadie

In the states there is a TV advertisement for Geico Insurance showing a woman and a lizard thing riding an old bicycle for two.

There are two very unique things about that bike. do you know what they are?

Natophelia

One is that there's a lizard on it...?

khuon

I forgot to look and see if it had an extremely elevated bottom bracket. :confused:

fubar5

Well, the lizard and the woman. Because lizards are people too and according to romantic thought, all people are unique.

RonH

I must have missed that one. I only seen the ones where he meets the Taco Bell dog lookalike and the one with him driving the red sports car.


What's the correct answer to your question?

Dirtgrinder

I must have seen it a dozen times but never looked for anything wrong. I keep waiting for that lazy stoker to pull his own weight. I'll have to look closer next time.

easyrider

Is a Gecko a lizard? "Oh great, a talking gecko."

Now back to the story...

The bike has no chain?

1oldRoadie

I will give you a couple of hints.

For its time in was very pro-femlib, and very sexist at the same time.

Joe Gardner

Do you really expect a lizard to captain a tandem?

I have no idea what the 2nd one is...

fubar5

darnit just tell us what the two friggin things are. For the love of geckos, no one here is observant, we all have and endless stare from miles and miles on the trainer...Just tell us!!!

1oldRoadie

OK, yes Joe the front is set up for a women. Very Pro-lib for pre WWII.

BUT, if you look closely at the center bottom you can see the crank & rod for the steering mechanism that is attached to the REAR handle bar.

I do not know if this is the one I read about but Ole man Schwinn had one similar built for him and his wife, he would let her be in front but he could not stand to let her control the bike.

RegularGuy

“…the two-wheeled tandem, reportedly developed by English inventors Albone and Wilson. In their most advanced design, the woman took the front position, with the man behind, as chivalry of the period demanded. While the man’s rear cranks properly applied most of the driving force, the question of who should steer was a more ticklish problem. Albone and Wilson resolved it to their satisfaction by connecting handlebars fore and aft with steel rods, thus giving the man some control over steering. The coupled-handlebar concept was hardly ideal…and was later abandoned—forcing men and women to make certain compromises related to decorum and ultimate control.” Jay Pridmore and Jim Hurd, The American Bicycle, Motorbooks International, 1995.

In the 1890s, ladies-first tandems, with men steering from the second seat were common. The book quoted above has a photograph of a wonderful tandem with a 30-inch wheel, sitting the gentleman up high enough to see over the lady’s coiffure.

Metal Cowgal

Hey Regular Guy....

I like your new look....and your change in diet!

Full-bloodied Irish Cowgal

TandemGeek

Regular guy nailed it.

Here's a little known tandem bicycle factoid: While current tandem folklore would suggest that "Captain" and "Stoker" are terms born in the past 25 years, there is some other tandem folklore that suggests the origin of the term "stoker" is well over a 100 years old. Under the alternative history, the term stoker's origins may be French and tied back to the steam-powered automobile where the co-driver was called a "Chauffer" which is the French word for stoker. The term Chauffer was eventually adopted as the label for the 'driver' of a limouisine.

Credit for this alternative history goes to Larry Black of Mt. Airy Bicycles, MD.

D*Alex

I've seen quite a few older tandems, and nearly all of them are just like that one: step-through frame up front, with dual steering mechanism. I guess they were fairly common until about the 1930's.

Cyclesister

Isn't that the dumbest commercial you have ever seen??