agarose2000

I've never ridden a tandem.

Any good articles out there about how fast they go?

Say, if 2 riders who can solo 23 mph for a hour TT join on a tandem on FLAT territory (I know they're tougher with hills), how fast would they go?

Also, if 1 rider who solos 23 and another one who solos 18 for a hour TT ride a tandem of flats, how fast?

Just curious

Velo Dog

Warning: anecdotal report only; no hard data here. But at the start of a metric century a couple of years ago I ran into two friends doing their first organized ride on a new tandem. On single bikes they're both a little faster than I am, maybe 20 minutes over that distance. We've all done that course several times, and I'd typically take about 4:20-4:25 to their 4 hours flat.
I drafted them to our first rest stop, two hours into the ride, and we'd gone 39.7 miles. That's 4-5 mph faster than their individual average, and 7-8 faster than mine (give me a break; I'm 65 years old). I had a flat and they went on without me, finishing in just over three hours. I rode the last 22 miles solo at my usual 14.5mph average.
Makes sense--tandems have twice the horsepower but not THAT much more weight and frontal area, plus the two riders can egg each other on. In fact, as they rode out of sight, I heard Brian yelling to Mark, "Come on, Stephanie. You going to pedal or just ride along?"

Gluteus

I believe that an alternative to motor pacing was to try to stick with a tandem pulling. (i.e. tandem = much faster than a regular bike, obviously assuming that the two riders are strong).

Here

Machka 

Rowan and I have the use of a tandem for a month or so. We took up the offer because we have been thinking of buying one, and wanted to try one first.

My anecdotal report ... when I ride my single on the routes we do around here, I average about 18 km/h. Rowan also averages about 18 km/h because he rides with me, but he's a stronger rider than me and could probably average 20-25 km/h if he wanted. When we ride the tandem, we average about 21 km/h. For me, that's just flying along!


Why don't you ask this question in the tandem forum?

tandemnh

I ride single and a tandem with the wife. I find that when I'm riding the tandem with my wife a work as had as I do when riding single but the difference... with my wife she adds to what I do and it seems to produce a bit more speed for longer distances. When we ride with the guys at work (they are on singles) we keep up or lead most everyone throughout the ride. The great thing about riding with the guys at work is that most oar 10+ years younger than my wife and I. Riding together on the tandem is a great boost.

djb

it is very refreshing to read of your average speed. My touring av speed always seemed to be 16-17kph, but even if I go out with friends who live in hilly areas near the Quebec-Vermont border with just a pannier on our bikes for lunch etc, we end up always having an average of about 18 also...

With my wife this summer we did a 6 day tour (an organized thing, with our tent and clothes baggage taken to the next camp area each day) and our averages were again in the 18-19k (with a fair amount of hills though) I would carry one pannier as I always do with our rain gear, flat repair stuff, snacks, so that my wife who doesnt bike that much could go pannier free.

Solo, I can hold 25k for quite a while if no headwinds, but on that forementioned trip one afternoon I got to ride alone, with no pannier, and was going 26-27 and caught up to a tandem. Passed them in a town with twisties and later they came by and I asked if they minded if I stayed behind them, was fine with them and I couldnt get over how fast they can go. We were doing 30k which for me is flying along, but with the draft it was like me at 25.
I too have thought of a tandem for my daughter and I. She is interested in the idea, but will see down the road as she gets older if she is still interested. In fact the tandem I was with was a father and daughter in her late teens early 20s, who told that when younger, she would be on a trail-a-bike off the back of that tandem.

In France I met a Dutch couple on a tandem, a heavy duty touring one, and they had a lot of stuff with them (forget how many kilos) but they told me of how fast they travel and how many klicks they did per day and it was rather impressive compared to my touring experiences.

I am intrigued, I know they are pricey but they look pretty darn neat.