So the bike's setup in TT configuration. The training's done (or at least as much as can be done.) Time to take the test.

That bike looks fast! Love the color.

Good luck on the TT; hope you guys nail it.

Our test is June 7th.

Hey All,
We did our first TT since 2005 last night. Wasn't as fast as I had hoped. (Stoker was happy!) Had a question for all of you tandem racers. We don't race on the tandem, but do this TT from time to time. I have been doing it for years alone. The Mrs. doesn't ride a single, only the tandem or triple. Last night, she wasn't feeling good anyway. Been battling something, but wanted to race. Anyway, my HR was lower than I usually would race with, but my legs were not there and I don't think I could have ridden harder either. Do you find that your HR is lower on the tandem with the same workload during a TT VS single TT, or was this just a combination of her not being 100%, and me doing a longer decent effort ride the night before? Thoughts?

""Do you find that your HR is lower on the tandem with the same workload during a TT VS single TT,""


NO...
Generally, when fitness level is good and training has been going well, if I have a session when my HR won't come up as you just described...(regardless of what I'm riding or even running for the matter) it is almost always because I've not recovered from a prior hard effort. In short, I suspect the long effort from the night before cooked you and you did not have time to recover.

...if you are on form and rested, even if the stoker is not, your HR should respond favorably (rise and fall quikckly) to your hard/easy efforts. Of course the team's overall performance/speed will be off because one team member is off her game and it will certainly feel like extra work for you, but independent of that, our HR will respond to our condition and effort.

Bill J.

Thanks for the input Bill. I didn't really want to go that hard on Wednesday, but things happen! :-) Will see how next week is.

The ITT effort and tandem effort are the same for us. We hit the same target HR.

I would assume that you were at the same cadence on the tandem as when you ITT. For my wife and I, we train at the same cadence for ITT so when we ride the tandem, we are closely matched. If you were spinning slower to accommodate your stoker, it may have had an impact on your HR. My HR can be lower at lower cadence for the same power. My HR on the second day after a hard effort can be lower. However, I have days when it just seems to be lower for the same power / level of effort for no logical reason. At the Madera Stage race this year it was great both days. HR is a not a very good way to judge level of effort / power production.

We tend to TT at a lower cadence on the tandem, than I do on a single bike. Mid 80's on the tsndem, where I would do high 90's myself. I've found that I get more power out of my stoker when she feels more resistence in the pedals. Perhaps with more experience we can raise the cadence, without a dropoff in power from the rear.

I haven't found that the lower cadence changes my HR much, just puts more of a load on my legs.