38
votes
Accepted
Why are tandem pedals mounted with the same position?
Sheldon goes into some detail on this.
Having the pedals 180° out of sync would lead to a couple of problems:
Starting off, as most people have one foot on the pedal and lean towards the other ...
- 61.2k
17
votes
Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike?
Sheldon Brown (of course) has a good page on riding tandem. He doesn't get into details, but since the stoker's main job is to keep upright it doesn't demand a lot of bike handling skill. Riding as ...
- 5,452
15
votes
How to mount clipless pedals on a tandem?
Tandem cranks are special. The pedal thread directions on each arm are oriented correctly to prevent loosening from precession, as on any other bike. You just need two sets of normal pedals.
If ...
- 87k
14
votes
tandem and stoker with autism
My wife and I are learning to ride a tandem right now. It's considerably different from riding a single bike. I've been captaining (normally the captain is the more experienced rider).
One big ...
- 30.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Can anyone identify this elderly tandem from the badge (pictured)
That's the remnants of a Raleigh headbadge.
- 4,552
11
votes
Accepted
A two successive wheel trailer ; would it work? (followme-tandem)
The follow-me tandem lifts the front wheel of the child's cycle off the ground because that's the only way to have stable handling on corners.
I made some primitive drawings to explain. Note that ...
- 29.4k
10
votes
Why are tandem pedals mounted with the same position?
My wife and I have ridden a tandem for 2 years. Shortly after buying it we wanted to ride High Pass Challenge, a ride up to an observation point on Mt. St. Helens. As newbies, we were not very good at ...
- 101
10
votes
Accepted
Road tyres vs "Street" tyres for charity ride on MTB Tandem
It's not the weight of knobblies that's the issue, but how much effort you have to put into deforming them with every rotation - the rolling resistance. The tyres you've got are certainly going to be ...
- 61.2k
10
votes
tandem and stoker with autism
I think it sounds like a great idea. Adam Rice covers much of what is different about riding a tandem vs. riding alone (need for constant communication primary among them). I'll focus more on your ...
- 1,650
9
votes
Accepted
Converting tandem to cargo bike
If you want to have a real cargo bike, e.g. an "inverse Bullit-style" the challenge will be structural integrity of your frame: you can't easily cut the 2nd diamond of your frame without risking to ...
- 338
9
votes
Accepted
I want a bolt on crank, but dunno what terminology to use to find one
TL;DR: The search terms to use may be "kidback adapter," "child stoker adapter," or "child stoker kit."
Googling for "tandem child bicycle crank" produced a ...
- 35.2k
9
votes
Footrests for stoker
I solved a similar issue on my tandem. Measure the frame tubes. If you are lucky you may find one of them is the same size as a handlebar stem. In my case I bolted a 1 1/8" x 1 1/8" stem in ...
- 18.8k
8
votes
How old is this rear steer skip tooth tandem?
This looks like a prototype or maybe even a home-made version due to the way the horizontal cross tube for the second rider looks unevenly cut off just before reaching the first rider's seat post.
...
- 260
8
votes
Who's the manufacturer and what year was this tandem bike manufactured?
It's a Schwinn Twinn. The serial number will be located on one of the rear dropouts, if it's not on either side of the head tube. There are a couple websites that will help you determine the date of ...
- 81
7
votes
Independent drivetrains on tandem bicycle
As Chris H points out in his comment, this could mean two different things.
The half-recumbent/half-upright design does have separate gearing for each rider.
There's a different system that some ...
- 30.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Independent drivetrains on tandem bicycle
Here's a picture of a half recumbent tandem
from https://www.ucycle.com/merchant/2856/images/zoom/hase-pino-allround.jpg
Here is a link to a video of people riding a recumbent tandem.
https://binged....
- 22.9k
7
votes
Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike?
I've ridden stoker, and its probably easier for a non-rider than for someone who rides.
The instinctive thought for the experienced rider is to move their body weight around to balance. That would ...
- 129k
6
votes
Baby seat for stoker's seat post on tandem
I don't know of a child seat which replaces the seat-post and I think it's unlikely that it exists as a product as this would be such an unusual case. The normal Hamax seats which attach to the seat ...
- 6,747
6
votes
Looking for bike trailer with pedals for a disabled, older adult
Disabled cyclists are cyclists and so they would like some control over steering, braking, or pedaling.
It's tough to design a strong singlewheeled adult-sized pedaled trailer because of the weight ...
- 29.4k
6
votes
How old is this rear steer skip tooth tandem?
That is an Iver Johnson dates from late 1800's-early 1900's
From:
https://www.henrysheldonmuseum.org/pedaling-through-history
From: https://velocipedegallery.com/museum/iver-johnson-tandem-iver-...
- 61
6
votes
Independent drivetrains on tandem bicycle
I know of two solutions to your question - I'll post two brands, however they are not meant as an advertisement, rather as a starting point for further search.
One is used by Onderwater Fiets from ...
- 4,361
6
votes
Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike?
In short, no: One doesn't have to be an experienced cyclist to be a stoker but...
I would strongly suggest an aspiring stoker (and captain for that matter) to do some spin classes or workouts on ...
- 1,379
6
votes
Do both riders on a tandem need to know how to ride a bike?
The short answer is no, the stoker does not need to know how to ride a bike. I've taken out an inexperienced stoker in her 70s who has been blind since birth. However perhaps blind people make better ...
- 6,747
6
votes
Accepted
Freewheel replacement for a touring tandem bike
I think in this situation, to avoid an "upgrade spiral", you will be better off changing your chainrings. Chainrings are not overly expensive and probably won't require new derailleurs or ...
- 3,456
6
votes
Tandem drum (drag) brake levers and ergonomics - typical setup/options
The typical setup for a drum brake is that it is operated by a bar-end shift lever (friction lever, not indexed) controlled by the stoker to act as a check on an over-exuberant captain. The barcon ...
- 30.4k
5
votes
How old is this rear steer skip tooth tandem?
This bike is much older than anyone has guessed. It is likely 1890s to early 1910s, if not a bit older. It is what was known as a "courting tandem," whereby the lady sat in front and the ...
- 51
5
votes
What is the common "vocabulary" for the captain and stoker to communicate?
One important simple communication from stoker to captain: Stop. I tell my stoker that if she says "stop" I will follow that command immediately. Explanations can follow later. This is especially ...
- 51
5
votes
Please help identify my 1940's (?) Tandem Bicycle
This is a little crazy but here goes.
I think it's the front of a Hawthorn men's bike
With a Hawthorne ladies bike wielded on for the back half
The rear stays of the men's bike are removed. ...
- 22.9k
5
votes
Fork Failure on Vintage Steel Tandem Bikes - Any insights?
I'm not saying I don't believe them, but surely they have legal and financial incentives to recommend I err on the safest side.
Yes, but now that you've asked them and they've instructed you to buy ...
- 30.4k
5
votes
Is a 650B wheel good enough for a tandem?
The rim size is immaterial to the strength of the set you choose.
Many rim brake 650b rims out there would not make good tandem rims, but there are exceptions. The VO Voyager or Diagonale in 36h are ...
- 87k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible