Conference noted::bicycle

    This would seem to be the right notes conference, John.
    And what a great idea!  Somehow it had never occurred to me
    how useful a tandem might be as you propose.
    
    Good luck!  Hope some people respond.
    
    -john

    This has been done on many occassions.  Sometimes we hear of a school
    for the blind which has tandems and seeks captains.  There are a few bike
    clubs around the country which sponsor rides like this.  There is a
    woman in the BVoston Area who is in a similar situation and seeks a
    captain.  Her bike is rather tall, the front being 24".  She is a
    successful blind cross country ski racer (don't ask me how, I don't
    know, but I'd be interested to find out.).
    
    There was a tandem pair in Pari-Brest-Paris '87, wherein the stoker was
    blind.
    
    Since you are looking for a captain for your tandem, it would be useful
    to know what size the bike is.  It would be good to remind folks that
    seat tube length is not as important on a tandem as on a single, though
    shorter than usual is better than taller.
    
    ed

    There was a special on Biking in Boston a few nights ago (on Chronicle
    I think). In one brief blurb they showed what appeared to be a tandem
    ATB-style bike. Is there such a thing? It looked rugged, stable, and
    ideally suited for the purpose.

    	During GEAR-Internationl in '86, I went on a tandem ride (wheel
    sucking with my recumbent). Along with the many tandems was a triple
    and an ATB tandem, both Santanas. (Santana also builds quads [I've
    never seen one - they's RARE]).  It seems like I've seen an ATB tandem
    in a recent issue of Bicycling? - Chris
    
    ps. We did 18 miles in 45 min! I died then... McCredy of Santana was
    the ride leader. - C

    	This months Bicycling has special
    feature articles on tandems.  They
    also listed the names and addresses
    of various Tandem clubs across the
    nation.  Some of the Acronyms I
    remember were MUTS, HATS (Huston
    Area Tandem Society) etc.  They also
    mentioned a blind stokers society.
    
    If your interested in learning about
    how these beasts can save a marriage,
    or on how to be a Captain or Stoker 
    or just how to go about buying one
    you'll find this issue worth reading.
    
    			_Jerry
    

    Re: .4
    
    I don't know if it's a Santana, but Eugene Sloane's "Complete Book of
    Bicycling" has a photo of a quad tandem... kindof interesting.
    The specimen they showed had (I counted 'em) 14 water-bottle cages
    hanging off of it!  Wonder where THEY were going... that's 3 per
    rider plus 2 spares.
    
    One other unusual thing I noticed about this photo is that although
    the steering and brakes were up front in the captain's position (as
    usual), the shift levers were in the rearmost stoker's position.
    Probably has to do with cable lengths... but could you just imagine
    four guys riding that thing, huffing uphill and arguing all the way
    about which gear to use? 8-) 8-) 8-)
    
    Then again, there's always DEC's own advertisements for
    VAX-with-vectors.  I wonder where they got the 20-seat tandem that they
    used for that ad? 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
    
    --jim
    

    There was a quad in the first Rapidtour, a 1983 (or '84) cross country
    supported tour in 15 days put on by Haldeman-Notorangelo.  It was made
    by Tango and took about a year of filing in the evenings (folks had day
    jobs).
    
    The cranks were all offset 45� so there would not be a huge strain on
    the chains.  I think the chains and tires were changed each night.
    
    Of course, the team that rode was called the Quad Squad.
    
    ed

>    One other unusual thing I noticed about this photo is that although
>    the steering and brakes were up front in the captain's position (as
>    usual), the shift levers were in the rearmost stoker's position.
>    Probably has to do with cable lengths...

    #4 rider is probably the only one who could see the cogs.

    I talked with the quad's builder in Paris one rainy morning.  Cable
    length was the reason for having the shifter in the back.
    
    Lon Haldeman told me that he had tried several shifter locations and
    style on his tandems.  He said the back was usually fine for the first
    200 miles or so, after that the stoker would often not be paying enough
    attention to shift at the right times.
    
    ed

    RE - .5
    
    	You forgot to mention that Bicycling is also GIVING away a 
    	Santana tandem! Yow!! Check the latest issue on how to enter.
    	Isn't Huston spelled h o u s t o n?  As in Texas? I could be wrong.
    
    RE - .0
    
    	I work at the (soon to be closed) Lowell facility, which is
    	located just off the Lowell connector, on Industrial Ave.  I work
    	the midnight shift. I'd imagine we couldn't get together with our
    	conflicting schedules, but if you'd like to try: I'm available on
    	weekday mornings. Else...
    
    	Hope you find someone to steer you around.
    
    							Face.

Saw a bicycle built for 3, pulling a bugger, in Breckenridge, CO this 
past weekend.  Pretty strange sight.

Mark

    On a 5-borough ride in New York, I saw a TEN (yes 10) seat tandem.
    I  don't  remember  what  the  brakes were like, but it was single
    speed,  and  used  motorcycle  chains.  Truly  an  amazing  sight,
    particularly when they went around corners.

--David

>    RE - .5
>    
>    	You forgot to mention that Bicycling is also GIVING away a 
>    	Santana tandem! Yow!! Check the latest issue on how to enter.
>    	Isn't Huston spelled h o u s t o n?  As in Texas? I could be wrong.
 
    Ok Face, you got me.  It should have read *H*ouston.  Wanna bury the 
    hatchet now?
    
    							_Jerry

There is a competition for tandems where the stoker is a person with visual
handicap.  I read about them last year but do not remember where they were; I
guess they were in California or Oregon.  

>>    Saw a bicycle built for 3, pulling a bugger, in Breckenridge, CO this 
>>past weekend.  Pretty strange sight.

Mark, was there a guy and his 2 sons riding this bike?  There has been
a guy which 2 kids riding a bike like this in RAGBRAI over the past couple
years. The last seat and crank are fairly high for the youngest son (around
5 or so).

re .16

No, it was a guy and two women riding it.

Mark

I just got back from 2 weeks of vacation.  The first day of which (6/23/90)
was spent with my tandem partner.  It was a Granite State Wheelmen ride. We
started at 5:30- 5:45 with 8 other folks.  My partner and I were the only 
tandem.  

By 120 miles there were only 6 of the 10 people left and by 155 miles we were 
down to 5.  This five all completed 200 miles.  I was amased at how I wasn't
sore except for a bit in the upper body. Piece of cake.  My partner was more
of a hurting unit.  Given that a stoker can stretch their upper body often and
the captain can't seems to make a big difference. We've been working at swapping 
but I'm not yet comfortable enough. 

 The ride was wet but beautiful. It went through some gorgeous N.H. towns. It
wasn't flat but not so awfully hilly either. We got caught in a thunderstorm
down pour in Littleton (ick) at 120 miles which is where a bunch of folks
dropped out.  Ate all kinds of stuff! Amasing!   

My partner owns two tandems, a Santana and a Cannondale (new his year). The
Cannondale is real nice. We did the 200 on it and also loadeed it with panniers
to cycle down to Gear in New London Ct.   The Cannondale has a much stiffer 
frame than the Santana and we both like it better (not to mention we have 
a real low granny to make some of the killer N.H. grades). 

Advantages to being on a tandem were:
	Mutual support team
	Stoker can reach the rear pannier that has food without stopping.
	Stoker can navigate without stopping.
	Can switch positions (when I get enough practice)
	No problem with wanting company
	Stoker can take pictures

Disadvantages
	Finding a good partner - it can be difficult to work together 
	If one person needs to stop, that's it. Committment as a team 
		is important.


As for speed we tend to be faster than single bikes on a given short ride. 
We completed the first century in 6 hours.  The second took 7. The folks
that attempted this 200 were seasoned riders and some race. we expected and
were infact at the end of the group.

Hooked on tandeming...

Danielle

My wife Lisa and I have spent most of this season on our Santana tandem, and I 
don't seem to care if I EVER ride my single bike again.  For all the reasons 
Dani mentioned, tandeming is a real hoot.  I especially like having someone to 
ride with, which was always a problem on my single since I never like to slow 
down.

Having Lisa along really made the long rides (centuries and up) pass by quickly,
since I never got bored or lonely.  Spacing out on a tandem is not easy to do: 
there's so many things to be concerned about... calling out bumps and shifts 
for the stoker, controlling a heavier, somewhat less responsive bike, riding 
defensively (as much as one can, averaging 21+ mph).

But we love it, esp the power and speed we feel on flat or gently rolling 
terrain.  And even in the hills, it's a real hoot to pass folks going UP hill!

Kevin

    
    RE: -2
    
    >>     Advantages to being on a tandem were:
    >>	Mutual support team
    >>	Stoker can reach the rear pannier that has food without stopping.
    >>	Stoker can navigate without stopping.
    >>	Can switch positions (when I get enough practice)
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                     
           Well Dani, I hope that you stop the bike when you
       practice this at first. When the stoker and captain can
       switch positions while descending a 22% grade at 46 mph,
       you both will have achieved the status of REAL(tm) cyclist.
    
                8^)             8^)            8^)     
    
           In keeping with the thread of the note, I was leaning
       towards a tandem for a second bike until I had a run-in
       with a truck last Friday 8*(. Now my first priority is getting
       a single under me again (and a new helmet, BTW).
    
           For those in the market, you might check out the frames
       built by FRANKLIN (somewhere in the midwest I think). I haven't
       had the chance to ride one myself, but they look like they'd
       be good and stiff. They also have a second line that they
       call BRADLEY (sp?) that gives you less flexibility in custom
       sizing for a little less money. Fritz's in West Boylston can
       give you the lowdown if you're interested. Fritz and his wife
       ride one of these frames themselves.
    
                                                   Steve
                                                  
          

Another benefit of riding a tandem:

The stoker can scratch the captain's back... and vice versa!

Kevin

    And the Stoker can warm her hands on a cold day.
    
    ed