As many of you know Mike bought a tandem for Pete and I to use while in VT and a tandem trailer for lars and Roxcy ... the trailer has not arrrived yet, this gives Pete and I time to get used to riding together on the tandem. This is a dream come true for me! Something that I have always wanted to do with our children ... pull them around on a trailer! So far we have been out on it 3 times! Our second ride was 32 miles round trip ... last night we did a 12 mile ride. For those of you who don't know Windsor VT ... there is a lot of hill riding! I thought you might be interested in the technical side of tandem riding ... no you do not just get on and start riding ... it is a whole new cycling experience!
Firstly there is a 'Captain' and a 'Stoker'. Yes the captain sits on the front and the stoker sits on the back. The captain's job is to look after the stoker ... let them know everything that they are doing ... when they are changing gear ... when they are going to cruise ... when there is a bump in the road and not ride too close to parked cars ... which could lead to stress and anxiety in the stoker, let the stoker know when you are going to stop. The captain also needs to be very, very, very, careful about what they eat because their butt is right in the face of the stoker ... and no stoker wants to be down wind of any captains flatulence. This is a very upclose and personal riding experience.
The stokers job is to keep still ... let the captain know at all times what they are doing on the back ... I am having a drink now ... I want to stop pedalling ... I am standing up and pedalling (who does that on the back of a tandem?) I want to get off. The stoker needs to move their hands a lot while on the back or they will get numb hands or pins and needles, or stiffness in their elbows or arms. The stoker gets of first and the captain gets on first.
Cadence/rhythm is very important when riding a tandem ... riding at the same pace makes riding a lot easier and pleasant for both riders. Communication is extremely important ... both riders need to be absolutely clear about what they are saying ... what is said and what is heard can be very different so being very clear about instructions or needs is absolutely necessary so that there is no misunderstanding or near death experiences or serious relationship misunderstandings that could result in some serious attachment issues in a relationship. When communicating tone is everything!
I have not even mentioned about how to look after your nether regions ... but those of you who bike know that the seat you ride on is everything!
You are now wondering how Pete and I are getting on in this new part of our relationship ... tandem riding? We are now starting at the same time and easily ... we both have the same foot on the ground and on the pedal. Pete is captain ... I am picking that did not take too much time to guess ... I am stoker and I work hard ... that is nothing new for those who know me. Pete sits on the seat like he sleeps ... a lot of fidgeting and movement ... remember the stokers job is to be very still ... that is what I do ... any movement can move the bike very easily. There are some issues in cadence/rhythm when biking up hills ... Pete can sometimes ease of and I am pumping away as hard as I can to get up that hill asap! This does cause some communication problems and tone does become an issue.
When we first started riding together there was quite a bit of communication going on and the tone was not very nice ... I will not say who or what ... but just putting it out there ... I have to be honest about this experience for all of you potential tandem riders and after this blog I am thinking that there will be many of you that will be excited and impatient to buy a tandem for you and your closest!
The view is great from the front and the person in the front gets to see everything first ... look at those solar panels lizzie they look really cool ... maybe 10 seconds+ later I am catching up and not even sure where to look? But the stoker has the freedom of looking where ever they want with no responsibility for safety or possible danger ... the captain has the responsibility of making sure the stoker gets home alive ... the stoker can enjoy the ride ... so to speak.
Stopping is an issue ... what gear to be in can be challenging and how fast we go down hill can cause some anxiety. Last night we went on a beautiful ride ... very uphill and quite challenging for us! We were working! At one point ... well into our ride Pete ... the captain ... said I can't do this ... I thought he was saying I am stopping ... so I immediately decleeted myself and proceeded to get of the bike ... Peter started communicating with me in a loud voice and a tone while I was trying to get of the bike ... which began to fall and there I was on the road, with the bikeseat up my butt and my other foot stuck in my cleet! At which point a car came up the road ... yes humiliating! Pete then said ... 'all I said was I can't do this ... I do not say abandon ship!' What I need to convey to you is that trying to get of a bike when the other rider is still riding is very difficult ... but I did it.
I could write for hours on the comparison of tandem riding and being married ... but I wont because I know that it would bore you and I am not sure if any of you will read this blog anyway, but before I sign of ... what you have been waiting for ... a video of Pete and I riding the tandem ... ENJOY!
Firstly there is a 'Captain' and a 'Stoker'. Yes the captain sits on the front and the stoker sits on the back. The captain's job is to look after the stoker ... let them know everything that they are doing ... when they are changing gear ... when they are going to cruise ... when there is a bump in the road and not ride too close to parked cars ... which could lead to stress and anxiety in the stoker, let the stoker know when you are going to stop. The captain also needs to be very, very, very, careful about what they eat because their butt is right in the face of the stoker ... and no stoker wants to be down wind of any captains flatulence. This is a very upclose and personal riding experience.
The stokers job is to keep still ... let the captain know at all times what they are doing on the back ... I am having a drink now ... I want to stop pedalling ... I am standing up and pedalling (who does that on the back of a tandem?) I want to get off. The stoker needs to move their hands a lot while on the back or they will get numb hands or pins and needles, or stiffness in their elbows or arms. The stoker gets of first and the captain gets on first.
Cadence/rhythm is very important when riding a tandem ... riding at the same pace makes riding a lot easier and pleasant for both riders. Communication is extremely important ... both riders need to be absolutely clear about what they are saying ... what is said and what is heard can be very different so being very clear about instructions or needs is absolutely necessary so that there is no misunderstanding or near death experiences or serious relationship misunderstandings that could result in some serious attachment issues in a relationship. When communicating tone is everything!
I have not even mentioned about how to look after your nether regions ... but those of you who bike know that the seat you ride on is everything!
You are now wondering how Pete and I are getting on in this new part of our relationship ... tandem riding? We are now starting at the same time and easily ... we both have the same foot on the ground and on the pedal. Pete is captain ... I am picking that did not take too much time to guess ... I am stoker and I work hard ... that is nothing new for those who know me. Pete sits on the seat like he sleeps ... a lot of fidgeting and movement ... remember the stokers job is to be very still ... that is what I do ... any movement can move the bike very easily. There are some issues in cadence/rhythm when biking up hills ... Pete can sometimes ease of and I am pumping away as hard as I can to get up that hill asap! This does cause some communication problems and tone does become an issue.
When we first started riding together there was quite a bit of communication going on and the tone was not very nice ... I will not say who or what ... but just putting it out there ... I have to be honest about this experience for all of you potential tandem riders and after this blog I am thinking that there will be many of you that will be excited and impatient to buy a tandem for you and your closest!
The view is great from the front and the person in the front gets to see everything first ... look at those solar panels lizzie they look really cool ... maybe 10 seconds+ later I am catching up and not even sure where to look? But the stoker has the freedom of looking where ever they want with no responsibility for safety or possible danger ... the captain has the responsibility of making sure the stoker gets home alive ... the stoker can enjoy the ride ... so to speak.
Stopping is an issue ... what gear to be in can be challenging and how fast we go down hill can cause some anxiety. Last night we went on a beautiful ride ... very uphill and quite challenging for us! We were working! At one point ... well into our ride Pete ... the captain ... said I can't do this ... I thought he was saying I am stopping ... so I immediately decleeted myself and proceeded to get of the bike ... Peter started communicating with me in a loud voice and a tone while I was trying to get of the bike ... which began to fall and there I was on the road, with the bikeseat up my butt and my other foot stuck in my cleet! At which point a car came up the road ... yes humiliating! Pete then said ... 'all I said was I can't do this ... I do not say abandon ship!' What I need to convey to you is that trying to get of a bike when the other rider is still riding is very difficult ... but I did it.
I could write for hours on the comparison of tandem riding and being married ... but I wont because I know that it would bore you and I am not sure if any of you will read this blog anyway, but before I sign of ... what you have been waiting for ... a video of Pete and I riding the tandem ... ENJOY!
I loved last night when you were telling this story to Mike and were laughing so much. Having ridden that same hill this morning, I can agree with Pete's thoughts on "I can't do this"--its work but so much fun. I am glad you are here so Mike and I can get out and bike together. We all need to train up for when we get the kid trailer.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Can't wait to see the trailer attached
ReplyDelete