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TANDEM  You could do it on your own.    But, it's a lot more fun with a partner!

The Tandem & The Van The second most important Tandem specific accessory is the mini-van. Between the bike itself and all of the accompanying gear it simply will not fit in much else. Additionally, Camp Caravan is pretty nice for post-ride tailgating and sleeping through thunderstorms. Just in case you are wondering the stoker shock-absorbing seat post is the most important.

Our Tandem She, our Cannondale RT1000, is mostly stock. The seats were promptly replaced with a Selle Italia for the captain and a Terry Liberator for the stoker. The original pedals were replaced with Shimano SPDs (Huge thanks to my Dad). Finally, we upgraded to 27 x 1.4 Continentals. The resulting ride is much more comfortable and she is still very fast. Overall, we are extremely pleased.

Tandem Basics The tandem has the power of two, but the wind and rolling resistance of one. Thus, a well-trained tandem duo can be quite fast! (We're not, but it is possible)  The Captain (Darrin): sits in front and is responsible for setting pace, shifting,braking, steering, and most importantly keeping the stoker happy. Seriously, a tandem team is only as happy as the stoker!  The Stoker (Jenn): sits in back and serves mainly as a motor (I call her my Jenn Engine). The stoker is free to look around and enjoy the view.

The Little River Ride On the way to this ride, Jenn stressed that she did not feel well and repeatedly asked for me to take it easy. About 2 miles into the 50 mile ride, another tandem couple passed us and made a brief reference to our leisurely pace. The next thing I know, Jenn is pedaling her hardest and shouting "Faster." We quickly passed the other couple. Actually, We passed almost everyone. In fact, we finished so fast that we had to wait at the end of the ride for them to finish preparing the food.

Stoker's View Jenn took this picture while we were cruising along the Seminole Wekiva Trail in Orlando, FL. I took the one below!

Bike In A Bus The bike is worth more than the bus. The bike is in immaculate shape while the bus is in need of some repair. Euclid himself would take 20 minutes with a compass and a protractor to figure out how to load and unload the tandem.

Rules Of The Tandem Always communicate your intentions Most people spend more time talking about it than actually doing it The key to endurance is to find a rhythm Expirement with different riding positions until you find something you like You're always a little sore after a good hard ride It's most fun to finish together. You can do it on your own, but it's a lot more fun with a partner

Thanks For Visiting & Happy Trails To You!