Whats the useful purpose of riding a tandem bike?

[markz]

Was going to slip the question in on BBSHD Tandem thread, but I figure post up a new fresh post.

Seen a few tandems in the last week, half were children which makes sense for tandem riding, non I've seen are for visibly disabled persons. For the normal couple, male and female riding tandem whats the useful purpose? Is it to be different then everyone else.

 

[spinningmagnets]

For paired racers, there is less wind resistance per set of legs.

For the average couple, you can maintain a conversation while you pedal, plus if one member of the couple is a strong cyclist, the weaker cyclist can get some exercise while staying with their mate.

Cant think of anything else...

 

[JackFlorey]

You can go faster with less effort.

 

[LeftieBiker]

We had an old Columbia 1 speed tandem for a few years. We called it "The Clown Bike." My housemate never learned to ride a bike, but she did kind of enjoy being my 'extra motor' in the back. It would have been a much better experience with a better, multi-speed bike.

 

[Balmorhea]

A tandem is a good way to proof test a relationship. Make it or break it.

A tandem allows you to multiply the amount of money you’d otherwise be able to spend on a bike. It might allow you to postpone that sailboat/ultralight aircraft/vintage sports car/horse purchase.

Tandems are a viable way to offer cycling to blind or other disabled people.

Others’ cast-off tandems can make decent longtail cargo bikes.

 

[miro13car]

tandem is a great occasion to socialize as long as both cyclists want to go in the same direction.
I would be concern about the wear and tear especially on wheels and drive train with basically double weight.

 

[MadRhino]

Don’t let your girlfriend lag behind, or ride away from you.

Carry lots of luggage. :wink:

Rub the rear wheel on the curb in cornering.

Avoid wheelies.

 

[99t4]

Purely physics.

Speeds up the velocity of relationship development, in whichever direction the relationship is developing.

 

[markz]

tandem is a great occasion to socialize as long as both cyclists want to go in the same direction.
I would be concern about the wear and tear especially on wheels and drive train with basically double weight.

Yeah you make a good point, 2 adults, say the male is 220lbs and the woman 150lbs, thats 370lbs. Does the bike manufacturer (non BSO) use different stronger, sturdier rims with more spoke holes. The chain lengths would be very long! Can you get a chain that long, I never seen one for sale so have to link two chains together, so 2 quick links on one chain. How do you transport a tandem on a bike rack, so many obstacles, including storing it at your home.

 

[markz]

Purely physics.

Speeds up the velocity of relationship development, in whichever direction the relationship is developing.

Oh you mean like what the China Virus did, and is doing to marriages.

 

[Balmorhea]

Yeah you make a good point, 2 adults, say the male is 220lbs and the woman 150lbs, thats 370lbs. Does the bike manufacturer (non BSO) use different stronger, sturdier rims with more spoke holes.

48 spoke wheels are traditionally considered tandem equipment. Back when Sun made a rim called Rhyno (not Lite, just Rhyno), the 48 hole version was considered the best choice for triplets and quads.

 

[amberwolf]

A tandem may also make a good cargo or touring bike, if not carrying a stoker.

They're generally intended to carry up to twice the load per wheel that a typical bike is.


Plus there's not many other ways for two St Bernards to go for a ride together.

 

[Dauntless]

You're taking this way too seriously.

A bicycle built for two is soooooooooo romantic.

[youtube]78MKBHR3NbU[/youtube]

 

[MadRhino]

Yeah you make a good point, 2 adults, say the male is 220lbs and the woman 150lbs, thats 370lbs. Does the bike manufacturer (non BSO) use different stronger, sturdier rims with more spoke holes.

48 spoke wheels are traditionally considered tandem equipment. Back when Sun made a rim called Rhyno (not Lite, just Rhyno), the 48 hole version was considered the best choice for triplets and quads.

I still have some Sun Rhino rims on the shelves. The 36 holes were my favorites, because the best DH hubs were all 36h back then. It was 4 times a Rhino Lite. It was a dirty rim though, with the deeper center that had a plastic band, hard to clean. The best rim that Sun ever made IMO, was the Double Track. I still ride some, one of them had survived 3 big hub motors. The MTX 39 is the successor of the double track, in lighter, harder alu grade that did set the standard for DH rims material more than a decade, until carbon.

For me, a tandem bike was the first that I’ve had with Magura Gustav brakes. I still have them today, all Gustav brakes that I have had are still working good. Not bad for a brake that was discontinued 15 years ago. Now I ride the MT-7, but some of my bikes have a Gustav on the rear.

 

[Balmorhea]

I still have some Sun Rhino rims on the shelves. The 36 holes were my favorites, because the best DH hubs were all 36h back then. It was 4 times a Rhino Lite. It was a dirty rim though, with the deeper center that had a plastic band, hard to clean.

That one was called Mammoth, and was also a great tandem rim. Rhyno was just as heavy as Mammoth or more, but it was a smaller, very ordinary-looking cross-section, maybe 26mm wide at most. It looked like a cheap OEM rim. But it was not.



This one is 48h 700C. It weighs around 900g, rim only.

 

[MadRhino]

Ah! I’ve had both and mixed them up. And yes, those that I still have on the shelves are Mammoth.

 

[Stealth_Chopper]

Schwinn Twinn
Crazy FAST & terrifying either pushing or steering
A thrill ride by design.

For paired racers, there is less wind resistance per set of legs.

For the average couple, you can maintain a conversation while you pedal, plus if one member of the couple is a strong cyclist, the weaker cyclist can get some exercise while staying with their mate.

Cant think of anything else...

 

[markz]

Some one should put a mid drive motor and a front hub on a tandem, maybe even a rear hub. Then start a contest, like the diesel trucks pulling the weighted trailer to see how far they can get. Be so much great leverage on a tandem being its so long. Hey! What about a tandem fat bike. Damn I went a googling and found a fat tandem trike!
Heck its even got a front hub motor!
https://forums.mtbr.com/attachments/e-bikes/1091799d1472873463-fat-tire-trike-ultimate-tandem-trike-image.jpg
Imagine a 26kw Cyclone on that beast, would rip the tires and break the bicycle chain in a millisecond.

 

[markz]

Here is another, I like the previous yellow one better.

https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/tandem-trike-fat-bike-890590.html

 

[amberwolf]

I still have some Sun Rhino rims on the shelves. The 36 holes were my favorites, because the best DH hubs were all 36h back then. It was 4 times a Rhino Lite. It was a dirty rim though, with the deeper center that had a plastic band, hard to clean.

That one was called Mammoth, and was also a great tandem rim.

The Big Mammoth Fat is what I built the front wheel of SB Cruiser with (I think the rim came used from BikeFanatic here on ES). Been a great rim, first for rim braking and now for disc. Wish I had them on the trailer too (four of those would hold a lot of stuff without flexing like the random ones I have on there now). (though I will be testing out some new wheels on it from here:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=106233
after they arrive, mostly to make adding brakes to it easy, since the IGHs have drum brakes).