Tandem

[halliday]

Anyone ride tandem with their Mrs? My wife needs to restart her cycling and has slowed down quite a bit physically and I think this is a good way for us to get things going again. Travel at the same speed, relax, and just enjoy the ride together. She's kinda cold to the idea of a tandem. Has anybody had to convince their other to do this? Success? Failure?

[climberevan]

The old saying is: "Wherever your relationship is going, it will get there faster on a tandem". They are not for everyone, and if she's not stoked on on her own it I'd tread VERY cautiously.

That said, others who didn't heed this advice abound, so you can get a nice tandem for really cheap. We're looking for a touring one, but since we're the same height it's a little harder, as many of them are built for much shorter stokers.

[frorider]

As long as you’re ok with the local shop starting a betting pool on how soon you’ll divorce, go for it!

Srsly though what riding are you talking about? Paved bike paths? Can she handle an ebike ok? That’s the go to solution these days.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Get her an ebike


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[EWG]

Ebike?

We were given a tandem that my wife’s parents were no longer using maybe 20 years ago. I think we’ve ridden it twice.

Not for us. We ride together all the time but not on that thing. But it was kind of ok when I rode it with our kids for the differential power problem you state. Though that was also very rare.

See if you can borrow one first to try it. Might be great. Might be terrible.

[rudy]

I'm with the last 2 posters. Seems like a perfect excuse to pick up an ebike. She'll get a workout and can decide how much assist she wants and can ride it with or without you.

[Iowagriz]

We've owned 2 tandems. First one when the kids were babies and pulled a Burley. Decent fun, but lots to wrangle. 2nd was after the kids left the house (Salsa Powderkeg). Fun bike and excellent to ride, but again, the hassle of loading and my wife only being lukewarm to cycling (even solo), so we sold it.

Recently bought an ebike for her and she loves it. We can easily ride the bike paths together, and she is more engaged in the process. Upsides also include ease of loading and smaller storage footprint. Tandem really requires a pickup for easy transport. After selling the Tandem, we sold the truck and got into #Vanlife.

[halliday]

As long as you’re ok with the local shop starting a betting pool on how soon you’ll divorce, go for it!

Srsly though what riding are you talking about? Paved bike paths? Can she handle an ebike ok? That’s the go to solution these days.

It would be all paved riding nice and easy. On the other hand we just had "the discussion" again. It aint gonna happen. Her words: "you are way more into this than I am. I'll let you know when Im ready to start riding again. And don't go buying one of those bamboo things, they are ugly." Quite a few years ago I almost had her on my side to try the tandem thing and was thinking of building a Calfee bamboo tandem for us. I initially showed her a picture and her words were "that's the ugliest fucking thing Ive ever seen". There is no second guessing what she is thinking at any given moment.

[plugboots]

Yeah, get an ebike they said..

[XXX-er]

see if you can rent an E-bike to try

[Dee Hubbs]

We use to rent a Tandem at our shop in Whistler, we called it the Divorcycle.
It was an Electra Cruiser with beach bars and coaster brakes. It was eventually destroyed by a mid 30's tourist couple who's ride on the casual gravel path took a wrong turn onto
"Hydro Hill", a steep loose gravel trail with a sharp left hander at the bottom.
The couple walked 3 miles back to the shop with bloody and gravel filled knees and elbows, dragging a bike with a folded handlebar and the fender jammed between the frame and tire.

That was the end of our relationship with the Divorcycle, (and possible the relationship of the tourist couple).
I bought some new beach bars, removed the fenders, and sold it.

[halliday]

We have an old Puch moped that I can get running again. Same thing right?

[detrusor]

Wife and I used to ride tandem a ton. Now collects dust. Definitely need a LOT of communication, even things like a road break needs to be called out so she doesn’t get her taint crushed.

[toast2266]

Oh man, this is definitely what you need:

[ticketchecker]

Here on the coast of Maine we also call the tandem sea kayak a divorce boat. Proceed with caution


Sent from my iPad using TGR Forums