Winter has reared its head again here in Southern California. After a Christmas and New Years filled with above normal temperatures Californians have been punished with a series of rain storms that have left the trails rutted, wet, and muddy. For tandem mountain bike teams the mud presents a unique challenge...

Q: On a recent outing our ride took us down a descent with grades in excess of 15% on a hill that was over 4 miles long. We have disc brakes but the rotors and pads must have over-heated because by the end of the downhill it took all of my strength just to stop us. How do I prevent this in the future? A:...

Riding a Tandem Mountain Bike inevitably brings up the question of “how does that thing handle the turns”? For novice tandem teams the answer usually depends on how steep the angle of the turn is but with a few pointers and a little practice most tandem teams can ride through most every switchback...

Riding a tandem in itself makes you unique on the roads and trails. There is not a ride that passes without someone shouting a compliment or joke (the standby is usually “he/ she isn’t pedaling!”). Given the high visibility of tandem riding, etiquette is very important. When passing...

With summer in full swing and temperatures well into the 90’s across the country it is a great time to discuss riding in the heat. Tandems pose unique hazards as the combination of two different riders of unique body type and composition can wreak havoc on the completion of a ride. Ride Planning If...

The captain (sometimes called “pilot”) of a tandem is the rider in the front. Generally the captain should be an experienced solo bicyclist and, for new teams, requires good upper body physical strength. The first time captain There is a first time for everything and being a tandem captain...

The vast majority of tandem teams utilize paved roadways for cycling routes. For many this is a choice that places the two riders into immediate harms way. Here are five tips to being safe while riding the roads. Tip 1 – Pick a line Whether the roadway has a bike lane, wide shoulder, or no shoulder...

In a move to better the use of Google Maps by cyclists nationwide Google has added bike routing ability to Google Maps. This addition required significant programming by Google to account for bike friendly streets, grades, and traffic patterns. Until now tandem teams were forced to use “walking”...