Tandem bikes are a bit different, for obvious reasons, and while a large number of horses have been broken to accept single cyclists the low volume of tandems creates a dangerous cocktail when tandem teams approach horses. Horses are intelligent creatures and will recognize and remember single bicycles but seeing one rider pedal by followed closely by a second rider can cause a horse to spook.

To avoid dangerous interactions with equestrians tandem teams are encourage to follow these rules of the road when encountering a horse and rider:

1. Immediately slow to a safe stop. When approaching from the rear slow to speed equal to or slower than the speed of the horse.
2. Announce your presence with a friendly hello.
3. Request instruction from the equestrian rider “is it okay for us to pass” or “do you need us to pull off the trail”.
4. Abide by the instructions of the equestrian rider.
5. If not instructed to do so ask before speaking to the horse. Generally equestrians appreciate you speaking in a calm voice to the horse to help the animal learn that you are not a predator.
6. Once clear of the horse take care not to make abrupt movements or loud noises until you are well away from the animal. Most spookings occur when riders think they are clear.

The number of equestrians has dropped tangentially over the last decade making encounters more and more rare. This drop in volume has created the adverse effect of increasing the chances of coming across a non-broken or easily spooked horse. Taking your time and working with the equestrian rider will ensure safe and happy rides for both your tandem team and the equestrian.

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Road Tandem Tires – generally tandem teams look for a wider profile “touring” type tire with thread casing in the 100+ tpi area. With the narrow profile and short sidewalls road tandem teams need to be concerned with puncture resistance, blowout strength, and sidewall stiffness. The worst case scenario on a road bike is to blow out a tire and drop rim to pavement in a manner that causes loss of control. A wider tire also creates a larger contact patch with the pavement to create a smooth ride.

Look for wound casing, folding bead, Kevlar lined tires in the 25+ width sizes.

Mountain Tandem Tires – As with the braking systems tandem mountain bikes have benefited from downhill and free-ride mountain biking. The drive for “motorcycle like” tread patterns in these aggressive mountain bike disciplines and ensuing puncture resistance and sidewall strength demands allows tandems to be fitted with tires designed for aggressive use.

Unfortunately most downhill type tires ignore weight concerns and most active tandem teams opt for a more conservative tire setup leaning towards a mild free-ride to XC tire in the 2.2″ width range. When selecting tires for a tandem mountain bike ask and answer the following questions:

1. Primary terrain to be encountered?
2. General riding style (fast climbers or fast descenders)?
3. Rim size (wider rims can support wider tires and also form a good backup in case of blowouts)?
4. Budget (the more aggressive tires can be pricey)?

Proper tire selection for your tandem relies heavily upon trial and error. For mountain bike teams monitor your tires for chunking on the sidewalls (loss of rubber blocks on the edge of the tread) and grip while riding. For road tandem teams monitor tread wear on the center and cracking of the rubber (higher performance tire rubber tends to shrink and crack). Remember that a tandem team’s worst case scenario is a blowout at speed; take care of your tires so that they can take care of you.

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Simply throwing a leg over a tandem does not mean that your team will succeed in conquering monster climbs. It takes practice, coordination, and some rules of the road to become kings of the hill:

1. Getting Ready – Climbing extreme grades should not be tackled by the uninitiated. Depending upon the grade and surface a premature exit could result in a nasty tumble. Before tackling your first extreme grade take time to gradually ride steeper and longer grades. The goal is to build both power and endurance to ensure your team can physically conquer a grade.

2. Addressing the Climb – With power and endurance out of the way the next step is to identify your first serious challenge. Depending on the region of the country you hail from an extreme grade could be found on your local trail or a few hundred miles away. The best bet in either direction is to start off with a grade composed of a smooth surface with excellent traction, a great excuse to head to Moab for a weekend. The slick-rock trails of Moab UT provide unparalleled traction and when combined with a semi-slick tire will allow your team to scale “walls”.

3. Line Choice – Having found that first steep grade it is time for tire to meet trail. Line choice both on the approach and during the ascent are vital to a successful climb. The majority of the responsibility falls upon the captain of the tandem team to ensure a good line. On the approach to the climb scan the full length of the hill for an ideal route working top to bottom. With that hypothetical route in mind approach the grade at a perpendicular angle to the grade, shift in to your highest gear range, settle your cadence into a smooth consistent stroke and begin the climb.

4. Push, Pull, and Adjust – Once your tandem team starts the climb focus and concentration become key. For the stoker it is important to keep an even power stroke through the pedals in sync with the captain. The stoker should mentally block out the steepness of the grade and focus only on pedaling through the stroke. The captain should focus their attention on the line immediately in front of the tandem. A steep grade serves as the ultimate test of a captains skills as gravity and torque fight to wrench the tandem side to side and back down the hill. Constant steering inputs and weight shifts will be necessary to keep the tandem on the trail. Depending upon the length of the grade the captain can also stand and pedal to shift their weight further forward and add additional power into the stroke.

5. Go with the Flow – That line you envisioned back on step 3 will almost 100% of the time not be the line you end up riding. As your tandem team ascends the grade shifts in weight, ruts in the trail, and surface materials will force your tandem team to adjust the line to compensate. It is important for the captain to not fight too much with these shifts. Instead allow the tandem mountain bike to establish its own line and work to provide enough power and steering inputs to keep the tandem upright and moving vertical.

6. Cresting the Top – The last few hundred feet are always the most difficult. With the top in sight it is easy to lapse concentration and either drop a tire into a rut or off the trail or to simply forget to pedal. Fight the urge to celebrate prematurely and keep your teams composure over the grade. Once past the apex is the time to celebrate.

For tandem mountain bike teams the successful completion of a once impossible climb will be a long remembered success. Utilizing the tips above prepare, practice, and succeed with your big climb you will find just rewards for your accomplishment.

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Pacelines present unique challenges and advantages that both tandem partners need to be aware of in order to keep things safe. To begin with it is best to understand the basics of a paceline.

1. Pacelines work best on flat roads or gradual slopes
2. Pull at the front with  a consistent steady speed. Do not dart out and race away.
3. At the end of your pull gently move to the drop back lane and allow the next rider to pull through.
4. To drop back in order simply let up your force on the pedals to slow your pace just below that of the paceline. Slow too much and you will be forced to accelerate hard to jump back into line. Slow too little and you will disrupt the paceline movement.
5. Pacelines are about shared loads but as the big team in line you will be expected to put in a bit more effort out front. Only pull as long as you feel comfortable in doing so.

A few pointers for the captain:

1. Set a consistent pace and pedalling rhythm
2. Allow enough room in front of your tire to avoid sudden braking or swerving should the rider in front slow quickly.
3. Do not make sudden moves.
4. Communicate with the stoker and realize that they will be under added stress because of the tight riding quarters.

A few pointers for the stoker

1. Follow the captains lead.
2. Minimize conversation with paceline partners to those you know are comfortable operating in the paceline. Often-times you will find rookies who are having a difficult time simply operating in the paceline let alone maintaining conversation during the process.
3. Communicate shifts in body weight with your captain.
4. Avoid burning yourself out while pulling at the front. Put in comfortable efforts only.
5. Help the captain maneuver into and out of the paceline by keeping watch for other riders.

If you find yourselves in a good paceline your average speed will jump considerably as the effort is shared across partners. Generally speaking the tandem team will dictate the flow of the paceline and the ultimate success or failure of the efforts. The most basic tip for paceline safety is practice makes perfect. Ride enough on the road and you will find yourself in a paceline mind the tips above and enjoy the ride.

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The options available to tandem teams in terms of safety are the same as available to solo cyclists with the caveat that more care needs to be taken of the machine. A tandem bike, notably the components, are more susceptible to fatigue related failure. The combination of two riders with mass applying torque on two connected pendulums will prematurely wear parts that would normally never fail on a single bike. When seeking additional safety on a tandem look at your components first.

With the tandem in safe form your next safety line is found with the items you choose to wear. For solo cyclists the bigger risk for serious injury comes in endo style crashes (over the handlebars). For protection from these types of injuries a standard helmet, gloves, and a hydration pack can minimize injuries. Tandems are much less susceptible to this type of crash due to the long wheel base and seperation of mass front to back.

Tandem teams are susceptible to side to side crashes, wash outs of the front tire, and accidents with third parties (think “cars”). In these types of crashes the stoker tends to be more at risk since they “never see it coming”. One second they are pedaling along and the next they are lying in a heap on the side of the road. Safety gear needs are obviously different. Being unaware of the impending doom (artistic expression added here) tandem teams should look for equipment that will provide additional protection to areas that will have first contact with the ground.

• Helmets that provide additional side and rear coverage or even mouth protection can provide additional levels of security.
• Some stokers elect to wear body armor knee/ shin guards and elbow guards (primarily spotted on mountain tandem teams).
• Full finger cycling gloves can protect more of the hand from road rash and lacerations.
• High dollar cycling shoes with molded heels and toes protect the foot from foreign objects.
• Sunglasses that offer more than just style. Shades that include design elements to keep them attached to your face during a fall will ensure your eyes receive some level of protection after you hit the ground.

Finally it is necessary to ensure information is easily accessible. Think about the worst case scenario where both riders are incapacitated after a crash. Do either of you have allergies? Is there an emergency contact outside of the two individuals lying on the ground? All those important details that can help save your life and care for your injuries might be lost in this worst case situation. Take steps to provide information to first responders. At a minimum make sure both riders have id on their person or the tandem. Add additional ICE (in case of emergency) contacts into a cellular phone other than the individual you normally ride with. If you have allergies or immediate medical conditions carry a card explaining so. Taking this a step further their are third party services that use an ID tag to provide this data to first responders. Our editors have experience with the “Road ID” system and can vouch for the quality of the service.

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The rapid increase in smart phone and GPS use has placed into the hands of millions of drivers small screened distractions that buzz, ring, and further invite drivers to lose their attention. Studies have shown that with more distractions inside the car drivers are less aware of what is going on around them (study).

Just yesterday while riding to our favorite trail-head we stopped at a traffic light and noticed 3 of the 4 drivers around us where fiddling with their smartphones. While it can be argued that they were not moving at that moment in time it can also be argued that they were not paying attention to their surroundings either. We are willing to bet that not one of those 3 motorists would have noticed if we had decided to make a change in our position on the road.

The implications of this shift in driver habits is significant towards tandem teams. Our safety, and that of all cyclists, resides in an unwritten belief that vehicle drivers are taking reasonable care and responsibility in operating their vehicles. As smaller and slower moving vehicles tandem teams are always at the mercy of drivers to, at a minimum, stay in their lane and follow basic vehicle traffic laws.

New laws outlining proper use of smart-phones while operating a vehicle are constantly being enacted.  Intended to codify proper behavior these laws only serve to force drivers to hold their phone down further in their lap to text or type on the screen. Tandem teams will in short order need to decide if their safety is worth the risk or if riding designated bike trails and routes is the only safe option available.

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The New England states are running late on the fall leaf change meaning there is still time to get up there for a weekend of fun. Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and the New England coast all have very tandem friendly areas beckoning your tandem team to check them out. Following the damaging hurricane of this last summer there are excellent travel deals available for last minute lodging.

On Columbus Day here is a reminder to get back in the saddle and enjoy the tandem.

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During installation or the building process of a tandem frame the mechanic will apply grease between adjoining parts. Over time as a result of wear, grit, or water this grease will be removed allowing the parts to touch directly. This touching is the source of 99% of all strange noises from the tandem.

To eliminate strange noises it should be obvious that simply applying grease to the areas where it has washed away will solve the problem. Unfortunately finding that one source of missing grease can be quite trying. To help troubleshoot the potential sources we provide the following list of potential culprits in order of likeliness:

1. Noise While Pedaling
   1. Bottom Bracket
   2. Chain-rings
   3. Chain
   4. Derailleur Pulleys
   5. Pedals
   6. Shoes
   7. Seat Rails
   8. Seat Posts
   9. Handlebar or Stem
2. Noise while coasting
   1. Wheel bearings
   2. Spokes
   3. Rims (Cracked)
   4. Brake shoes (Rubbing)
   5. Bottom Bracket
   6. Pedals
   7. Shoes
   8. Seat Rails
   9. Seat Post
   10. Handlebar or Stem

The best method for identifying the source of the noise is to use the above list while the tandem is in a stationary position and listen for the noise emanating from the part. For example, place the tandem securely in a stand and pedal the cranks as you listen closely to the bottom bracket. If the noise is coming from there remove and grease the area. If the noise is not coming from there move on to the chain rings. Working your way down the list should eventually sort out the source and quiet that noise.

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Fast forward to 1998 and Idaho completed the first 13 miles of the new multi-use trail. The Rail to Trail network is famous for converting scenic and useful stretches of abandoned railroad lines into useable bike paths for both commuting and recreation. The Route of the Hiawatha is strictly a recreational ride but is well worth the effort. Noted for scenic beauty and the excitement of a 1.5 mile long tunnel the trail has become a feather in the Rail to Trail crown.

Several options are available to riders seeking to complete the ride. The trail is managed by permit via a private concessionaire. The concessionaire operates shuttle buses running from the end of the trail back up to the top allowing novice riders to enjoy an all downhill ride without the hassle of pedaling back up the grade (1ooo ft of elevation over 16 miles). The shuttle buses are converted school buses with ample room in the back for tandem bikes.

For tandem teams seeking a more strenuous challenge parking at the lower trailhead and then riding up the trail first is an excellent option. The slower pace of the climb allows riders to take in more of the scenery of the surrounding hillsides and off the multiple trestle crossing, some as high as 230 ft above the ground. The surface of the trail is comprised of loose gravel worn into a double-track by late into the season. Tandems seeking to challenge the Hiawatha should mount tires suitable for softer gravel and loose soils, avoid skinny road tires. Trail passes are necessary and can be purchased at the major trail-heads or along the route via the marshals strategically stationed throughout the route (the are per person so 2 passes are required for a tandem team).

More information on the Route of the Hiawatha can be found at the following sources: Concessionaire Local Organization

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During our stay at the park we took countless trips in the car up and down the Gong-to-the Sun Road. Each and every-time we discussed riding the route on the tandem. Basically we went through a checklist of the pros and cons to the ride:

1. Scenery
2. Difficulty
3. Reward/ Fun factor
4. Vehicle traffic
5. Passing lanes/ lane width
6. Road surface quality and traction
7. Attentiveness of the average driver (is it bike friendly)
8. Escape routes in emergency
9. Alternatives (then back through the above list with the alternatives)

In the end the above decision tree brought us back to the same conclusion over and over again; the route was a no-go. The average drivers are not paying attention to the road, the roadway itself has no shoulder and very narrow lanes, the road surface is rough and pot-holed, during the ascent the edge of the roadway abuts a shear drop, and so on.

At the end of the conversation it was clear that every ride a tandem team ventures on undergoes a mental checklist like the above. As a tandem team the risks are doubled should a serious accident occur therefore the planning and qualifying of a route is incredibly important to the long term safety of your team. Sadly for our vacation this epic ride went off the radar but in the end the alternatives were suitable for lasting memories.

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