Do you want to have double the fun?

Bicycling events abound. Centuries. Bike MS. Tour de Cure. RABRAI. RAGBRAI sounds great, and I think I\’d like to do it some day.

I\’m sure tandems are as welcome at these events as one-person bicycles. And even unicycles and adult trikes. But are there any rides especially for the bicycle built for two?

There sure are. Check out Tandem Cycle Works! Again, the site isn\’t secure, so I don\’t quite dare create a link to it.

How to start riding a tandem? I must confess that I, for one, am clueless. I could read a whole library full of books about tandeming, and still be at sea. It\’s one of those things that you have to do if you\’re to really understand it. Even if I learned it, I\’d have a hard time explaining \”how\” to someone else, just as I couldn\’t really explain riding a [single] bicycle to a non-rider.

Which position is harder: captain, or stoker? The captain, or the rider in front, must be alert for changing road conditions/hazards, such as potholes. The captain takes the brunt when there\’s a headwind.

The stoker, or the rider in the rear, has to be able to put absolute trust in the captain. The stoker can\’t see what\’s ahead, and doesn\’t need unpleasant surprises such as a sudden bump.

And check out the end of the YouTube linked above. Even if it\’s double the fun, riding a tandem seems tricky enough to me. What mustn\’t it be like to be on a bicycle build for SIX!