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| Racing on the tandem with Paul Chuck (Photo Courtesy Bill Bushnell) |
We all know the game. You're on a flat-ish ride. A tandem rolls by. What do you do? You get on the wheel, of course. And you sit there. It's a free ride. But then a steep hill is encountered. You thank the tandem... or not... and carry on up the hill, dropping the tandem.
On the down side, the tandem comes screaming by again, having to hit the brakes, and weave through the slower single bike riders who are now taking up the whole road, inattentive to the fact that the tandem is coming by with a big head of steam. You get on the wheel again, and you sit. Repeat, again, and again. It's a sweet ride in the draft. Heck, you hardly have to pedal and you're cruising along at 22 mph!
After about 100 miles of this, the tandem team begins to fade, after having to push the wind all day. But you're fresh, so you bolt off the front and leave the tandem behind. As you pass, you thank them... or not...
There are ways that single bikes can work with a tandem to make everyone faster, but it takes a great deal of skill, and some understanding of tandem dynamics, and how a tandem responds to terrain changes differently than single bikes.
Sarah Schroer and I have an event coming up, a 600K (380 mile) ride that we are going to try to complete in 24 hours on the tandem. Several single bikes are going to participate, and have the same goal. These riders can sit on the tandem until we're exhausted, then forge ahead alone. Or... they can learn to work WITH the tandem, in a team effort to make everyone faster — a task that has been proven to be difficult for most single bike riders.
The tandem has difficulty making abrupt changes in speed. The typical rider who gets excited when it is his/her turn to do a pull and puts in a massive acceleration will always create a gap and drop the tandem. The first thing to understand is how a tandem deals with terrain changes in ways that are different from how a single bike behaves. Below are 4 scenarios, and how a single bike should react while towing a tandem:
1. Steep Uphill: This is where the tandem is most disadvantaged. If you are towing a tandem, keep a modest pace. If the tandem rolls up alongside, then increase slightly. But keep it very steady.
2. Modest Uphill or "False Flat:" A tandem will do better on this terrain than a steeper hill. The rider towing the tandem can do a slightly higher effort, but still should keep it modest. Be very aware of slight changes in pitch. If it steepens, don't dig in too hard. If it slackens, keep the speed up.
3. Flat Terrain: The towing rider can put in a pretty strong effort, and the tandem should stay hitched. Watch out for slight variations in grade. If the road tilts up slightly, ease off just a bit, don't overpower the roller. Conversely, if the road tilts down a bit, power up gradually.
4. Slight Downhill: On this terrain, you pretty much are not going to drop a tandem. Pedal hard and fast, and the tandem should be able to stay on without issue.
5. Steep Downhill: Get the Fuck out of the way. It's as simple as that. There is nothing more annoying than single bike riders kinda dropping the tandem on an uphill, then taking the whole road on the subsequent downhill, such that the tandem has to brake and kill momentum. Better to just stay behind the tandem at the crest, and get on the wheel, or if on the downhill, single file up and stay to the right so the tandem can get through safely. If you are on a downhill, and the tandem is behind, be aware that it's likely coming, and probably coming fast. Dodgy moves by single bikes into the lane can be dangerous in this scenario.
Pretty simple. I've been on many double centuries where my tandem has towed riders all day. Eventually Captain and Stoker fatigue. Sometimes we run most riders off our wheel, and other times we can barely pedal at the end while our tail of wheel suckers are fresh. Sometimes they then ask if they can help. They can, but it takes some skill and understanding. You must be smooth. Avoid sudden increases (or decreases) in speed. Watch the tandem, and understand how it reacts to terrain differently than a single bike. By doing that, you'll be able to help make everyone faster. Don't wait until the end of the ride to ask if you can help. If you're strong, help early on, spell the tandem for just a minute here and there, it makes a difference over the course of a long day.
And one more thing. If you sit on a tandem wheel all day, don't sprint the last mile or two of a double century, and say you "beat" the tandem after Captain and Stoker have been kind enough to tow you around all day. (This happened at the 2013 Davis Double). That's really poor etiquette. And if you're following a tandem, and you flat, don't expect the tandem to stop and wait. You are likely receiving great benefit from the tandem's draft, but the tandem is likely receiving little or no benefit from the single bikes.
Class is over. Next time you hook up with a tandem, greet the riders, maybe ask if the tandem team minds that you draft, enjoy the tow, and if you can, feel free to at least offer to help. Some Captains will decline the offer. Others, like me, will graciously accept. Everyone can then go faster with less effort, which is the whole point, right?
3 comments:
My wife and I have been riding a tandem for nearly a decade and encounter these issues quite frequently. It takes a lot of communication to make a good ride happen. You express it well. Thanks. Joe and Kathy - North Andover Mass
My wife and I have 20 years on the tandem and, I couldn't have said it better myself. I laughed outloud at the steep downhill instruction, and would only add that a single is not going to get on the tail of a steep downhill tadnem unless they do it from the start--unless they have one hell of a jump.
I fondly remember a sweet tandem paceline at MTR a few years back (Cedar Rapids) when we had Rob Templin on a single with about four tandems. He knew just how to work with the group, and was a pleasure to have along. One key was that at times he stayed out of the rotation, just hanging the perfect distance back.
I also laughed out loud. Great post. My wife and I ride a tandem and use the word "disco" for singles who cannot keep a smooth pace, but keep changing speed like they are dancing. I will say "a little disco up here" or "too much disco for me." It is amazing how how much you notice these speed changes on a tandem, and even more so on a triplet. Enjoyed the post.
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