Tandem bike: history, design, manufacturers and choice

A tandem is a bicycle for two. Regardless of how it is received, its purpose is joint trips and even closer contact with a partner.

1898 was the year of the patent for the tandem bicycle. This product is patented by Michael Pedersen. The first "tandem" had a weight of 24 pounds (about 10 kg). It was useful to the soldiers of the Second Anglo-Boer and World War II. In the 60s of the last century, the reputation of tandems was corrupted by low-quality steel - it caved in, the frame simply could not withstand double human weight. Decades later, the first community of bike tandem lovers opened in the UK.

Then the French company L&G launched a production line for the production of tandem bicycles. The Americans, represented by Santana Cycles, continued this business only in 1976, eliminating all the shortcomings of their predecessors, whose tandems had flaws.

First, consider the advantages of a tandem bicycle.

• Bringing children to ride a bike - you control, and the child sits behind in the second seat. After 10 years, when the child reaches the pedals of the bike with his feet, you can refuse to land on the frame of a regular bike or use a children's bike - he is able to already pedal and confidently stay in the saddle.
• Save energy when traveling or on long trips out of town together. This is mainly used by couples in love and newlyweds.If the leader is tired, he may temporarily become a slave - replace him. Two people drive a 10-15 kilogram bike easier than each bike is about the same weight. You will feel such an effect when riding against the wind and / or in the rise - only one person resists the wind here, and not both. On the highway, the speed of the tandem reaches the speed of a road bike.
• Tighter communication - you are closer to each other, and you do not need to shout out the noise of streets and highways. A tandem is a great way to test your relationship or marriage for strength.
• The increased strength and durability of the bike tandem is beyond doubt. Wheels with a double box rim, reinforced like a “downhill” bicycle, the frame and a larger number of spokes (more than 36) perfectly withstand even the most well-fed riders.
• Stealing a tandem is more difficult - two thieves should act together. If there is one thief, he is unlikely to leave far in tandem, because he needs a second member of the criminal group.
• The ability to overtake any cyclist - even the most trained. Descent along the highway from a hill in tandem is comparable to the speed of a city bus.
• The second rider, deprived of the ability to steer, assists in everything else starting from the rear and side view of the road. In addition, one or both hands may remain free.
• The second of the riders may be blind or visually impaired. This gives him the opportunity to take part in competitions between riders using tandems.
• In tandem it is impossible to be left behind. If the second of the riders is still not physically developed enough to ride at least 30 km, then his place is in the back. Gained experience and trained - you can change, which can not be said about each of the cyclists who have their own bike.
• The tandem allows you to not carry spare parts for two bicycles. This applies to the rear cassette and gearshift, chain, brakes, steering wheel and wheels.

The tandem also has disadvantages.

• It’s hard for one to ride a tandem bike. Be sure to need a second companion.
• Towing it is almost impossible. If even a regular road or mountain bike in a lying position can be fixed on the trunk of the second one - and you can carry it with grief in half, then forget about this method of tandem delivery. If you swap bicycles, you won’t leave either: you and the unloaded tandem are unlikely to drive alone.
• It is difficult to turn around on narrow-lane streets, in a narrow park alley, on the sidewalk. The tandem length is almost two lengths of a simple road bike with all that it implies.
• The mass of the tandem reaches 22 kg. Even the heaviest “roadster” or mountain bike, driven by one person, weighs no more than 16 kg. Because of this, it is difficult to leave alone on a tandem.
• Brakes are another weak point. Whatever they are according to the principle of action - a foot pedal brake, brake pads on the rims or a disc design - they experience double load during sharp braking.
• The one sitting behind can hardly see where both bikers go - the front (steering) cyclist blocks his view with his back.
• You can’t retire — all the more so when you ride a single shared bike, not two separate.
• The tandem is much more difficult to carry up the stairs if you live in an apartment building, and even on one of the last floors. Unlike a regular bicycle, it will not fit in a regular passenger elevator - only a working freight can deliver it to your floor. It is impossible to take a tandem in a city bus, it is difficult to take in a train or by train, on the plane you will pay much more for its transportation.
• Finally, a bicycle tandem costs several times more than a budget mountain or road bike. It is not sold in most sports hypermarkets, the best option is to order it from a city where there is a factory or an assembly company supplying such bikes to the domestic market.

The length of a standard two-wheeled bicycle tandem is 2.2-2.3 m. This is a double bike with two seats. One of the wheels is not involved in the management. The chainring is 60 teeth, the rest are 12 teeth. Chain length reaches 3 m. In an ordinary bicycle, the chain length does not exceed 1.5 m. In wheels, the number of spokes is up to 96; a smaller number of spokes would not withstand the load of the weight of two cyclists and a speed twice that of a city bike.

The three-wheel tandem is more stable - the rear sprockets are not connected directly to the wheel hub, but to the axis that controls the two rear wheels spinning synchronously. For this, the consumer pays even more weight and difficulty in dispersal. The efforts made by each of the bikers in such a tandem are comparable to the force with which each of them rides on their own simple bicycle - the axle and two wheels are too heavy.

The speed of even a 1-speed tandem is also achieved through a 2-star rear pedal carriage. In fact, the leading biker rotates the pedals somewhat slower than the “slave”. If there are 60 teeth on the sprocket of the front pedal carriage, then on the smaller sprocket where the first (inter-pedal) chain is connected, there may be, for example, 40-50 teeth.

From the neighboring, larger sprocket of the rear pedals, the second (main) chain starts up already on the rear sprocket (or multi-stage cassette) of the rear wheel. This is what improves the efficiency of the efforts exerted by the "stock" cyclist, and the front only effectively adds its own effort. This is another reason why it’s impossible to steal a tandem alone. Tandem bicycle for adults is a model with a full frame size of 21-22 inches. The four-wheel tandem is more like a cycle car.

You can make your own tandem of two road or mountain bikes. To do this, the rear hub of the front bicycle must have a longer hub (axis) on which the fork of the rear bicycle is worn, from which its front wheel is removed. If the frames are not welded to each other on an ongoing basis, you can “disconnect” at any time. This method is good when one of the bikes has a broken front wheel rim. At the same time, the control (steering wheel) of the rear bicycle is blocked - the rear wheel of the front bicycle is fixed. One more variant of a three-wheel tandem will turn out - in it there will be not two wheels in the back, but one.

Ideas for tandems - folding, with a motor (for example, with a gasoline engine), electric tandem and others - have not yet received any sane distribution. This impossibility is connected with the complexity of implementation and even fewer people who want to experiment with a speed that is an order of magnitude higher - which is provided by fuel or electric traction.

Riding in tandem is the result of the united efforts of both participants. You must clearly know when to start, and also when and where to brake - braking for a 180-pound system is much more protracted due to inertia, the braking distance is extended here. Driving at too high a speed or an incorrectly calculated turn can injure both riders. If the tandem has several speeds, then the leader performs their switching.

Since the rear rider does not see the road ahead, any bump or bump will be a surprise to him or even a shock. Hence, the front rider must control the quality of the road - and go around such obstacles - and not just steer and slow down.

When switching speeds, the leading cyclist warns the rear cyclist so that he relaxes the force exerted on the pedals for a few seconds. Ignoring this rule will lead to accelerated wear and premature failure of the speed switch. When climbing uphill, do not lose the high cadence - this is another reason why it is important to work together in tandem.

If you decide to drive a certain distance together, standing on the pedals, then it is advisable to get up to both. A standing person does not have the opportunity to brake faster - especially when the bike is overloaded with bags, or both riders are too well-fed. This is true for both the presenter and the stocker cyclist.

The production of tandems is extremely limited - due to their low prevalence. In total, a dozen firms produce cycle tandems:

• Bilenky Cycle Works,
• Bohemian bicycles
• Cannondale Bicycle Corporation,
• Co-Motion Cycles,
• Dawes Cycles,
• KHS Bicycles,
• Santana Cycles,
• Schwinn Bicycle Company,
• Torker.
• Trek Bicycle Corporation.

The tandem is selected according to the same parameters as a conventional bike is selected:

• wheel diameter and width;
• number of speeds;
• material of the frame, bushings, rims, front wheel forks;
• dimensions and weight;
• depreciation parameters (for tandem hardtails and double suspensions);
• number of wheels (including tricycles);
• steering wheel adjustability and several other parameters, no less important when choosing.

However, there are several different options:

• number of riders (there are tandems for three or more people);
• adjustability of the rear extension and saddle;
• number of stars of the additional system.

In the next video you will find an overview of the Forward 5352 tandem bike.