1992 Cannondale Tandem
- Thread starter Thelakes
- Start date
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Great looking bike! 1992 was in the heart of the tandem resurgence. I bought my first tandem in 1992, the advent of indexed gearing, stiffer frame designs, and lower gearing, brought about by 8 speed cassettes, finally brought about tandems that excelled on the road. Strong tandem teams regularly lead out huge pacelines at the big gatherings of cyclists.
I used to do a group ride out of Dunlap Illinois and a couple on a tandem were regulars. In the rolling terrain they could easily gap the group on the downhill sections. I remember working really hard to get back in touch on the uphill sections. as they were both strong riders and the hills weren't very long.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
A right of passage for my kids was riding an organized two day double century with their Dad on our tandem. In 1996 it was my thirteen year old daughters turn. On day number two, as we started a climb that initiated a section of high rollers we were caught by five, very fit, mixed sex, tandem teams. I told my daughter that we would win the race to the top of the hill, and for the first time in 150 miles I felt her skinny little legs dig deep and put some power to the chain. Darn if we didn't win that uphill sprint! All the tandems then hurled down the backside yelling at the single riders to move right. Being spent by that brief effort we retired to our more sedated pace as those other teams motored away. It was a proud moment and one to remember. And yes, you better believe we were passed by all those single riders on the next uphill.
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I've never been on a tandem so hard to understand the benefits/tradeoffs. I've never understood why they are at a disadvantage climbing. Seems like the total bike weight per rider would be lower and you still have whatever aerodynamic advantage there is even at lower speed.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Riding a tandem is taking the combined power of the two riders and dividing it in half. The more powerful rider feels weaker and the lesser rider feels a boost. That's why the fastest tandem teams are the ones with similar fitness. However much of the time tandems are ridden by couples looking for a way of leveling the playing field and being able to ride together without either being frustrated by the other person's fitness or lack there of.
As far as climbing goes it is all about the power to weight ratio. That's why I think we won that sprint. a 13 year old girl isn't very powerful, but she wasn't very heavy either, and we were going up. The rest of the field were all adult teams.
As far as climbing goes it is all about the power to weight ratio. That's why I think we won that sprint. a 13 year old girl isn't very powerful, but she wasn't very heavy either, and we were going up. The rest of the field were all adult teams.