Author Topic: Tandem on PBP? (Read 7145 times)

IbisTouche · « **on:** 26 May, 2011, 04:24:05 pm »

We are a danish couple who have qualified for PBP on tandem. We are from the brevets aware aboiut the differences in rhytm between tandems and single bicycles. We are aware about the problems on the hills and how fast we are downhill. Are there any other things to consider when riding PBP on a tandem - except from staying together?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 May, 2011, 04:39:11 pm »

Your 'highs' and 'lows' are unlikely to coincide. It is worthwhile coordinating toilet stops and clothing adjustments.

IbisTouche · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 May, 2011, 05:02:09 pm »

She insist actuallly on that!

Ivo · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 May, 2011, 05:14:40 pm »

You do have a tactical advantage if you ride a 'special'. You start before the big wave of riders so for the first part of the ride you'll certainly evade the bulge and you can pass the controls a lot faster. Count on 2-3 hours advantage due to that.

mmmmartin · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 May, 2011, 07:04:20 pm »

Quote from: IbisTouche on 26 May, 2011, 04:24:05 pm

staying together

I should think that'd be enough.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 May, 2011, 07:09:43 pm »

Quote from: martinbrice on 26 May, 2011, 07:04:20 pm

Quote from: IbisTouche on 26 May, 2011, 04:24:05 pm
staying together
I should think that'd be enough.

I remember being at Villaine in 2007 with a rider suffering from Schermer's neck. Nearby there was a tandem partnership in a state of some discord. The injured rider thought we should approach them and offer a bike swap. The stoker would get a quick divorce and the neck sufferer a finish. I was too knackered to do the required matchmaking, but I wonder if it's ever been done?

mattc · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 May, 2011, 10:36:17 pm »

Don't be daft ESL! (the solo rider might have started 3 hours later than the stoker).

(A strong memory of mine is also a tandem team at Villaines - but they were really suffering, with no sign of discord. Quite a touching scene, actually.)

Justin(e) · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 May, 2011, 01:30:36 am »

Quote from: mattc on 26 May, 2011, 10:36:17 pm

A strong memory of mine is also a tandem team at Villaines - but they were really suffering, with no sign of discord. Quite a touching scene, actually.

A strong memory of mine is waiting at the train station near the finish and talking to an American woman who got around on a tandem. She was telling me some incredible story of replacing a bottom bracket (or was it just a pedal) that nearly de-reailed them at the end. There was lots of 'lost in translation monents' with the moral of the story being that the French are wonderful.

I think that the advantage of a tandem on PBP is that the size of the field will mean that you can get some tandem chain gangs happening. There are enough other couples who are all doing the same speed that you will experience peleton riding. Something that rarely happens when you are the odd one out in a normal randonee.

I am sure that TG will relate his experiences of multi-cycling on PBP soon. (triplet good, tandem bad). I guess it all depends.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 May, 2011, 09:17:13 am »

Quote from: Justin(e) on 27 May, 2011, 01:30:36 am

A strong memory of mine is waiting at the train station near the finish and talking to an American woman who got around on a tandem. She was telling me some incredible story of replacing a bottom bracket (or was it just a pedal) that nearly de-reailed them at the end. There was lots of 'lost in translation monents' with the moral of the story being that the French are wonderful.

Just about my last lucid memory of 2007 was going to borrow a track pump from the spannermen at Mortagne and encountering an American couple who had had a crank fall off their tandem during the previous stage. They were trying the trick involving the use of aluminium foil as a shim to make it stay on for the rest of the ride.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 May, 2011, 01:58:02 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 26 May, 2011, 10:36:17 pm

Don't be daft ESL! (the solo rider might have started 3 hours later than the stoker).

(A strong memory of mine is also a tandem team at Villaines - but they were really suffering, with no sign of discord. Quite a touching scene, actually.)

Stoker and Captain have a card each, I wonder if there is any compulsion to finish together? You don't have to qualify together.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 May, 2011, 01:59:47 pm »

Have reliable equipment. Two AUK tandems failed to finish PBP03 because of faulty rear hubs. A third AUK tandem with the same type of hubs carried spare components round the route after their rear hub failed while qualifying. Anecdotally, tandems seem to have a higher rate of mechanical failure than single bikes.

mattc · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 May, 2011, 03:25:37 pm »

Quote from: Exit Stage Left on 27 May, 2011, 01:58:02 pm

...
Stoker and Captain have a card each, I wonder if there is any compulsion to finish together? You don't have to qualify together.

Yes, as far as _I_ know, you could ride/finish in any permutation of solos/tandems/triplets. (although the diffferent start times MIGHT be an issue.)

It was a marvellous idea - pat yourself on the back! But I see a can of worms here:

I wonder how a penalty like no-HiViz is applied to tandem riders? If your pilot got a penalty for going off-route, could you switch to solo to avoid the rap?

Could I borrow a recumbent for a day just to get the earlier start time?

Salvatore · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 May, 2011, 03:40:28 pm »

Quote from: Exit Stage Left on 27 May, 2011, 01:58:02 pm

Quote from: mattc on 26 May, 2011, 10:36:17 pm
Don't be daft ESL! (the solo rider might have started 3 hours later than the stoker).

(A strong memory of mine is also a tandem team at Villaines - but they were really suffering, with no sign of discord. Quite a touching scene, actually.)

Stoker and Captain have a card each, I wonder if there is any compulsion to finish together? You don't have to qualify together.

Doesn't quite answer the question, but when Pam P packed in 1995 at Carhaix, Dave P set off solo on their tandem for the return trip to Brest, and when he got back to Carhaix Pam had arranged for him to borrow Roger Philo's bike. (Roger had conveniently packed at Carhaix).

Panoramix · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 May, 2011, 12:10:12 am »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 May, 2011, 01:59:47 pm

Have reliable equipment. Two AUK tandems failed to finish PBP03 because of faulty rear hubs. A third AUK tandem with the same type of hubs carried spare components round the route after their rear hub failed while qualifying. Anecdotally, tandems seem to have a higher rate of mechanical failure than single bikes.

Lot of stresses in such a long bike!

Assasin · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 June, 2011, 03:42:21 pm »

All of the faults mentioned here relate to Hugi Tandem hubs made by DT swiss.

Tandems are fine if they are well maintained and it is easy enough to carry a few spares for vulnerable parts.

PBP on tandem is great fun - just look after each other & make sure the pilot can keep his eyes open - if not it's time for a sleep.

I hope to be there on my tandem this time complete with stabilisers on the 84 hour start as I need my beauty sleep.

Look after each other & above all just enjoy it!!!

IbisTouche · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 June, 2011, 05:09:16 pm »

WE have just bought a new Comotion Speedster for the PBP and ordinary brevets. It has the DT Hügi hub and we have got a spare thing to the hub. Is the hub a bad choice for randonneuring?

Assasin · « **Reply #16 on:** 07 June, 2011, 08:35:48 am »

The hub is fine and is very well designed.
Since mine failed on the PBP it has been serviced, the star ratchets replaced and has been used with no problems on the LEL and other long rides.
It was exceptionally hot in 2003 which could have contributed to the failure caused when the ratchets don't slide together properly.

If you have the spares you wil be fine
Just make sure the legs are up to it.....................

aidan.f · « **Reply #17 on:** 07 June, 2011, 09:34:09 pm »

I have done 2x PBP's on tandems and am planning my third tandem PBP this year, its a good tandem ride, nice and rolling. We ride the first 150 Km in 03 as a six up, at 40+KPH but we were behind the Italian tandem - they would not hold any sort of steady pace line (italian driving) so we ended up doing two turns on the front. Expect to gain a shoal of wheel suckers behind you if you have any kind of speed - we got a whole gang of french and italians out to Brest in '03, then joined up with an American group on the way back who did some turns on the front. Steve still keeps in touch with one of them.

In 07 on the way back people were so tired that the could not take a tow even when offered, we rode back with Stue Lee on his trike - really good company - sat behind us on the flat and alongside for a chat on the climbs. riding a tandem makes fiends and often good ones.

And I was the one carrying the spare clutches in 03 and 07- that was because they failed for us on one of our '03 qualifiers, we cable tied the big sprocket to the spokes and rode 100 miles on a fixed tandem (with gears). They have now been re-designed with deeper sprags and nickel plating. Take any special parts if you can - the spare sprags could have been fitted in minutes. I would recommend a spare folding tyre and brake parts - all the workshops tend to be lightweight road bike biased.

If anyone want's some DT tandem hub spares PM me as the hub flange tore along the perforations last year - after only 18,000 miles

The biggest problem is the riders rear ends, less room for in saddle adjustments lead to more wear and tear. The rest is of course twice the fun!

frankly frankie · « **Reply #18 on:** 08 June, 2011, 01:11:35 pm »

That's what they always say.

My limited tandem experience and much observation leads me to believe they're twice the aggro.
Could be both, I suppose.
Certainly on PBP you must have the added problem of synchronising two body clocks. Even just committing to riding with a buddy (two solos) is making it harder than it needs to be.

Assasin · « **Reply #19 on:** 08 June, 2011, 01:52:39 pm »

A tandem is similar to a bike - its fine until it breaks down!!!

Ivo · « **Reply #20 on:** 08 June, 2011, 02:24:54 pm »

I've had a Hügi Hub fail this spring, on a solo bike. I've discussed it with the mechanic at my usual LBS. Problem is when you don't service it often enough the ratchets get clogged with oil, grease and dirt. The harsher the klicking sound, the greater the clogging. So he recommended a regular cleaning and regreasing of the ratchet. After he cleaned & regreased it it worked perfectly. Apparantly you can even disassamble it without tools.

thing1 · « **Reply #21 on:** 05 July, 2011, 04:03:04 pm »

We'll be there on our Tandem, having finally sorted out qualification.

Question: Is it normal for tandem teams to receive 2 different frame numbers, one per rider application?
Last time I checked our tandem only has one frame.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #22 on:** 05 July, 2011, 04:05:20 pm »

The number references the rider. Most tandems have two riders, though I know of a couple of PBP tandems that were sans stoker for a chunk of the ride.

Assasin · « **Reply #23 on:** 05 July, 2011, 04:16:29 pm »

Yes, you get one number for each rider.
Just make sure you fix them onto the frame/rack in such a way as to
keep access to bottles etc clear.
Tie the corners down too so that they don't flap & dig in your leg!

See you on the start line for a tear up at 17:30?:

6481 & 6482.

thing1 · « **Reply #24 on:** 05 July, 2011, 04:23:10 pm »

Cheers. So it's really a bib not frame number then </pedant>

Quote from: Assasin on 05 July, 2011, 04:16:29 pm

See you on the start line for a tear up at 17:30?:

6481 & 6482.

You're on!

Things are 6479 & 6480