Author Topic: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...  (Read 35204 times)

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #25 on: 13 March, 2012, 09:08:43 pm »
Your tandem appears to come with a built-in 30mph limit sign - excellent ploy to slow down the motons, John. And I must applaud the excellent standard of dress. Bertie and Jeeves would approve!

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #26 on: 13 March, 2012, 10:15:32 pm »
Feline.

Now I feel guilty that you've been tandem-faithful to me but I've stoked my mate Mike's tandem as well  :-[

tandem-faithful!  ;D

That's a splendid expression.

A few weeks ago, when I had been riding out on consecutive days with two different ladies, neither of them my wife, my younger daughter described me as "a massive floozie."

I think I am a colossal tandem-floozie. :thumbsup:
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #27 on: 13 March, 2012, 10:26:35 pm »
Feline.

Now I feel guilty that you've been tandem-faithful to me but I've stoked my mate Mike's tandem as well  :-[

tandem-faithful!  ;D

That's a splendid expression.

A few weeks ago, when I had been riding out on consecutive days with two different ladies, neither of them my wife, my younger daughter described me as "a massive floozie."

I think I am a colossal tandem-floozie. :thumbsup:

Tandem-tart!!  ;D

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #28 on: 13 March, 2012, 10:56:58 pm »
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #29 on: 14 March, 2012, 07:18:00 am »
Tandem-tart!!  ;D

Ha! Brilliant.

I've been pretty faithful to Cass on the whole.

We have ridden the tandem over to a couple of friends houses, which has resulted in me piloting said friends around the block.

But overall, I have been a one-stoker man.
Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #30 on: 14 March, 2012, 09:30:03 am »
I suspect that, if you add up all the stoking and piloting, Butterfly is the biggest tart of the lot! :o
Getting there...

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #31 on: 14 March, 2012, 09:35:48 am »
She's not a tart!  She's just generous and gregarious :D

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #32 on: 14 March, 2012, 09:53:20 am »
I think so :)

Incidentally, it's very helpful to have a gregarious stoker with a taciturn pilot.  She can chat to folk and I don't have to ;D :thumbsup:

On the East Sussex CTC ride on Sunday, however, there was a solo to the left of a tandem pilot, and a solo to the right of the stoker, having a completely different conversation.  It was the perfect picture of the sociability of the ride.
Getting there...

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #33 on: 14 March, 2012, 12:17:46 pm »
I think so :)

Incidentally, it's very helpful to have a gregarious stoker with a taciturn pilot.  She can chat to folk and I don't have to ;D :thumbsup:

On the East Sussex CTC ride on Sunday, however, there was a solo to the left of a tandem pilot, and a solo to the right of the stoker, having a completely different conversation.  It was the perfect picture of the sociability of the ride.

I'm having horrible visions of what happens when that lot meets a pothole!
I think I'm still at the stage where other bikes near the tandem worry me slightly. Ride number 5 is coming up this weekend though :)

Chris S

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #34 on: 14 March, 2012, 12:22:18 pm »
I was riding solo alongside a tandem recently, and mused: "I feel like a lone Spitfire, escorting a mighty Lancaster on its way back from an overnight bombing run."

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #35 on: 14 March, 2012, 12:40:09 pm »
Can't remember how many I've had on the back of my tandems. In riding duration order:
The former Mrs LWaB on both a Gitane and a very early Cannondale road tandem (most of the time)
Several blind folk, including racing road and track in Oz, Belgium and Switzerland (road only) with Colin
Stoker Geoff and I humiliating playing with fast solos for a day of the Great Tasmanian Bike Ride
HK for a while in Oz, climbing the Great Dividing Range
Various folk thinking of buying tandems when I did the bike shop thing in Oz

I've stoked several tandems Audaxing, touring and racing (mostly on the road), most interestingly as the first stoker of a quad (four-up tandem) many times. It is a real bugger getting one of those up a 20% grade.

The sociability of a tandem is just the best, with their flatland and downhill speed potential a close second.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #36 on: 14 March, 2012, 12:43:04 pm »
...On the East Sussex CTC ride on Sunday, however, there was a solo to the left of a tandem pilot, and a solo to the right of the stoker, having a completely different conversation.  It was the perfect picture of the sociability of the ride.

I'm having horrible visions of what happens when that lot meets a pothole!
I think I'm still at the stage where other bikes near the tandem worry me slightly. Ride number 5 is coming up this weekend though :)

Don't worry.  The Seaford & Newhaven know each pothole of the Pevensey Levels on first name terms! ;D
Getting there...

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #37 on: 16 March, 2012, 10:30:35 am »
Not a massive list but (i) I no longer have a tandem and (ii) it was a child back
Taller guy
Random french child who was visiting
Younger guy
Sister
Friend
And on the assassin/jes longbarrow
Marcus,
TGL

And I've stoked
Sister (but she preferred being on the back)
Assassin (on a trike)
Jes (on a different trike), also TGL, Butterfly, Wow, Marcus at Mildenhall (I think that was all)

Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #38 on: 17 March, 2012, 09:32:12 am »
Piloted:
Mrs 109
Step-granddaughter (briefly)
Crinkly Lion
Nutkin (hasn't communicated with me since!)
Pixieannie
Doctor colleague from work (briefly - seemed enthusiastic)

Almost:
Kim (we had it all prepared, but illness got in the way)

Stoked:
Not yet, but would like to

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #39 on: 07 May, 2012, 07:23:10 pm »
Clarion (briefly)
TGL
Old Charge H
Old Charge CC
My Sister
Niece 1
Niece 2
Nephew 1
My Mum (my ears are still ringing from the screams)
My Friend Sharon, round a campsite
Edited to add my cousin - round Skegness when I was 16 or so!
Charge P
Charge A
TLD
Crinklycub 1
Crinklycub 2
Torslanda Junior 1
Torslanda Junior 2
TLD friend 1
TLD friend 2
TLD friend 3
Crusty

Stoked for:
Clarion
My sister
My Brother in law (briefly, never again)
Wowbagger
Thing 1
Charlotte
TGL (briefly)

Edited to add some more. :)
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #40 on: 07 May, 2012, 07:28:05 pm »
Total Tandem Tart :-* :-* :-*
Getting there...

Julian

  • samoture
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #41 on: 07 May, 2012, 07:30:40 pm »
Wow, I've stoked for you!  (Back to yours from Southend station so not exactly epic, but still.)

In fact I have stoked for

Charlotte
Wowbagger
Phil
My dad (to the end of the road and back)
Thing1
Clarion
Mr Pike
(those last three at the stoker swapping which happened in Windsor Park, and I couldn't stoke properly for Thing1 because my legs appear to be shorter than Thing2's, but Joth was very good about having a stokeless stoker.)

I don't think I've stoked for WW yet and I've captained nobody because that way lies madness and the bottom of a canal ;D

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #42 on: 18 June, 2012, 09:15:29 am »
Clarion
TGL
Old Charge H
Old Charge CC
My Sister
Niece 1
Niece 2
Nephew 1
My Mum (my ears are still ringing from the screams)
My Friend Sharon, round a campsite
Edited to add my cousin - round Skegness when I was 16 or so!
Charge P
Charge A
TLD
Crinklycub 1
Crinklycub 2
Torslanda Junior 1
Torslanda Junior 2
TLD friend 1
TLD friend 2
TLD friend 3
Crusty
NSTN That was fun!


Stoked for:
Clarion
My sister
My Brother in law (briefly, never again)
Wowbagger
Thing 1
Charlotte
TGL (briefly)

Edited to add the latest! :)
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #43 on: 22 June, 2012, 12:05:53 pm »
That was ever so fun. Would happily do it again but perhaps with my trusty cut-out Selle An-atomica as a saddle instead, seeing as my positioning was not dissimilar to the LHT on which it usually lives.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #44 on: 18 July, 2012, 08:28:50 pm »
I have added another name to my list. Up to 24 now.
The loss of humanity I could live with.

simonp

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #45 on: 18 July, 2012, 09:00:17 pm »
I think so :)

Incidentally, it's very helpful to have a gregarious stoker with a taciturn pilot.  She can chat to folk and I don't have to ;D :thumbsup:

On the East Sussex CTC ride on Sunday, however, there was a solo to the left of a tandem pilot, and a solo to the right of the stoker, having a completely different conversation.  It was the perfect picture of the sociability of the ride.

I'm having horrible visions of what happens when that lot meets a pothole!
I think I'm still at the stage where other bikes near the tandem worry me slightly. Ride number 5 is coming up this weekend though :)

Well, this weekend’s ride will have about 4,000 riders on it.

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #46 on: 18 July, 2012, 09:27:36 pm »
I think so :)

Incidentally, it's very helpful to have a gregarious stoker with a taciturn pilot.  She can chat to folk and I don't have to ;D :thumbsup:

On the East Sussex CTC ride on Sunday, however, there was a solo to the left of a tandem pilot, and a solo to the right of the stoker, having a completely different conversation.  It was the perfect picture of the sociability of the ride.

I'm having horrible visions of what happens when that lot meets a pothole!
I think I'm still at the stage where other bikes near the tandem worry me slightly. Ride number 5 is coming up this weekend though :)

Well, this weekend’s ride will have about 4,000 riders on it.

Compared to badgers, the London to Cambridge riders worry me a lot less! Fear not, I can just blame you if we crash  ;D

Chris S

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #47 on: 19 July, 2012, 08:48:43 am »
FWIW, we find it much harder riding the tandem in a group than riding solos.

I'm forever on and off the brakes, and end up "chain braking" to temper fboab's input from the stoker seat, in a fixed-gear stylee; in a bid to maintain a constant distance from the wheels we are following.

The upshot is - we try not to ride in groups. If the terrain is flat, it's not an issue because we are nearly always faster than most  :smug:. Equally, on hilly terrain nearly everyone is faster than us, and we fall out of the back of the group.

The worst part about riding in a bunch is getting boxed in on a descent. The tandem wants to fly, but the solos crowd round you and WON'T GET OUT OF THE WAY  ;D.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #48 on: 19 July, 2012, 02:28:35 pm »
Darksiders have the same issues (other than having to temper the stoker) when trying to stay in a group.  I reckon I must have been working twice as hard as everyone else on the Welsh FNRttC:  I was TECing, and we had a couple of fairly slow riders, which meant I was twiddling knee-knackeringly slowly up the hills and riding the brakes most of the rest of the time to stay at the back.  It was only ~100k, with a tailwind, and I was utterly knackered by the end of it.

I don't mind doing that on a social ride, but actually making progress requires a certain amount of leapfrog (unless of course there are tandems or other recumbentists (of appropriate height) to form a group with, in which case it becomes awesome fun).

Re: I've 'ad that wossname on the back of my tandem...
« Reply #49 on: 20 July, 2012, 01:12:29 am »
What Chris says is definitely very true. The stoker can't see how close the wheel in front is so can't pedal accordingly. It doesn't do my knees much good when Simon leg brakes on me. That said, I have been known to do it to him too if I see a hazard ahead and my reflex is to stop pedalling  ;D