Harts Cyclery & Fitness, is a bike shop located in
Pennington NJ, sells and
services, Giant, Schwinn and Cannondale bicycles. Personal service to
make your bicycling experience everything it can be.
About Riding Tandem Bikes
Riding a normal, single-rider bicycle is fun, and great exercise, but tandem bicycles add a whole new slant on cycling.
Different riders choose tandem bikes for different reasons:
A tandem allows two cyclists of differing strength and ability to
ride together. In most couples this means you can talk, and even finish the ride together.
A tandem turns the basically solitary activity of cycling into an mutual experience that may be shared by a
couple.
Tandem bicycles are the ultimate rush for cyclists who enjoy the
sensation of high-speed cycling.
Tandem Technique
The Captain
The front rider is commonly known as the "captain."
The captain has two major responsibilities:
To control the tandem bicycle, including balancing it whether stopped or in motion, as well as steering, shifting, braking.
To keep the stoker happy! A tandem isn't a tandem without a stoker.
Since the stoker cannot see the road directly ahead, the captain has a special responsibility for warning of bumps in the road, so that the stoker can brace for them.
The captain should also warn the stoker of shifts, especially shifts to a lower gear which may cause the stoker to lose balance if they come without warning.
The Stoker
The rear rider is commonly known as the "stoker."
The stoker has two main responsibilities:
The stoker serves mainly as a motor.
The stoker's other major responsibility is a he/she must not attempt to steer!
The Team
Riding tandem bikes together develops a very special level of non-verbal communication, via subtle weight shifts, variations in pedal force, and general empathy.
Tandem Fitting
Because tandem bicycles frames need to fit two riders, the chances of finding one that will fit both riders perfectly are much lower than is the case with a solo bicycle.
