Tandem bicycle
The
tandem bicycle or
twin is a form of
bicycle (occasionally, a
tricycle) designed to be powered by more than one person. Originally tandems were built by
welding two bicycle frames together to form a two-person
bicycle. Modern technology has improved component and frame designs, and many tandems are as well-built as modern high-end road and off-road bikes. Due to the additional stresses caused by multiple riders and higher weight, tandems typically require stronger components than ordinary bicycles.
|
A traditional tandem bicycle |
While a tandem has double the
pedalling
power with only slightly more frictional loss in the drivetrain, it has about the same wind resistance as a single bike. High performance tandems may weigh less than twice as much as a single bike, so the
power to weight ratio can be similar to that of a single bike and rider. Tandems can reach relatively high speeds, especially downhill and on flat to rolling terrain. They are not necessarily slower on climbs, but are perceived as such, in part due the need for a high level of coordination between the riders, especially if the physical abilities of the two riders are very different, requiring compromises in
cadence or effort level.On conventional tandems, the front rider steers the bicycle and is known as the
captain,
pilot, or
steersman; the rear rider is the
stoker,
navigator, or
rear admiral. On most tandems the two sets of cranks are mechanically linked by a "timing chain" and turn at the same rate; some designs such as the DaVinci allow independent pedaling through the use of multiple freewheels. The Opus Counterpoint is an example of a tandem steered by the rear rider who sits upright while the front rider rides in a recumbent position.
Tandems are also available as
tricycles; the conventional tandem trike has a small but devoted following in the
United Kingdom, and is available in one-wheel and two-wheel drive designs.
Recumbent tandem tricycles are also gaining popularity throughout the world.
Tandems can have more than 2 riders â€"
tandem refers to the arrangement of the riders one behind the other rather than the number of riders. Bicycles for three, four, or five riders are referred to as "triples" or "triplets", "quads" or "quadruplets", and "quints" or "quintuplets" respectively. One such familiar to UK TV viewers was the "trandem" ridden by
The Goodies, originally a 2-man tandem with an extra "dummy" seat attached, a full 3-man version was built for them by
Raleigh. A famous ten-person bicycle or "decemtuplet", the "Oriten", was built in
1896 by the Orient Cycle Company. Perhaps the longest bicycle ever built was the Seventy four-seater built in
1984 in
Queanbeyan,
Australia.
Tandem bicycles are often used in competitions such as the
Paralympics with
blind and
visually impaired cyclists riding as stokers with fully-sighted captains.
*
The Tandem Club — a U.K.-based club
*
The Tandem Club of America — an originally U.S.-based, international club
*
Ten person bicycle (image of) — View the picture of ten-person bicycle.
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