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A sport built for two - tandem bicycling

American Fitness, July-August, 1990 by James M. Rala

A Sport Built For Two

With two wheels and four legs, tandem bicycling becomes a fitness duet.

Like most couples, when fitness enthusiasts Jeff Green and Laura Hamilton decided to get married last summer they wanted their ceremony to be unique and memorable. In fact, they thought it would be appropriate to incorporate their outdoor lifestyle into the celebration. As members of a Northern California bicycling club, the couple brushed up on their cycling folklore and left their wedding on a borrowed tandem bicycle decorated with a "Just Married" sign and strings of paper cups.

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"We were right in sync the whole time," says Hamilton, who attached her veil to her cycling helmet and wore white cycling shorts for her grand ceremonial exit. "We had no coordination problems at all. I guess we were meant for each other."

Certainly, the wedded pair might very well have left their nuptials "in sync" without the benefit of a tandem. But with increasing regularity, the bicycle built for two is helping many friends or couples who share an appreciation for cardiovascular fitness, but have varying levels of skill. "About five years ago, there was a tremendous increase in the number of women who became involved in single cycling and the tandem is a natural progression from there," says Steve Lesse, sales manager for Santana Cycles of Claremont, California, the world's largest tandem bicycle manufacturing company. "There are a lot of couples, boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, who are out there riding bikes. Although they've found there can be a great difference between their athletic abilities, tandems are the ideal leveling device. It's a great togetherness type of sport."

Santana Cycles, which builds and distributes 10 models of sport, racing and all-terrain tandems throughout the world, is among at least a half-dozen tandem companies whose sales have recently increased. With bicycles ranging in price from $1,295 to $3,775, the company won't disclose how many tandems it sells. However, following corporate changes in 1988, the company enjoyed a 300% tandem sales increase during the past year. Other manufacturers, including Schwinn, Cannondale, Ritchey, U.S.A., Fisher Mountain Bikes and Burley Design Cooperative, are having difficulty keeping up with their demand for tandems.

History provides only sketchy details, but the bicycle built for two is believed to be more than 100 years old. The idea is simple -- two people can travel to the same place at the same time utilizing only one bike, but with the strength of two sets of legs. Synchronization, efficiency and synergy are often the result.

Tandem prototypes date back to the 1860s, perhaps earlier, according to Jack Goertz, co-editor of Double Talk, a tandem bicycling newsletter. But it wasn't until near the turn of the century that the bicycle built for two first gained great national attention. In 1897, as legend claims, Bobby Walthour, Sr., a champion cyclist of the era, suggested to his underage girlfriend they leave Birmingham, Alabama on their tandem, pedal across state boundaries and find a person in Georgia who would marry them. The duo traveled to several sites on a moonlit night looking for a person who would conduct their vows, before finally succeeding.

Word of the marriage spread quickly and was picked up by a reporter. Along with an accompanying verse, a picture of the couple on their tandem with Cupid sitting on the handlebars was printed in the local newspaper. A short while later, a songwriter added music and lyrics to the newspaper account and the ballad became known as "A Bicycle Built For Two." The chorus of the song ends: "It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage, But you'll look sweet upon the seat, Of a bicycle built for two."

Although much of the romance of tandem cycling remains today, the sport also has a serious side too. Each year at the World Cycling Championships, for example, the tandem match sprint competition is among the most coveted titles. During the race, two amateur men's teams ride five 333-meter laps on a banked cement track. The final 200 meters are an all-out sprint, with the first team across the line declared victorious. The rear rider (stoker) must remain in constant communication with the front rider (captain) while the duo reaches speeds of nearly 50 mph. To succeed, the pair must think and react as if they are one.

Recreational tandeming is less competitive, but the same principles apply. The front rider on the tandem steers, controls braking and must communicate well. Of course, the front rider must also inherently trust that his or her partner is pedalling. Looking to confirm a rear partner's contributions during a ride is not recommended for obvious reasons. The rear rider, usually the smaller of the two cyclists for aerodynamic efficiency, must have good vision and communication skills. The rear rider should also have the appropriate disposition to willingly accept where the front rider is going. This compatibility is also a good reason why tandems have become particularly popular with members of the silver-fox set. In fact, approximately half of the members of the Tandem Club of America, a national group that promotes tandem use, are age 50 and older.

A sport built for two - tandem bicycling

American Fitness, July-August, 1990 by James M. Rala

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