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From: marcum@rhino.UUCP (Alan M. Marcum)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Tandems...
Message-ID: <303@rhino.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-May-85 12:20:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: rhino.303
Posted: Tue May 28 12:20:07 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 07:27:50 EDT
References: <6939@ucbvax.ARPA> <685@asgb.UUCP> <5331@cbscc.UUCP> <2009@iddic.UUCP>
Reply-To: marcum@rhino.UUCP (Alan M. Marcum)
Organization: Fortune Systems
Lines: 25

In article <2009@iddic.UUCP> jimd@iddic.UUCP (Jim Delwiche) writes:

>The heavier rider should always be in front...
>The reason for this is that the stoker can impart some steering effect
>by leaning, and this is undesireable.  If the larger rider is the driver,
>he or she can muscle the bike where he/she wants it...

My most frequent stoker weighs about 100 lbs; I'm about 150.  If
she leans unexpectedly, it's TOUGH to counter.  Yes, indeed, if
she were heavier, it would be even more difficult.  However,
riding a tandem is, among other things, an exercise in *COOPERATION*!
If you cooperate, the heavier rider can ride in the back.

There was an article in, I think, _Bicycling_ a couple years back
about someone who built his own tandem.  He was very tall, his
wife quite short; she wanted to be able to see.  Their tandem had
the taller rider as stoker.

By the way, for those concerned about "trusting" the captain: if
you really want to, you can always put brakes and shifters at the
stoker position, and just have the captain steer.  If you still
don't trust that, figure out a way to ride up front.
-- 
Alan M. Marcum		Fortune Systems, Redwood City, California
...!ihnp4!fortune!rhino!marcum