tandem bike with cleats ?

josealdo

Hi

I have been cycling tandem with a blind guy on the back , we are doing good but today he got a set of cleats for the back crank, we feel off twice today at low speed .

Is there any benefit to cleats on a tandem ? I'm in no hurry to fit my cleat to the front .

Or is it just a case of getting used to them ?

cheers

Brian

Beasty

I have no experience whatsoever of riding a tandem, but one thing that strikes me is that if the guy at the back (the stoker) shifts their balance much it may come as a bit of a surprise to the pilot who then has to adjust the steering. Locking the the shoes to the pedals must reduce the opportunity for the stoker to try and re-balance by moving their legs either way

In addition, there is also the benefit of being able to "drive" on the upstroke as well as the downstroke with cleats

Even when cycling on a regular bike cleats take a bit of getting used to, and I would guess it's not too much different on a tandem, so my suggestion would be to stick with it and, at least in the short term, work on co-ordination and communication so nothing comes as a surprise to either rider. Once you get confidence with cleats for the stoker you may well find it easier to put them on the front also.

josealdo

Cheers Beasty

i can certainly feel the power difference with the cleats on the back .

Just wondering about best technique to take off safely , going uphill for example .

Pedels on front , cleats on back .

we hit the deck once starting on a hill and once taken off at a t junction .

on my solo bike with cleats , if i was taken off i would cycle without been clipped in until the bike was stable and them clip in . I will try this time we are out . any ideas ?

Eamonnator

About fifteen years, I did a charity cycle on a tandem with a blind man.
It was about 1,200K over about twelve days. I was a reasonably experienced cyclist, but a complete novice on a tandem. He was an experienced stoker, but he had never used clip in pedals. When he saw, that I was using SPDs, he wanted to try them. It took him a little while to get used to them. I straddled the bike, he clipped in, both feet. I balanced the bike, clipped in my right foot, right crank, just past top centre, pushed off, in a very low gear, clip in left shoe and away. He always stayed clipped in, until we stopped. We never fell off.
A couple of pointers.
Always change into a low gear, before stopping. This makes it much easier to restart.
Call gear changes, especially, when changing down, and particularly, when pedalling under pressure.
Allow extra distance for braking, Tandems can be a bugger to stop.
It's much more comfortable at the front of a tandem, the pilot is between the wheels and doesn't feel potholes etc. as much as the stoker.Call potholes, if they can't be avoided, at least the stoker is then prepared.
Starting on a hill can be quite tricky, but you will get used to it. Practise.
If the stoker is clipped in, it makes it so much easier, you can get more power down, and very importantly, the stoker's feet can't slip off the pedals. If the stoker's feet slip off, and the pilot doesn't realise it, it can be very painful for the stoker, when his legs get hit by a rotating crankarm. I would strongly advise both tandemists to use clip in pedals.
Unless, you are quite experienced, don't stand on the pedals, stay seated, this goes for for the stoker as well. I know, that this is painful on the butt,. If you must stand, stop pedalling, tell the stoker, relieve the pressure and sit down. Tell him to do the same, when he needs to stand. It takes a lot of experience, before you can pedal out of the saddle, and needs a lot of coordination.
If you are cycling in a group, advise other cyclists about your longer stopping distance.
Keep you stoker advised about braking, junctions, traffic hazards, hills, other traffic etc.
Hills are hoors.

Amz

Was on a tandem for the first time in December, as a stoker. It really was an eye opener, (pardon the expression), into how vital communication is from the pilot. I was on the bike with two different pilots and while one was a stronger cyclist, he rarely spoke to let me know when he was going to change gears, or when he wanted me to up the power/pace, I really had to go by feel, so cornering was "interesting". The other guy probably spoke too much, but as a newbie it was helpful.

Calling in advance what side you're going to put your foot down on when stopping can be useful, or maybe even getting him used to clipping out on a particular side when coming to lights etc and even, as mentioned just getting him to practice clipping in and out while you keep the bike up. It does take a bit of practice getting clipped in, or out quickly. There's no reason why you wouldn't/shouldn't use cleats while on a tandem.

It's such an unnerving experience being on the back of a tandem, especially if you're blind/visually impaired. You're giving up so much control and putting so much trust in your pilot. I really think all pilots need to do a stint on the back to get an idea of what it's like.

Communication really is key!

(Speaking as a B/VI qualified cyclist )