Those who enjoy riding regular bicycles, probably need no encouragement to get up and go and enjoy the fresh air and the exercise that goes hand in hand with riding a bike. Even those who no longer ride probably enjoyed the experience of cycling as kids, and have some idea of what it is all about.
But even those who regularly ride a bike may need a bit of shove before they will consider riding a tandem. So why might that be? Cycling is after all, a solo event. It might be social in that you ride with other people a lot of the time, especially if you do not ride for competitive reasons, but when it comes down to it, it comes down to one individual and one piece of equipment; and nothing else.
Part of the attraction of tandem bicycles, is, in all probability, the fact that is is different. The sensation of riding with two people, each dependant on the other would make the riding experience of tandem bicycles unique. Just for the pleasure of enjoying an activity with a friend or a partner is justification enough for many social riders.
Following on from that, having two people on one machine does present different problems if you change partners. People of varying height and weight will undoubtedly cycle differently so the demands on the remaining partner will change. This could be quite challenging of course, which could be part of the attraction of tandem bicycles.
Another benefit of tandem bicycles is for family riding. It gives parents the chance to safely share the cycling experience with their children. It is not always possible to share activities in such a way with people of very different ages, but tandem bicycles do give that opportunity.
For the experienced racer of course, the reason for riding tandem bicycles is rather different. Riding a tandem competitively requires a good blend of skills and strengths. But when you have two powerful athletes peddling at full pelt, you get a bicycle that travels very quickly, and for those that enjoy the thrills of high speed sport, it is one that cannot be easily beaten.
See some of the best tandem bicycles anywhere on the internet on video. See some of the best information on mountain bikes too. |
