Daisy may have looked sweet upon the seat of that bicycle built for two, but 37-year-old Lisa Johnson of Deerfield appeared positively majestic perched on the back of her 1994 purple Trek 200 tandem as she cruised down St. Mary’s Road in nearby Mettawa with her 44-year-old husband, Dale.
The Johnsons were out for their Sunday morning pleasure jaunt, but this was no leisurely ride. The Johnsons clipped along at 22 miles per hour according to their computer, later averaging 18 for the 30-plus miles they would put in this day.
Yes, tandems have come a long way, baby.
And the Johnsons are among the growing phenomenon of couples, families and racing teams taking part in a sport in which the major requirement is a dynamic duo.
Though tandems still make up a very small percentage of new bicycle sales, the market is growing at about 30 percent a year, said Bill McCready, president of Santana Cycles Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of tandems.
Tandems became popular in the 1890s, during cycling’s heyday, according to Santana’s advertising material. These early doubles were mostly social devices, rather than fitness equipment, and were used mainly as a means for courting couples to steal a few moments away from the watchful eyes of chaperones.
With the advent of the automobile, tandems fell into relative obscurity until the 1930s when they came on the scene again. Serving as family novelties or charming resort rentals, these predecessors of today’s tandems proved to be clunky and unwieldy, nothing like the sleek, modern tandems available now.
“Today’s tandems weigh about 30 to 50 percent less than even what they weighed 20 years ago,” Vince Boyer, manager of Village CycleSport in Elk Grove Village, said of bicycles that have lightened up to 35 to 45 pounds from 50 to 60. “Yet, the materials used are stronger. The bikes are more stable. They go faster, and they’re more comfortable.
“The shifting components are higher tech too. And index shifting means you don’t have to take your hands off the handle bars to change gears,” added Boyer.
Modern tandems are more efficient than single bikes. Cutting per-rider wind and rolling resistance virtually in half, even a fat-tire mountain tandem is more powerful than the sleekest disc-wheeled solo bike. Plus, tandem partners automatically attain or exceed the speed of the faster partner, allowing tandem riders to go faster and farther than they would on their own.
But the real draw of tandem ridingis that couples can spend quality time together and work out. In an era where time is at an extraordinary premium for most folks, this is no minuscule task.
Santana’s catalog copy makes tandem bicycles sound like a tonic, promising these bikes “have the power to improve the quality of your life,” and can “revitalize your health, relationships and a sense of well-being.”
There’s no argument from devotees, claiming tandems are not just a whole lot of fun but make for closer, more intimate relationships with better communication as a result of working together for a common goal.
`I love being able to ride together,”said Lisa Johnson, whose wedding cake, a year and a half ago, carried the message “DALE AND LISA IN TANDEM” along with a tandem in icing. “You put in as much of yourself as you can for each other. There’s a tremendous sense of shared accomplishment.”
Tom Sturch, 50, of Lake Zurich explained that before he and his wife, Tracy, 42, purchased a tandem he would spend many precious hours away from Tracy on his single bike, pedaling up to 50 miles a day.
Though Tracy enjoyed bike riding, her ability and desire to ride wasn’t on Tom’s level.
“The tandem is the single best investment we’ve ever made,” said Tom. “It evens out our abilities so we can ride together.”
For most couples, the front seat usually is occupied by the male because tandems are more aerodynamic when the taller rider sits in this position.
Referred to in tandem-talk as the “captain,” the person in front is responsible for steering, shifting and braking.
The “stoker,” or back position, allows the rider a new sense of freedom not possible on a single bike.
“I not only enjoy looking around at the scenery,” said Tracy, “but Tom and I can talk to each other on the tandem, something that wasn’t that easy to do during the few times we actually rode our single bikes together.”
But great relationships don’t come cheap. Good tandems can start at $1,100 and go as high as $9,000.
Trek, Burley, Co-Motion, Ibis, Bilenkey and Cannondale make tandems but the standard by which others are judged is Santana, the only bicycle manufacturer devoted to tandems,
“Santana is known as the Cadillac of tandems,” said Village CycleSport’s Boyer, who rides a Santana Sovereign with his fiance.
McCready started out as an associate editor at Bicycling magazine in the early 1970s.
After testing tandems for the magazine and becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the performance and stability of existing bikes, he left the magazine and founded Santana Cycles in 1976. By 1979, Santana became the world’s largest producer of lightweight tandems and still is today.
According to Hal Honeyman, one of the owners of The Bike Rack in St. Charles, a bike shop specializing in tandems, what makes Santana unique is that, “Every aspect of a Santana is tandem specific.
The components, the tubing, the wheels, the frame, the cranks are designed for a more stable, faster, safer, more pleasurable tandem experience.”
If you are in the market for a tandem or just thinking about one, Boyer suggests going to a shop that carries enough brands and models to compare and test ride.
However, finding a shop that carries an array of tandems isn’t as easy as it sounds. Tandems take up a lot of space and are expensive inventory so many shops, if they carry them at all, stock only one or two.
Boyer advises test riding various models and comparing the bikes for fit.
Stand-over clearance and handlebar reach and rise are all important aspects to proper size. “And ask a lot of questions,” he added. “If they can’t give you knowledgeable answers, go somewhere else.”
The Bike Rack’s philosophy is similar. Honeyman has an experienced tandem rider in his shop take each potential rider out one at a time. Then both riders can pedal a tandem together.
But purchasing a tandem doesn’t always insure coupled bliss. “Buying a tandem must be a mutual decision,” cautioned Honeyman. Couples must enjoy spending time together as well as a passion for the outdoors. “It’s not the kind of thing where a spouse should go, `Surprise, honey. Look what I brought home.’ “
Tandems also mean togetherness for families.
Children 5-years-old and up can ride in the stoker position. “We see a lot of father/son and mother/daughter teams, and they’re having a great time,” said Boyer.
Child-stoker kits, available for around $200, feature an extra set of cranks that modifies the bike to fit child-size legs.
The Bike Rack is finding The Family Tandem, by Green Gear, a popular option with families. Priced at around $1,100, The Family Tandem adjusts to different-sized riders.
And there’s Santana, which will custom-build your family a triplet (three-seater), quad (four-seater) or quint (five-seater). Prices start at around $5,000. Santana tandems range from $3,000 to $8,000.
And don’t forget the car carrier for your tandem. Boyer sells the Draftmaster tandem mount for 350 and the Yakima roof rack with tandem accessory for $450. He adds that some ordinary racks work if you take both wheels off.
“Tandeming is a great way of life,”said 67-year-old Gurnee resident Betty Panek, who has been cycling with her husband, Stan, for 10 years. Having toured Wisconsin, Michigan and Vermont, the Paneks put in about 2,500 miles a year tandeming.
“Tandeming is loads of fun. And it’s good for you,”said Betty. “It’s also very social.”
Indeed it is. Tandem bicyclists are getting together at rallyes in increasing numbers. Recently, the biggest rallye was held in Columbus, Ohio, attracting more than 640 tandem teams. Rallyes introduce riders to scenic locations, tasty cuisine and other tandemers.
Organized by bicycle clubs and bike manufacturers, rallyes can range from a two-day weekend in Wisconsin to a Santana-sponsored nine-day exploration of the Tuscany and Chianti regions of Italy. The October tandem tour, which costs $3,375 a person, features a route mapped out by former Tour de France rider Andy Hampsted, who now lives in Tuscany.
A visit to Hampsted’s villa and a cooking demonstration by his wife, Linda, a noted professional chef in the region, are included in the ride, which winds through Florence, San Gimignano, Volterra, Siena, Chianti and Monte-
pulciano.
For information, call the Santana customer hot line at 909-596-7570 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time (7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central time).
Better relationships. Fun.
Fitness. Togetherness.
It’s no wonder tandem riders like to say getting there isn’t half the fun. It is the fun.
To know more about tandems:
– Go to an official Santana Test Ride Center with your partner and try out a tandem. The Bike Rack in St. Charles and Village CycleSport in Elk Grove Village are authorized Test Ride Centers. These shops also offer other brands for test rides. Both offer a variety of tandems for daily rental. Call the Bike Rack at 630-584-6588 and Village CycleSport at 847-439-3340.
– Join the Tandem Club of America or the Chicago Area Tandem Society. The Tandem Club is a clearinghouse for tour information, classified ads and technical tips. To join, send a $15 check to: TCA, c/o Bruce and Judy Bachelder 306 W. Union St., Morganton, N.C. 28655-3729.
To join the Chicago-area club, call 847-358-7797.
– For tandem information on the Internet, e-mail Tandem @ Hobbes, the electronic clubhouse for computer-savvy aficionados at liserv@hobbes.ucsd.edu
– Tandem Magazine, a quarterly, is sold in some bike stores or by subscription for $16. Write Tandem Magazine, P.O. Box 2939, Eugene, Ore. 97402-0337, or see its website www.tademmag.com.
