Cycling UK Forum

excellent

That was a very brave move going along the tow path for a first ride.
Judging by our first rides I would have thought the possibility for ending up in the canal was high. That would certainly have put Mrs Benton off the tandem for life.

Well done anyway. Sounds like you are starting to get used to the tandem and each other.

what about something like these
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=bike+stand+for+rear+wheel#q=bike+stand+for+rear+wheel&hl=en&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=N0TeTcvKLcWxhAf27uzZCg&ved=0CF8QrQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=a4deb747bf8d7646&biw=1281&bih=841

this one looks like it could do what you are after
http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/public/poi90RPFjyiTuPulZRVij1eo-nnpJYduA0M_cfwtU3DWK_G82S95h0-Nb2ai9gFiKJgJ0TFYBeJg4AV794kB3lJDYfWRFHr3lAQYBGrghLE6dvN7gJCSKSACrlenBY3UEWNRR7W17kj24UXzBIhJUCKBMLQnJSUvpTX24VilZWE

but they all hold the back wheel so you wouln't be able to do any work that required turning the pedals.

I use a combination of the stoker, and the rope hanging from a beam methods suggested earlier. I also use a standard bike maintenance stand as well.

It would be interesting to know which two stands you saw originally and why they were unsuitable for a tandem.

The sloop in at Temple Hirst is a pub that often has caravans and tents in the field next door to it. It is on the stretch of the trail between Doncaster and Selby north of Snaith.

There are other campsites near Selby but that of course is about 1 - 2 hours away from Doncaster.

We got a landescape tandem from Pete Bird at http://www.tandemexperience.co.uk/
It is flexible enough so either my 8 yr old daughter or an adult can ride as stoker. It is Aluminium but having never rode a steel tandem I can't compare.

We like it.

Alan D wrote: Any suggestion as to how I introduce a normal riding technique?

I would suggest gradually. Take it easy, build up distances and speeds over time, you will get faster as the confidence grows. The worst thing you can do is put her off by dictating your riding style. Perhaps you could lower your cadence then slowly get faster.
When we bought our tandem we both had to change riding style until we found one we could both cope with. When we started I was used to longish rides on my solo and I thought getting a tandem would suddenly make Mrs Benton want to do the same. However this was not the case, but we have compromised on shortish hour long rides to the pub for lunch and then back. slowly the distances are increasing but it still a long way off from the solo journeys. I have accepted this and enjoy the rides for what they are which is nice bimbles in the countryside.

jezmellors wrote:Thanks Mr. Benton, did you do the whole trail? Is the section between Doncaster & Penistone typical of the rest?
You say you did it on a loaded tourer? I find it hard to believe you did the section i described, marked "Jockey Hill" and "Willow Bridge" on the Sustrans map.

Sorry for late response, only just noticed your question.
I did the trail east bound from Glossop to Selby. I missed out the off road bit at the end of Wood head reservoir and took the A628 instead.
I remember the trail being very rideable, with the exception of a bit near some closed tunnels and the section by the river Don south of Sprotborough but neither were that bad. The bike had full rear panniers and tent attached, so fairly loaded.
I don't have the sustrans map so don't know where the two places you refer to are.

stewartpratt wrote:

matt2matt2002 wrote:I always forget which way to turn the nut Cue for helpful hint.......

Right hand pedal is right hand thread, left hand pedal is left hand thread. Right hand thread is "righty tighty".

To undo the pedal the handle of the spanner starts pointing to the sky and moves towards the back of the bike, when viewed from the pedal side. So Anticlockwise for the drive side and clockwise for the other but I find it easier to remember to rotate the spanner towards the back of the bike, assuming the bike is the right way up of course.

For long journeys I can get 58mpg but the average is 52 mpg both figures are without roof bars fitted.
This weekend I had the roof bars and tandem attached to the top and I got about 45mpg for the trip so that is a 14% drop in efficiency from the average but a 22% drop from maximum.

I have a Terra Nova Laser. It weighs about a kilo and is plenty big enough for me and all my panniers etc. It would be very cosy with 2 people.
It is tall enough to sit up in the centre of the tent.

Quite expensive now. They have changed the range quite a bit since I bought mine but I think the nearest model is the Laser Competition

DaveP wrote:Oh Lordy!!!
I've got all this to come...

Had a pleasant surprise last night though. Didn't try to ride - no room in back garden! - but got the wife to mount up and dismount a few times. I found it much less demanding, physically, to keep the bike balanced during the process, than I had expected. We might be able to cope with this

A good first step, glad it went well. It is how we first started. The next step is for the stoker to rotate the pedals to the correct position make sure you have your legs well spread to avoid bashed shins, and then go for it. We were on a slight down hill the first time and we simply pushed off, I mounted the saddle and then did another pedal, rolled a bit and then stopped. I think the downhill helped a bit. When we stopped the stoker stayed mounted with feet on pedals and I had to balance the bike. Only when I had fully balanced the tandem did the stoker try and dismount. We did this routine a few times until we were both happy starting and stopping; then we attempted some continuous pedalling and some steering.

DaveP wrote:Having just reassembled mine and noticed, as I put the tools away, that the cranks seem to be about a tooth out of step, I'm quite relieved to read that its ok... errm, just out of interest, whose cranks shoud lead - the stronger or weaker?

BTW, I was planning to try to buy a peg spanner to fit the eccentric bb, but a long arm allan key seems quite adequate for the force required. Does that sound reasonable?

Ours are out of step by a couple of teeth. I am fairly sure the pilots is leading but I will check at the weekend and report back.

I did it 2 years ago on my loaded tourer with 32/622 Maraton tyres and it was fine.

Malaconotus wrote:I'd be looking at Longridge, Whalley, Colne, Keighley, Ilkley, Otley, Wetherby, York. I'd go C-roads almost all the way and only using the main roads in towns (e.g. Colne Station to Laneshaw Bridge and Oakworth to Riddlesden) I'll map it out if it is of interest but it would be a 32mm tyre route not a 23mm one and I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for?

From Wetherby I would go Wetherby -> Tadcaster -> Selby -> Howden -> Gilberdyke -> Hull. Not sure how I would get to Wetherby though.

Vorpal wrote:I don't have any experience with them, but http://www.tandeming.co.uk/ has been recommended to me.

+1 for the tandem experience as suggested by Vorpal.

When we were looking into buying a tandem we opted for their tandem experience day. the day started with about an hours worth of coaching for the pair of us. it started with a lesson on mounting the tandem, then coasting down hill, then pedalling. It was like learning to ride a bike again. Then when we were both happy we took the tandem out for a days ride. The slow start approach meant we slowly built up confidence in the tandem and in each other. They certainly gave us some good instruction on how to start and stop safely.

We now own a tandem and it is excellent. One day we may even swap positions but not sure how good I would be at the back.