Yesterday, I took two of my sons down to the beach to ride on the bike path. I didn’t take the uni, I took my new acquisition, a tandem bike. My 8 year old was in the stoker position, and my 4 year old rode on an attached Trail A Bike. So, we were really a trio, not a tandem. We were the hit. I heard more comments as we rode by people, than I ever do on a uni. Things like, “Look at that, honey!”, “Check that out.”, and “Ohhh, Honey, get the camara, quick.”, and “Dude, check out that contraption.”. Lot’s of smiles and fingers pointing.
I never get that much attention, even on the uni. It’s time to drop the uni and head for the tandem. I am out a here. The tandem rules. I am gonna stick to the tandem for beach rides!
Tandems are sweet, I rode one to school with my friend once.
Except he had found it at a garage sale or somewhere and it was way too small, so my knees kept hitting the handlebars and my toes kept hitting the ground…but it was still really awesome.
Tandems are fun and practical. With three kids I started with a bike, rear bike seat, and Burlery trailer, later dropped the seat added an AllyCat tag-a-long; we would run that tripple.
We got the tandem six or seven years ago, I would run that triple too! Eight feet for the tandem and three feet each for the attachements made a 14 footer! We later found a used six speed Burley Piccolo tag-a-long, very superior to the AllyCat or TrailABike, after 5+ years of use we sold it for the same amount we paid for it.
I did the Seattle to Portland with me eldest when she was 11, I need to get in shape to do it with my youngest some day but she may be 13 by that time.
My son also has Down Syndrome and even though he has the balance, he won’t solo, so the Tandem is a great equalizer! Tandem dates with the wife (sans kids) are a fun outing too.
If you ever decide to train or go on long rides, invest in a Tandem Talk to communicate with the stoker. Beware though: Your kids will hear everything you say, so watch your comments.
I entered the exciting world of tandem riding at the end of last summer. They’re wonderful fun and I think you’re right about people commenting more when tandeming than when uni’ing.
I found mine on e-bay while looking for a bike for my girlfriend and it’s become my pride and joy.
I have seen that same set-up here in my resort town, except they put yet ANOTHER covered child trailer on the back of the first trailer, with a little toddler dude inside.
Unicycles are an individual ride kind of thing. Tandems, especially with a Trail A Bike on the back, are a group thing. Enjoy them both for what they are and ride what is appropriate for the ride.
I’ve been having fun on my fixie bike. I use it for longer commuting style trips that would not be practical on the Coker. It’s also fun to ride in its own way. No need to apologize for having some quality bicycle time.
The coolest (and least practical) tandem I have seen has been a side-by-side tandem bicycle. Saw one in action during a local Coker ride around Mercer Island (in Lake Washington, Seattle).
i spent a significant amount of time at unicon last summer on one of those micro tandems, great fun until two guys tried to jump it downa flight of stairs.
So you only rode a uni for the attention and the looks? And now you have found something that gets more looks you are going to drop the uni. Thats what it sounded like to me, I hope thats not what you ment
I made a “mini tandum” out of two identicle kids bikes, it had 16" and it was awesome. Me and my brother took it off some drops and down some steep rough slopes. The only problem with it was that it didnt have a very high gear. I used to be able to ride it from the front or the back and change beteen the two whilst moving and I could sit at the back, stear with the front handle bars and pedal with the front pedals I need to fix it up, my brother cut it into two to try and extend it but never finished it.
One wheel each, I guess (been saying that for years to passing tandems on the bike trails). But “Hey, is that hard to ride?” Not so much.
Jacquie and I have a Trek tandem (T100 Double Track) that is, or should be, for sale. Drawback is that captain and stoker both have to be fairly tall. It’s a good quality road tandem with lots of new parts we put on it after buying it used. Let me know if you’re interested. Pictures.
Oh, why selling? Nobody we know fits on it, and we just prefer riding in our own little wavy lines. Neither one of us is a control freak or anything…
If I could find a good cheep tandem I would loose my cargo bike. I used to love my longtail but I pretty much only use it as a grocery getter since discovering unicycles with wheels larger than 20".
In my opinion a tandem would make an excellent utility bike with the option of picking up hitchhikers
