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10

Stopping

If you stop briefly, say, for a traffic light, the captain stops the bike while the stoker stays strapped 

in. The captain takes one foot off the pedal, dismounts from the seat, and puts the foot on the 

ground while holding the bike absolutely upright. Starting up again is just like your initial start-up. 

The captain should let the stoker know what’s happening —talk to one another —no surprises.
To stop and dismount, reverse the mounting procedure. The captain gets off the seat,  spreads 

legs to clear the pedals and brace the bike upright while the stoker climbs off. Then the captain 

can dismount. 

Slow Speed Riding

Tandems are stable and easy to maneuver at slow speeds. But they need a confident captain who 

doesn’t overcorrect or induce wobbling. A smooth style is the key to good slow-speed riding. 

After you’ve gotten to know your tandem well, you’ll find you can make a U-turn on a narrow 

two-lane road.

Communication

Some tandem teams talk a lot about riding. They inform each other of every bump, every shift, 

every  time  they  slow  down,  every  drink  from  a  water  bottle.    Others  almost  never  talk. They 

prefer to communicate silently.  Whichever style you pick is up to you. Just pick the one that 

works for you.
One important coordination activity may require talking, at least at first: shifting. The reason: on a 

single bike, riders intuitively let up on the pedals when they’re shifting. On a tandem, the stoker 

doesn’t necessarily do that. This is hard on derailleurs (especially front derailleurs) and may make 

shifts more difficult. Make sure you both let up on the pedals during critical shifts. Whether you 

do that by talking or by the stoker feeling when captain is about to shift is up to you.

WARNING

GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CAPTAIN AND STOKER INCREASES THE SAFETY 

AND  ENJOYMENT  OF  THE  RIDE.    MIS-COMMUNCIATION  OR  POOR  COORDINATION  

INCREASES THE CHANCE OF BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.

  

NEW TANDEM RIDERS:

Before riding on a more challenging course,  choose an open area free of hazards to practice 

and develop good Tandem communication skills. 

Summary of Contents for TANDEMS 2009

Page 1: ...CANNONDALE KITS LIST 19 GEOMETRY AND SPECIFICATION 20 CONTENTS WARNING This supplement may include procedures beyond the scope of general mechanical aptitude Special tools skills and knowledge may be...

Page 2: ...o not lose ground contact Cannondale street tandems are designed for touring with racks and panniers Figure 2 For riding on improved paths and roadways only No jumping ROAD STREET TANDEM MAXIMUM WEIGH...

Page 3: ...uch stronger is that braking a tandem subjects the frame and fork to tremendous stresses Ordinary forks can buckle or fold under tandem braking conditions Any fork used on your tandem must be designed...

Page 4: ...gingerly Slow down drastically before you reach such surfaces Tandems like singles get most of their braking force from the front wheel The rear wheel is more prone to skidding The left hand lever nor...

Page 5: ...GAIN METHOD ALLOWING BRIEF PERIODS IN BETWEEN FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO COOL STOP ENJOY THE VIEW and LET THE SYSTEM COOL CLOSED HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEMS Closed hydraulic brake systems are not suitable fo...

Page 6: ...for the well being of the other rider THE STOKER The bike is bigger heavier and less forgiving of sloppy riding habits A tandem captain can t be as spontaneous as a rider on a single nor can the capt...

Page 7: ...tions smoothly Ride slightly farther from the curb or from parked cars than you would on a single bike Your stoker doesn t want to feel hemmed in If you ride too far to the right you may find your sto...

Page 8: ...lved in making the maneuver Every successful stoker learns to delegate authority The captain steers The captain decides when to pedal and when to coast When coasting the captain decides where to posit...

Page 9: ...u don t think twice about leaning it The tandem is not only heavy it s top heavy Once you let it lean a little the stoker s weight makes it want to lean more And the stoker just hates the way that fee...

Page 10: ...tandem teams talk a lot about riding They inform each other of every bump every shift every time they slow down every drink from a water bottle Others almost never talk They prefer to communicate sile...

Page 11: ...Talk to an Authorized Cannondale Dealer with Tandem expertise Tandem Club of America c o Jack Susan Goertz 2220 Vanessa Dr Birmingham AL 35242 205 991 7766 e mail tca_of_a mindspring com Their magazin...

Page 12: ...e the maximum pressure named on the tire sidewall CHECK CONTROL CABLES are critical Because of their length on tandems cables are vulnerable to poor performance friction or poor routing Have damaged w...

Page 13: ...dlebar assemblies Follow the manufacturer s torque instructions for your particular handlebar stem seat post components AT LEAST ANNUALLY Remove clean and inspect the captains seat post Replace it wit...

Page 14: ...ontinue to step 3 3 ADJUST THE TENSION Insert a 4 mm Allen key into the eccentric fixing bolt and turn it counter clockwise to loosen the eccentric After the rst turn or so the wedge bolt will feel lo...

Page 15: ...15 In Lbs INCREASE TENSION DECREASE TENSION TIMING CHAIN 6 4mm 1 4 6 4 mm 1 4 BOLT ALLEN KEY HOLES CORRECT TENSION AT THE MIDPOINT BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR TIMING CHAINRINGS FRONT TIMING CHAINRING B...

Page 16: ...that the eccentric can be rotated within the shell easily This should only be done by a bike professional bike mechanic To remove the eccentric from the bottom bracket shell 1 Loosening the fixing bol...

Page 17: ...bare from the captain BB area to the pulleys guides The rear cable guides on the boom tube will not be used It is only necessary for disc brake housing NOTE Even when disc brakes are used both pulley...

Page 18: ...RBRAKE cable thru hole FRONTDERAILLEUR REARBRAKE PLASTIC DISK FRONTDERAILLEUR cable under pin DISC BRAKE HOUSING GUIDE DISC BRAKE HOUSING GUIDE REAR STOKER BOTTOM BRACKET SHELL BOOM TUBE pin smaller s...

Page 19: ...TANDEM 3 channel BB cable guide A181 KIT BB ECCENTRIC TANDEM 1FG COMPLETE ASS Y KP103 KIT BB ECCENTRIC HWARE KA027 KIT STEM STOKER ADJUSTABLE FOR USE WITH 31 6 SEATPOST AND 31 8 H BAR DIAMETER KB002...

Page 20: ...19 0 48 3 17 0 43 2 17 0 43 2 17 0 43 2 19 0 48 3 REAR SEATTUBE MEASURED LENGTH 15 6 39 7 15 6 39 7 17 0 43 2 19 0 48 3 15 6 39 7 15 6 39 7 17 0 43 2 19 0 48 3 HEADTUBE LENGTH 5 9 15 0 6 5 16 5 7 1 18...

Page 21: ...t per the brake manufacturer s instructions for proper brake pad clearance Installation Cable Travel Doubler Setting 1 Remove and recycle old cable housing and cable noodle 2 Place the Travel Agent in...

Page 22: ...egularly in accordance with a preventative maintenance program 6 Use this product at your own risk We stand behind all of our products However we cannot be responsible for certain circumstances includ...

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