8
The Stoker : The Best Seat in The House
The back seat on a tandem is the fun seat. You have this person in front of you who’s giving all
his/her attention to making you feel comfortable. The view is terrific out to the sides, just like on
a train ride. The view to the front may be a bit bland, but the captain’s jersey pockets are a great
place to put your fruit bars, and other hedonistic goodies.
Your obligations are few: Pedal—at an agreed-upon effort level. Pedal smoothly, so your pedaling
doesn’t make your upper body move around. Don’t shift your upper body weight abruptly. (Your
weight shift can inadvertently steer the bike, and force the captain to fight you.) Hold your head
high and enjoy the scenery. Tell your captain what she/he is missing while she/he keeps eyes
glued to the road for potholes.
Many tandem teams delegate hand turning signals to the stoker. This not only encourages
communication between the stoker and the captain, it also allows the captain to concentrate on
the steering and braking involved 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 position the
pedals. Never fight the captain on these matters. She/he is busy giving you a great ride so you
can enjoy yourself.
Tandem Bike Fit
In addition to sizing and comfort issues for each individual, the bicycle must be made to
accommodate the interaction between the two riders. This document is meant to offer hints
and suggestions but only scratches the surface of tandem setup. The best configuration for any
pair of cyclists on a tandem will be the result of experimentation. You should investigate the
pros and cons of any setup decisions by first consulting with people or publications which are
knowledgeable about tandem bicycles. See page 11.
The captain should fit the tandem as she/he would fit on a single bike. But on a tandem, it’s
doubly important to have 2-3 inches of crotch clearance for the starting and stopping maneuvers
described below.
The stoker uses the same seat-to-pedals distance as on a single bike. But the handlebars will be
closer (which is okay, since the stoker doesn’t need to steer).