In Which We Ride A New Old Bike

Our bikes, ready to go. Big red tandem on the end. My wife and I (below) ready to ride.

Tandem time! The birthday gift my wife bought for me is a late 1970s vintage Schwinn tandem bicycle.

I have been strictly forbidden to name the new, old bike.

Today was the first official ride on the big red tandem. My youngest son Ben arrived from Ames about 5, and we—my wife, daughter, grandson and I—were ready to go on a ride, five of us on three bikes.

I wheeled the big tandem out of the garage, aired up the tyres and lubed the chain.

My grandson loves to bike on my commuting bike on a toddler seat, and Ben is tall enough to ride that bicycle, so we decided that if the grandson were willing, Audrey and I would ride the tandem and Ben would ride the commuting bike.

As it turned out, the grandson was infatuated with his uncle, and had no trouble with the idea of riding with him.

We took off north along Devonshire. The tandem is a heavy bicycle, and I was a bit concerned about how it would ride. It turns out that the “two motors” definitely compensates for the extra large, heavy frame—Audrey and I seemed to make good time. We headed over to the Boyson Trail.

Riding a tandem is a bit of a new experience. It requires some communication and coordination between riders—when you’re riding a solo bike, you don’t have to let anybody else know to stop pedaling when you want to slow, for example. My wife and I also have “gear incompatibility,” in that I know what gears are for and I shift them, while her philosophy is to keep a bike always in one setting.

Tandem shadow. I suppose she has a point, but my wife didn't like it when I took the camera out.

Cornering is different, too. Our tandem is lower and longer than our individual bikes, and requires a bit more planning and swinging wide at tight corners.

Still, it was great fun. It’s nice to ride. And two motors, even if we have to coordinate our cadence, are good to have.

A tandem! I’ve been down the trail on a bike with no name, and I like it.

My wife's picture of her view. But she seemed to like the ride, anyway.

Audrey shoots a sky picture.

A view I seldom see--someone else using the toddler seat. Audrey shoots picture of son and grandson on Clarence.