The old Tandem is coming down from the hooks. It lives up near the ceiling for long periods now. I’m bringing it down to tune it up and go out for some practice, and a bit of fun. The long bike doesn’t get much action these days, but the looming 4th of July Parade is reason enough to put the old gal back into service.
Different kinds of riding help keep the whole thing “fresh.” It’s easy to get stuck, to turn the groove into a rut. I like variety. I like routine. I know these conflict, but that’s being a human for you.
Thing is, riding is good for you, but anything can get old. “Mixing it up,” helps to keep it fresh. It’s possible to pontificate on the training value to be derived from various bikes and riding styles, but the simple fact is, the variety is fun, and it’s challenging. But there are some unlooked for effects too.
The Longbike
I noticed this years ago. Ride the streets and roadways on a bicycle, and one will be treated to a certain amount of incivility. Horn honks and shouts are about the worst of it, although some drivers are a bit more aggressive in displaying their ignorance. But show up on a tandem, and things change. The old “bicycle built for two,” works an odd magic. Motorists smile and wave. They point you out to their children. The kids shout, “Look look! Cool bike!”
When I first experienced this, I thought it was just a luck of the draw thing. Maybe I was going out on those days when only the nice drivers were around. But it has remained pretty consistent. In fact, when I mix the tandem in with other riders on conventional bikes, the tandem receives the smiles, and the others get the frowns. There is no reasonable explanation for this.
In a bit more limited fashion, recumbents generate the same effect. Folks seem to get a kick out of seeing the odd, semi-reclined bikes scuttling down the road.
It’s real
I’m not imagining things here. I’ve seen identifiable drivers behave differently (kindly and with smiles) toward tandems. We’re talking about drivers who can be identified. The guy in chartreuse and red pickup, with the orange door, and the “Garth Rocks” bumper stickers is kind of hard to mistake. More so as he is always wearing those overalls, and that faded red straw hat. He’s hateful to me when I’m on a conventional bike, and actually pleasant and kind when it’s the twicer. Why is this? What is it about one kind of bicycle that makes it acceptable, while another provokes rage?
Even Among Us
We cyclists are not immune to this. We tend to look at the bike and assess the individual. Think about it. Picture the following in your mind:
- Time Trial or Tri-Bike
- High End Road Bike
- Vintage (read OLD) Road Bike
- Mountain Bike
- Slick Tire Mountain Bike on the road
- BMX bike
- Tourist
- Fixed Gear
- Tall Bike
I’m betting that you had a strong reaction (positive or negative) to at least two of those categories. What was it, and why did you have it? Did you experience anger or distaste for one or more? Why? Why is it that the “Tandem Effect” cannot apply to every bicycle and everyone riding a bicycle?
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