Jan Heine wrote: <snip>
The purpose of all these machines was pacing track racers. Putting the last rider far backward was useful to provide a better draft. All photos showing these machines on "jaunts in the countryside" were staged publicity photos.
See also Toni Theilmeier's article in VBQ Vol. 2, No. 2.
I'd love to try one - tandems are fast, but with five strong riders... +++++++++++++ Maybe two decades ago, I built up an early 1950s Schwinn Town and Country triplet with then-modern components. TA cranks, Phil BB and hubs, 48 hole SuperChampion rims, etc. We used it to ride with our son, but a few times rode with 3 adults. It was an absolute hoot. Quite quick when the motors were decent. I particularly remember riding the Phily to Cape May annual thing once, the two of us and a strong young woman. There were a few thousand folk on the ride, many of whom considered themselves hotshots. So, we'd come up behind some guy riding quickly and I'd gradually come up alongside and wait for his adrenaline level to rise a bit before the ladies and I would push a bit and he'd suddenly realize "It's a tandem" and start pushing harder. That was the signal, and the three of us would just quietly motor away leaving him to think about life. Of course, turning the Beast in traffic did require that we all gesticulate loudly about wide turns and stuff...to warn away the common folk on their singles. It was about the only time we ever broke a chain, but that was miles later... When our son outgrew riding it with us, we sold it to a gent in Texas for cash and some Cinelli Bivalent wheels. I still use the wheels. harvey sachs mcLean va