I found the riding no-hands thread very interesting, whatever anyone else might have thought.
riding no-hands has always been, for me, a basic test of a bicycle's frame integrity and functionality, and parts-arrangement.
Especially with regard to tandems, the ability to ride no-hands seems a very useful test of the quality of a tandem's design..unless it's a track tandem, or something equally specialized.
I've owned and ridden a number of vintage tandems now, and without question the ones that I could ride no-hands were the ones that were the most felicitious to ride in general. Jack Taylor touring, Rene Herse Poly de Chantaloup will ride no hands with very little fuss. I attribute this to sound frame-design. So, it's a nice test to use.
Not to mention that being able to stretch out the neck and shoulders while spinning is a nice advantage to have.
Charles Andrews
Los Angeles