Hi Alex,
Whilst I've never really ridden Tandem myself, I have certainly made numerous tandem frames.......both at Woodrup cycles, and Thorn cycles.
Here in the UK riding tandem is very popular, and my previous place of work is probably the UKs largest tandem supplier......though sadly [or not if you simply want a cheap tandem] all of them... now I've left.... are made in the far East.
Arguably the nicest tandem I made was the one I made a year or so at
Thorn.......have to be careful not go off topic here, but I'd say it falls
under the KOF category...... perhaps you would like to see pics of its
construction, and finished machine [with bars set high before final set up]
on my flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/
My previous girlfriend Kathy, who sadly lost her fight with cancer, was a great tandem stoker [being strong, but at around 7 stone, very lightweight] winning several Audax awards covering distances up to 600k.......despite her partner having a reputation for 'wild riding'......which included on one occasion actually 'leaping from the front of the tandem' leaving poor Kathy sat on the back to crash alone!
Cheers
Kevin Sayles
Otley
West Yorkshire UK
> Looking through period photos and magazines, and as a Rene Herse Alex
> Singer etc collector, I notice that tandems were really popular in the 50s
> and 60s in France. Always husband in front, wife behind. Sometimes a
> little trailer behind for the offspring.
>
> Why is it you never see a tandem on the road nowadays?
>
> Something to do with people being more individualistic? Or women's
> liberation? The radical decrease in the number of tandems produced and
> ridden must say something about the history of social relations.
>
> Are there any tandem riders on the CR list? Peter (Weigle), have you ever
> made a tandem?
>
> Alexander March
> Bordeaux
> France