Tandem bike thoughts & experiences

[mabfire]

Hello and many spring greetings,

Heading back to the Playa after ten years with my partner who is a birgin.

Recently, we met two local folks who took a tandem beach cruiser to the Burn last year in my town who already have lights on it and are looking to sell it as they are not heading to BRC this year.

It seems like a great situation, however I'm not the best biker. We are going to test it out and see how we are able to manage it on the dirt roads yet I am curious what experiences people have had with a tandem on the playa.

I've searched and read through a few posts which seem encouraging yet most of the posts have to do with folks who are using tandems for larger build outs, I'm curious about folks experience with the logistics and playa goingness and general flow.

Many thanks!

~MAB

[gaminwench]

We took a tandem last year and loved it.

[mabfire]

thanks that is great to hear!

[DoctorIknow]

If you have space in your transport system, you might want to also bring a single bike with normal 26" x 2.4" or 2.5" tires. There will be times you will need it, as handling a tandem with no stoker behind is awkward and there might not be enough traction for soft spots which can be like talcum powder 8" high.

Also, if it's your first time, there's this from the interweb:

Captains may take 50 miles to get used to handling the big bike even without a stoker.

[motskyroonmatick]

Only repaired a few of them out there but see them every day. Seems like people really enjoy riding them.

[Jackass]

I like the ones where the "stroker" faces rearward, looks like fun.

[Meat Hunter]

Mabfire,

This is a serious suggestion. If you are not stable on a bike, you might wish to add some training wheels to the rear wheel.

I say go for it. -~0..0~

[gaminwench]

I ride on the back seat.

We've removed my handlebars.

I have a bum knee.

Tandem life rocks.

[Token]

The risk of tandem bike as the only conveyance - forced intimacy.

Are you both going to go for ice runs?

What if you want to go to the tall-bike jousting on the 3:00 plaza and your SO wants to do hit up the men’s best legs in fishnets pole-dancing competition on the 9:00 plaza - at the same time?

Risky business unless you also bring regular bikes as primary locomotion.

[LowePro]

Uh, yeah do you want to be almost literally attached at the hip for the whole week? If not, you have a whole summer to get better at riding a solo bike.

[tatonka]

e-playa will give you the solid dick

[Sham]

If you bring a tandem bike, be sure to bring a hack saw so you can cut it into small pieces after the first day of being held hostage by it.

[gaminwench]

Granted, it is unlikely that I would head off, deep playa, alone on a bike; as the likelihood of my returning with a functioning knee would be slim to none.

It had been years since I had seen the trash fence, and that only through MV rides (and we all know how *that* ends! Clue, walking home from the trash fence isn't much of an improvement over blowing out the bum knee).

Last year, with the tandem and my awesome partners' calves (he's a hiker, yo), I saw more of the city than I had in many years. Rocking a parasol and a cocktail en route!!

Thanks, babe; some lovely, yummy memories in there!

[MrHedgehog]

@Token @LowePro @Sham ... Really gentlemen ... do you have absolutely no sense of Dusty Romance left in you???

Having a tandem bike on-playa has improved my experience at Burning Man to a great degree!


Added bonuses ... none of the drunks are going to steal it ... it's just too darned big, unwieldy, and noticeable!


Sure, I also bring an extra bike for when I need to get to volunteer shifts or take a solo trip to a favorite bar, so I guess that I'm lucky to have enough haulage space in my truck/trailer combo, but that's me.


@mabfire, yep, a tandem bike is a really fun option, if you're planning to go everywhere with your SO.

But, since it's your partner's burgin year, you might also consider how much freedom without you that they'll desire.

I agree with @DoctorIKnow ... if you can take a 2nd bike, or are in a camp of friends where you can borrow one, then that might be a wise backup to have.

[LowePro]

Dusty Romance, never had it to lose!! Haha good point.

But seriously I had a campmate once that was "not good at biking" and it became a drag having to babysit and coddle just to get from Point A to B. I think with an entire summer in front of you, a few training rides would be a good idea. There are times you need to ride off to use the bathroom or get ice, or see a friend, when you need to go alone, or if someone gets hurt and you need to haul ass to find a ranger or first aid. Even if it's one person on the Tandem bike.... you need to be able to ride a bike. (Unless you're injured or challenged etc), if you're able bodied--it's a skill you should have as a burner, Radical Self Reliance and all. Take the tandem and enjoy it, but practice riding a few times solo. Rant over, sorry!

[mabfire]

Wow thank you all so much for your feedback, thoughts and experiences. One thing I love so much about this community is the helpfulness, honesty and snarky realness aka solid dick!!!

I'm especially grateful for the captain and stoker lingo and we might have to get a captain's hat to really get into the energy.

We just demo'd the tandem bike and it was pretty sweet. We rocked it up and down a dirt road and it was super fun. The couple selling it was in our mountain town and it was already outfit with lights on wheels and body, so we decided to go for it! The model we got is https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Kulana-Lu ... ow/4745116

I definitely hear the ability to be autonomous as needed and we do have a few 'Burner Bikes' reserved in Gerlach- so we might keep the reservation so we have all the options.

If any of you all see a Jesus looking dude with me stoking the back of the tandem definitely say hi!! I'm excited to be back at BRC after ten years and share this world with my beloved!!