Training on the Tandem

Last night Breanna and I hit a small portion of the Loop in order to help us get ready for the big Mt Sac Fat Tire Classic race this Sunday.

Yah I know my jersey is too tight…But I do want to thank my boys, Vince C. and Vince R. at KHS Bicycles for hooking us up with some jerseys for race. Now we look Legit Man!

I’m learning that there are alot of things that I had prejudged about tandem biking that aren’t necessarily true.

I thought that tandem bikes are slower and that its tougher to climb hills.

One thing I’m finding out is that climbing on a tandem is half as hard as it would have been if I did it by myself.

Think about it, we’ve got one bike, same wind drag (if that applies to mountain biking), but twice the power. Breanna and I figured out a system where we keep the rear wheel from spinning out too much during a climb. Basically I lean forward, while she leans back. Her weight holds down the rear end from spinning out. We’re also pretty fast on the flats. Anytime we had an opportunity, we’d get on the big chain ring in the front and mash it out. We also practiced drills such as standing up on a sprint and during a bump.

Well, we’re pretty excited about the race this weekend. We’re hoping to have more fun than anything.