Why being a stoker isn't such a terrible thing!

For the uninitiated, first a lesson in tandem terminology: The Captain is the one in front, who steers and brakes, and basically has responsibility for the bike. The Stoker is the one on the back. The engine. (And we have gleaned that on a triplet, the one on the very very back is called, by some, the 'Rear Admiral'!)

We are discovering that there are quite a few misconceptions about the role of the Stoker. The most common we hear, mostly when we are riding with the kids, is the clown call: "Hey, the one on the back isn't pedalling!". Yeah, hah, hah. Wish I had a dollar for everytime someone said that. It might hold true for some kids on trailer bikes (although when they pedal they really can make a difference!) but on a tandem, guys, the pedals are linked, and you can't help but have your feet go round and round in time with your Captain. Of course, you can 'put in' or 'clock off', but it's essentially not true to say the Stoker isn't pedalling! [Throughout the time that Alison was my stoker I would always answer that call with 'Oh, but she's my Turbo!' ]

The real myth that needs shooting down, though, is that being Stoker is second rate. We had someone ask us about that on the community ride on Saturday... and I once came across some pretty intense criticism about riding on the back of a tandem on a blog I found once (when I did a random search for tandems.)

Both are essentially ignorant assumptions by people who have only ever ridden a tandem round the block... but both make this assumption that it is some sort of dominate/submissive relationship and there seems to be some 'gender control' issue involved. The blog I read must have been by a raving feminist - "Why is it the man is always in front." (She was really uptight about it and made a ribald suggestion about why you wouldn't just "bond" in another way, then go out and ride your own bikes!) The question I got on Saturday was "Don't you hate not having control?"

So, to address these questions and more... here are some reasons why it's cool to be a Stoker.

• You might usually see the guy as captain because more often than not, the guy is the stronger, and fitter, person in the team. And the tallest. So it makes more sense for him to go at the front. Mind you, the woman we bought our original two tandems from used to ride Captain, as her husband was losing his eyesight. It's not something set in concrete.
  
  
• Riding a tandem is a teamwork thing.. so while the stoker isn't in control of the steering and brakes, she/he has a job to do, and to do it well involves being alert to the nuances of the pedalling needed. When to put in, when to relax.. you learn to read that through what the captain is doing. You're not just a dummy on the back.
  
  
• Again on the teamwork thing, it's about trust, and you do need to trust your Captain's bike riding ability. I don't have a problem with this with Marc. We have a 20 year relationship (which helps)..and early on we paddled canoe marathons together in a double kayak. So we are used to the teamwork/partnership thing. And we like it.
  
  
• As Stoker you get the liberty of being able to check out the scenery more - you don't need to be as alert, or keep your eyes glued to the road ahead. (I could also mention the perks of getting a close-up view of your husband's backside - in bike nix - but I won't.)
  
  
• Any 'control' you relinquish to your Captain is more than made up for in Speed when you crank it up - particularly when you go downhill. Yee-ha.
  
  
• Some stokers enjoy the chance to sit upright, give their arms a rest from the handlebars.. give them a stretch, and even take photos. (Just ask Cait.)
  
  
• Most of the people who stress out about the idea of losing control as a Stoker would quite happily travel as a passenger in a car with another person driving. No difference. (In fact, the stoker on a bike is not passive like a car passenger.)
  
  
• Another analogy: tennis. Think playing doubles vs playing singles. Noone blinks if you play doubles tennis - but in reality you relinquish some control to your partner, but gain a teammate in the process. Like any good tennis doubles combination, a tandem team will be better the more time they spend together.
  
  
• For me, riding on a tandem with Marc is brilliant. We get to spend time together - reality is he would leave me for dead if we were on singles - and we are doing something we both enjoy. The teamwork needed increases the bond between us - and his commitment to buying a tandem for us to ride together is a bigger investment in our relationship than any eternity ring or bunch of flowers could ever bring.
  
  
• If you ever decide to try riding a tandem with anyone... whether it be your sweetheart, your kid, your mother, or an acquaintance.. do yourselves a favour and take it out for a decent ride. Not just around a carpark or around the block where you won't get a chance to find rhythm and balance. The Stoker, particularly if he/she is used to piloting their own bike, will need time to learn to follow the Captain's pedalling habits - the biggest one is the timing of coasting (When I am captain I coast more - while Marc likes to keep pedalling.) The Captain will also need to be patient while his/her stoker learns to read him, and also learn to communicate stuff like 'bump!' and 'duck!', and other warnings - until the 'team' develops a non-verbal understanding (which you will.)
  
  

Riding a tandem is a hoot. You really oughta try it!