Author Topic: Ethics and Tandems  (Read 2686 times)

philothewhisp

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Ethics and Tandems
« on: October 05, 2016, 10:59:03 am »
Many years ago I had a spin with a mate on a tandem. Me on the front outward... He on the front returning.
At one point he wobbled so badly that I wrenched the back handlebar - thus the front saddle - round and accidentally trapped the front-man's testicle between saddle and thigh. He, quite  naturally, yelled and jumped off into the bushes, me and bike following shortly after. The bushes were holly. The experience prickly, didn't sit well in the scheme of things. Now 30 years on I have decided. (bit late there, chum. Ed)

That experience tho not too painful for me left an impression: that the rear rider enjoys an inferior place in the arrangement.

I see men who have done this, made their wives the inferior and non-independent rider. Now who would do such a thing and then further damn the rear-rider with the term stoker (ho jolly ho eh?). That term alone displays the jerk-mentality of the tandem rider. Argue... (not a rational leg to stand on eh?)

Conclusion: tandems are a brutal sexist remnant.

1. That the front-man is deliberately diminishing the rear rider for reasons yet to be examined. (Cheesy male arrogance comes to mind as suggestion No.1)

2. That no woman with self respect would want to sit behind some sweaty, sexist oaf dressed like a clown emblazoned like a poster-board obscuring the countryside ahead.

3. That the need to diminish the rear rider reveals a dire state of affairs in the ethical furniture of the front-man. He needs to be dominant - if only on the bike. A kind of pathology.

I rest my case. Hoping that all decent self respecting women will refuse. Will each get a bike of their own, leaving the sexist remnant male with a ridiculous bicycle to ride alone. The tandem is highly symbolic. It represents the "Little Woman", "er-indoors", the lesser, the inferior & this has to stop.

Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop

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Re: Ethics and Tandems
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2016, 12:05:41 pm »
Or the rear rider is unable to ride a bike through disability or sight impediment, but still enjoys cycling? Also on the back you don't have to look forwards so you can enjoy the scenery left and right  ;D

Mike Ayling

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Re: Ethics and Tandems
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2016, 07:12:28 am »
Or the rear rider is unable to ride a bike through disability or sight impediment, but still enjoys cycling? Also on the back you don't have to look forwards so you can enjoy the scenery left and right  ;D

Or in the case of my wife just never learned to ride a bike as a child and has no wish to do so sixty years later but is quite happy on the rear of our tandem!

If you have a look over at Crazyguyonabike you will find a considerable number of females who appear quite happy to ride behind their life partners.

Mike

Joe B

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Re: Ethics and Tandems
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2016, 09:55:42 pm »
Not true in the case of my missus and I. On the Thorn tandem I'm the captain and she’s the stoker, on the recumbent tandem she’s captain and I'm the rear engine.

That said more often than not each of us is up front on our favoured tandem with one of the kids behind