Ithought it was a tall tale until I saw this.......



V

vernon levy

Guest
As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how unusual
they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a go
on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
disprove his claims and came up with this...

http://www.citynoise.org/article/917

apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and they
can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders

Anthing odder out there?.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
vernon levy <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how
> unusual they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he
> was given a go on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search
> of the Internet to disprove his claims and came up with this...


> http://www.citynoise.org/article/917


> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before
> and they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the
> two riders


> Anthing odder out there?.


I want one - anyone know if they are available in the UK or will I
have to build my own ?

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net
 
On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:51:56 +0000, Sandy Morton wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,


>> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and
>> they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders

>
> I want one - anyone know if they are available in the UK or will I have to
> build my own ?


Peter Ross might still be building his Sociable Trike. I've seen one
only a couple of years ago in East Cambs. The excellent folks at I.C.E.
would know 'cos they did the welding for the last years of Ross production.


Mike
 
On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:15:02 +0000 (UTC), "vernon levy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how unusual
>they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a go
>on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
>disprove his claims and came up with this...
>
>http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>
>apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and they
>can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders
>


The link gives a blank page, as does trying to go up the tree two
branches. However, I do know that sociable tandems are used for
companion cycling with blind people in Bushy Park (South West London).

--
MatSav
 
in message <[email protected]>, vernon
levy ('[email protected]') wrote:

> As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how
> unusual
> they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a
> go
> on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
> disprove his claims and came up with this...
>
> http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>
> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and
> they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders


I've seen side-by-side tricycle tandems, but that's the first
side-by-side bicycle tandem I've seen. Very interesting - I'd _love_ to
give it a try!

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth
;; knowledge increaseth sorrow.." - Ecclesiastes 1:18
 

> The link gives a blank page, as does trying to go up the tree two
> branches. However, I do know that sociable tandems are used for
> companion cycling with blind people in Bushy Park (South West London).
>

The link works on my computers and I believe also on Sandy Morton's
 
On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:15:02 +0000 (UTC), "vernon levy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how unusual
>they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a go
>on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
>disprove his claims and came up with this...
>
>http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>
>apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and they
>can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders
>

A possible pedant writes:

I believe it should be called a sociable, not a sociable tandem.
Tandem implies the riders in line astern. See also "Black Beauty"
where horses are driven in tandem (one behind the other) or as a pair
(next to each other).



Tim
 
Sandy Morton wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> vernon levy <[email protected]> wrote:
>> As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how
>> unusual they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he
>> was given a go on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search
>> of the Internet to disprove his claims and came up with this...

>
>> http://www.citynoise.org/article/917

>
>> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before
>> and they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the
>> two riders

>
>> Anthing odder out there?.

>
> I want one - anyone know if they are available in the UK or will I
> have to build my own ?


saw one at a cycle hire shop in the New forest a few years ago.

pk
 
Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <[email protected]>, vernon
> levy ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
> > As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how
> > unusual
> > they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a
> > go
> > on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
> > disprove his claims and came up with this...
> >
> > http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
> >
> > apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and
> > they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders

>
> I've seen side-by-side tricycle tandems, but that's the first
> side-by-side bicycle tandem I've seen. Very interesting - I'd _love_ to
> give it a try!
>

There used to be a bike rental place in Ottawa Ontario that rented one
but I never saw anyone on it. I have read that the song about A
bicycle built for two" may have been about a sociable rather than a
conventional tandem
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
 
Mike Causer wrote:

> Peter Ross might still be building his Sociable Trike. I've seen one
> only a couple of years ago in East Cambs. The excellent folks at I.C.E.
> would know 'cos they did the welding for the last years of Ross production.


IIRC he isn't, but someone has bought the design and is producing it.
It's certainly advertised in Velo Vision, along with at least one other
sociable on a regular basis.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Mike Causer wrote:
>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:51:56 +0000, Sandy Morton wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,

>
>>> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and
>>> they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders

>>
>> I want one - anyone know if they are available in the UK or will I have to
>> build my own ?

>
>Peter Ross might still be building his Sociable Trike.


A trike doesn't have the same "but how does it balance" factor.
Apparently they are even ridable with only one rider. I expect we all
know that a bike is ridable with just one pannier heavily loaded, but
it's still surprising it can be taken to such extremes.

(And for pedants, they are sociables and not tandems, one meaning
of tandem being "arranged one behind the other".)
 
vernon levy wrote:
> As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how unusual
> they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a go
> on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
> disprove his claims and came up with this...
>
> http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>
> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and they
> can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders
>
> Anthing odder out there?.
>
>

Maybe not odder, but just as odd. Someone somewhere in the uk once made
a racing tandem where the front rider was reversed - for aerodynamic
reasons. I can't find any confirmation of this on the Wibbly Wobbly Web,
so it might just have been all a dream.....

Roger

--
Roger Thorpe

My email address is spamtrapped. You can work it out!
 
MatSav <m a t t h e w D O T s a v a g e A T d s l D O T p i p e x D
OT c o m> wrote:

>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 20:15:02 +0000 (UTC), "vernon levy"
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how unusual
>>they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he was given a go
>>on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of the Internet to
>>disprove his claims and came up with this...
>>
>>http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>>
>>apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before and they
>>can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two riders
>>

>
>The link gives a blank page, as does trying to go up the tree two
>branches. However, I do know that sociable tandems are used for
>companion cycling with blind people in Bushy Park (South West London).


Some pictures of one in use, some with very different weights on
either side, here http://home.vicnet.net.au/~tandem/gallery03.htm

Try this old postcard
http://bikekulture.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?itemlist=&search=Calendars&start=28

Going on a couple gets you to a women's track race
http://bikekulture.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?itemlist=&search=Calendars&start=30

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
 
Roger Thorpe wrote:

> Maybe not odder, but just as odd. Someone somewhere in the uk once made
> a racing tandem where the front rider was reversed - for aerodynamic
> reasons. I can't find any confirmation of this on the Wibbly Wobbly Web,
> so it might just have been all a dream.....


Europe's fastest HPV-ist (200m flying start) lies on his mount facing
upwards head first, seeing the way through a mirror. Again for
aerodynamic reasons.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Roger Thorpe wrote:

>
> Maybe not odder, but just as odd. Someone somewhere in the uk once made
> a racing tandem where the front rider was reversed - for aerodynamic
> reasons. I can't find any confirmation of this on the Wibbly Wobbly Web,
> so it might just have been all a dream.....


It was not a dream.

It certainly existed for a very short time sometime in the mid 70s early 80s
before being banned, and appeared at at least one local Hampshire time trial.
It was ridden by none other than Glen Longland and Neville Stroud, prolific
winners of tandem events.
ISTR that Glen was at the back and had to look over his partner's head to see
where he was going.
I can't begin to imagine the feeling of being propelled backwards, bum first at
30mph on the front of a tandem.
Completely crazy.

John B
 
Mike Causer <[email protected]> wrote:


> Peter Ross might still be building his Sociable Trike. I've seen one
> only a couple of years ago in East Cambs. The excellent folks at
> I.C.E. would know 'cos they did the welding for the last years of
> Ross production.


Peter isn't, but the Gem design has been taken over by Toucan Engineering of
Guisborough. See here:

URL:http://www.2cancycle.co.uk/

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Never tie your shoelaces in a revolving door.
 
vernon levy <[email protected]> wrote:

> As I quizzed a colleague about Baines Flying Gate frames and how
> unusual they were. He told me about a side by side tandem that he
> was given a go on. As he is fond of a joke, I did a quick search of
> the Internet to disprove his claims and came up with this...
>
> http://www.citynoise.org/article/917
>
> apparently they are called sociable tandems. Never seen one before
> and they can cope with the imbalance between body weights of the two
> riders
> Anthing odder out there?.


I have encountered a device yclept the "Broad Bean", this being a sociable
long wheelbase recumbent bicycle. I did not attempt to ride it myself, but
did see a Several of my chums so doing. This was in Abbey Park, Leicester,
some time in the early to mid-nineties. It may have been the same year that
Richard Grigsby managed to lock Peter Ross' car keys inside the latter's
motorcar...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
It is impossible to eat a banana without looking like a tw*t.