# How fast do you go?



## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

I mean when there's nothing in front of you.

I know this is the _mountain_ tandem forum, but we get out on the road often enough and it's nothing to get over 40mph on a hill. Never been over 50 though (I don't think we have the gear). I was told by more than a few people that they never go over 30-35 (tandem, single, whatever), and received umpteen cautionary warnings :nono: . Yes, I fully realize that crashes start to resemble motorcycle crashes when you get over 30mph - I think my wife does too, but even if she's not entirely comfortable I guess she's daring enough to do it. We do have a motorcycle, too. She loves that!

-F


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## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

"Were we going that fast? Honestly, dear, I wasn't paying attention"

Many of our top speeds on road tandem are over 50mph ( I think 58 top). Mountain tandem topped out about 53 or so coming down the highway with a tailwind after the Monarch Crest trail. The worst parts were the watering eyes and the thought of the REALLY long smear we would leave on the pavement if I did something stupid


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## arly (Apr 20, 2005)

We live in hill country and roll over 50mph via road bike on a regular bases. For MB tandems we once hit 40 something descending a ski hill during a race we did. Funny thing was the single bikes were taking the path down this hill which was smoother and we passed them like they were standing while riding out in the rough. We think these speeds are nothing to brag about. This was all done on DaVinci bikes which have quad front chain rings and allows us a gear which we can still pedal into the 40’s with. Ya speed is your friend.


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## bsdc (May 1, 2006)

I'm constantly amazed at how slow our tandem goes up hills and how fast we come down hills. My stoker is a daredevil and gets mad when I brake. 

I don't use cycling computers so I don't have any numbers, but I'm sure we've hit the 50+ mark on our road tandem. I don't have a mountain tandem yet but I can see going near that on the road, but I'd be more careful off road. A lot of unexpected things can come up on an offroad ride, and when they do, the limited traction makes avoiding problems even more difficult. 

As for crashes, a high speed crash would certainly be a mess, but I've found that most of my mountain bike crashes occur at relatively slow speed and often come from being too cautious and not having enough momentum to carry me over obstacles.


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## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

I should have also said that when we are on trails we top out at about 30mph unless it's a VERY wide open trail.


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

Lost our friend on a 29" wheel Titus, on a decent where he was spun out at 53mph. He could not catch the draft and his estimate was we were over 65 mph coasting. Monarch Crest trail, to Starvation Creek Trail to Marshal Pass Road to Highway 285.


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## rbtcha (Nov 17, 2007)

Speed?? 
Speed is relative I think but also very fun. I haven't used computers in quite a while but guess-timate a top speed of around 45-50 off road. Maybe 55 on but not many hills in Phoenix to get the speed on but we Love Moab and the Slickrock Trail for getting the bike rolling fast. On my individual road bike i was clocked at 69 coming down Grand Mesa in Co. towards I-70 by one of the sheriff deputies that was blocking side roads. Fun? Yes but scary as heck too.

Zipper


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## DaleTR (Apr 6, 2007)

*Speed*

51 Mph on the same stretch of road Banks talks about..... needed a tailwind for more, that was on 2.35 Knobbies. 20 MPH off road can feel REAL fast :eekster:


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Nice. I like data.

I think off-road we may have gotten over 20mph once on the rigid Cannondale at Bear Creek, GA. Despite the tremendous jarring, the bike's tendency is to go straight and remain stable. It's not really scary except for the idea of missing a turn or really catching a rut. We've flattened more than a few saplings with some off-trail excursions, but so far so good.
Thanks,
-F


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## dir-T (Jan 20, 2004)

My wife and I are new to tandem riding with about 100 miles of mixed pavement, dirt roads, and trails. Our top speed going down a hill on a dirt road was 35 mph when she asked me not to go any faster. I think we've hit that on flats before without her feeling scared. I think she'll get more comfortable with time and she says the fear is just because she's not used to such a limited feild of vision yet.


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## twobytandem (Oct 18, 2006)

*60+*

62.5mph, Pacific Coast Highway mid-California.

daVinci V22 rims shod w/Continental 26X1" running ~105psi.

Heavy tailwind, passed *everything* & the look on the roadies face was PRICELESS.


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## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

I think a tandem team should go as fast as the stoker is comfortable going first, the captain second. My wife and I have been 55 on-road on our C'dale mountain tandem. My son (6 y.o. at the time) have been over 40 off-road on the same tandem!

That being said, we were camping with some friends that have a son the same age as my son. I took him out on the tandem and we were cruising along at 18 mph when I heard a little voice behind me say "excuse me Mr. S, could we slow down a little? I'm not used to going this fast." So, only as fast as the stoker wanted to go...


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Team Fubar Rider said:


> I think a tandem team should go as fast as the stoker is comfortable going first...
> 
> So, only as fast as the stoker wanted to go...


I still won't give them a brake lever, though. 

-F


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## Margaritaman (Aug 25, 2008)

54mph and told the wife it was 42mph. Plenty fast enough for me.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Margaritaman said:


> 54mph and told the wife it was 42mph. Plenty fast enough for me.


Yup - I have doubts about providing a speedometer, too. 

-F


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## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

Fleas said:


> Yup - I have doubts about providing a speedometer, too.
> 
> -F


You should provide one, just miscalibrate it a bit  20 - 25% off should do nicely.


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

We just returned from the Leukemia TNT charity ride (AMBBR) riding the 100 mile road ride around Lake Tahoe, with an off shoot to Truckee and back to the lake. Granted this was on the Co-Motion road tandem and without pedaling logged a section at 47.7.

Off road, on the mtb tandem, in pretty flat Florida, we may have seen a couple of short downhills mid 20's approaching 30.

I've been asking if we can road trip a couple times this summer with the mtb tandem. I think at a place like Tsali or Fontana 35 shouldn't be too difficult.

PK


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Trails4Two said:


> You should provide one, just miscalibrate it a bit  20 - 25% off should do nicely.


That's kinda mean...  
I know she'd pedal herself to death if all she saw was ~18mph.
I couldn't do it.

-F


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## bsdc (May 1, 2006)

Fleas said:


> That's kinda mean...
> I know she'd pedal herself to death if all she saw was ~18mph.
> I couldn't do it.
> 
> -F


You haven't been married long enough!


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

As fast as gravity will allow. Spin out the 53/12 gears on 1.1" 26" wheels easy enough on the asphalt descents. Threw all the bike computers away in the last millenium.


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## cruiserman (Jun 9, 2008)

Took our first ride on our Cannondale tandem today and hit 22MPH on the trail (rolling flats). Probably hit 25 or so on the descent but wasn't looking at the computer . No big hills on the road out to the trails and only hit 29MPH.


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## Jay P (Dec 16, 2005)

we've gone 56 mph on dirt, forest road, with a tailwind. i was so excited as we descended a roller, up another, and down...i screamed "Tracey were going 56". this was during our Tour Divide Race going into Atlantic City WY. we consistantly did 30 to 40+ mph on all downhill gravel, we reached 50 more then i can admit. after many miles and hours you just become comfortable as does the stoker, of course they only know what you tell them too.
Tracey constantly would say slow down before we even started descending, as the captain you know it's just reaction and treat it as "yes dear" and let'er rip...

- always go fast - JayP


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## T-Race (May 15, 2006)

Oh you are so busted! Love you!


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## T-Race (May 15, 2006)

oh you are so busted! Love you!


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

Jay P said:


> we've gone 56 mph on dirt, forest road, with a tailwind. i was so excited as we descended a roller, up another, and down...i screamed "Tracey were going 56". this was during our Tour Divide Race going into Atlantic City WY. we consistantly did 30 to 40+ mph on all downhill gravel, we reached 50 more then i can admit. after many miles and hours you just become comfortable as does the stoker, of course they only know what you tell them too.
> Tracey constantly would say slow down before we even started descending, as the captain you know it's just reaction and treat it as "yes dear" and let'er rip...
> 
> - always go fast - JayP


Agree 100%.

PK


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

So Tracey doesn't have a speedometer _or_ a brake lever. ...you are reinforcing my attitude towards both. 

Go Loveshack!

-F


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## Jay P (Dec 16, 2005)

I would be happy to put a "brake lever" in the back, hooked up to maybe a blow horn .

Now the speedometer is something we have discussed more then once, so I think for us riding distance and endurance it would be one less thing to comunicate. Is that a common or uncommon thing with tandems, 2 speedometers?

-JayP


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## bsdc (May 1, 2006)

Jay P said:


> I would be happy to put a "brake lever" in the back, hooked up to maybe a blow horn .
> 
> Now the speedometer is something we have discussed more then once, so I think for us riding distance and endurance it would be one less thing to comunicate. Is that a common or uncommon thing with tandems, 2 speedometers?
> 
> -JayP


I thought of putting a brake lever on for my stoker but she'd never use it. She's always asking me why I hit the brakes on that corner.

Dual speedometers are relatively common on road tandems. I read one discussion about speed and dual speedometers ... the guy suggested calibrating the stokers speedometer off a little so she doesn't realize how fast and far you are really going.


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## Stevoo (Mar 9, 2007)

I have a stoker that also has ridden on the back of a motorcycle (sportbike). That being said I am lucky enough that she is very comfortable with speed, mountainous roads etc. We routinely get into the 50's and sometimes in the high 60's on the road tandem and she wants MORE!. We have seen 70 mph on a hill near the house. On the mountain tandem the trails we ride don't have huge decents that lend themselves to really fast speeds. We see the high 30's on the mountan tanden quite often and only on occassion do we see anything more than the mid 40's. That may change as she wants to ride the Trans Rockies and some other stuff. Don't know if that will happen but we are going to Moab in a few months. Can't wait!

On the road tandem we have had roadie dudes try and follow us down mountains and unfortunately I have seen more than one wind up blowing a corner trying to keep up with us. They were not hurt too bad but seeing them fly off the road is unsettling. Also have a story of entering a corner at 61mph and having the so called tandem rated rear brake fail 100%. That was the day I started my engineered total road brake solution and have never had a problem since.


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## arly (Apr 20, 2005)

StevO, Please let us know which tandem rated brake it was that you failed.

thanks


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## unwiserwinter0 (Oct 11, 2014)

Fastest I've gone is 36.8, keep in mind I wasn't wearing a helmet and was riding with one hand as I took a snapchat of it (lol) so I didn't wanna go much faster


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## DHMASTER (Oct 12, 2010)

Here's a short bit at about 55mph in the dirt. Put slicks on it once and hit 66mph on Tioga pass hwy 120 just outside Yosemite. 



 This is Tioga on my Gravity bike, notice the beautiful wraparound corner at almost 60. Gravity Bike (GPV) Tioga Pass Hwy 120 at 65.4 mph 2013 - YouTube......
And, someone said sport-bike, that is how you see real fast, 180mph on my R1.


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## DHMASTER (Oct 12, 2010)

A tandem can be faster than a single.


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## DHMASTER (Oct 12, 2010)

67 mph this year.


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