It was a group of elderly folks all suited up in the appropriate cycling gear: spandex/padded shorts, cycling shirt, clipless pedals, the works. These people were hardcore. This wasn't a joy ride by the group, this was their workout and they were going for it.
Maybe it is the control freak in me, but I don't get the tandem bike thing. My question is what is the point? Not only is cycling about the workout, but often it is about the scenery. On a tandem bike all you see is someone's back, and worse yet, their rump. Now, the blockage of scenery is one thing, but it is a minor reason why I wouldn't be caught dead on one of those bikes.
I once dated this guy (Mark) who rented a Harley and wanted us to go on a day trip with his friend. The night before the supposed day trip we took about a 20 mile ride to get used of the motorbike. There I was, perched on the back like some useless prop. My job? To hang on and crane my neck from one side or the other so I could see something. It didn't take me the full 20 mile test drive to figure it out, because within the first mile I realized that I wanted no part of that day trip. I couldn't think of anything more boring. At least when you drive a motorbike there can be some excitement that comes from the speed and the thrill of excitement, but to sit back of a motor bike with the noise and the wind and not have any control? Forget it. I stayed home and did laundry, and he went.
They came back 9 hours later and nearly frozen to death because they didn't factor in that the 'scenic' route is scenic because it goes through the mountains. They got snowed on! hahaha, what a dumbass. Not much of a surprise that that relationship didn't go anywhere.
Now, take away the speed, the thrill of danger and the absence of control and you are on a tandem bike. What is the point? Why would you want to be on that back of that? What if you want to go faster than the front person can pedal? What if the back person wants to go left and you want to go right? What if the back person wants to hit the brakes, but all they have is these makeshift 'handlebars' that don't do anything but provide a place to grip? Why bother making the 'handlebars' in the back look the same as the ones in the front?
The front person is the guy who drives the bus and ultimately has control over everything, why not take out the handlebars in the back and make something really comfortable like a tabletop where they could plant a book and have a spot to put a nice cold drink or maybe they could put their head down for a snooze. They can't see anything anyway, so they might as well read a book or a magazine while on the way. They have those clip on shoes so they don't have to think about that, they can just let their legs churn up and down with the action of the front guy. If the front guy gets to do everything, he might as well have to do most of the work too.
Is the point of the tandem bike the togetherness and unity for a couple? To become united and work as a team? Will this kind of exercise help a couple come together when they are off the bike and dealing with the in's and out's of a marriage? Maybe this is a better answer for marriages than counselling. In fact, it could serve as a dual benefit since 50% of marriages end in divorce and 62% of americans are overweight, you could address two major issues with a simple bike ride through the park.
Of course if it were my parents on the tandem bike the murder rate would go up by at least one.
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