Tandem Club of Australia Newsletter No 84 November - December 1999 From the Pres. Wow! What a fantastic TwoUp '99. It was a thrill to see so many tandems in one place, their riders doing what tandemists do best - dressing up, laughing, eating and enjoying riding their bikes. The variety of steeds was fabulous - the full range of standard tandems, plus custom built bikes, a Greenspeed recumbent, a Bike Two'sDay, two Moultons and tandems towing hitcher bikes or kiddie trailers. With the enticement of a street parade, people went to huge efforts to show off. Graham Hill sent Marian on photography duty and rode with what he called 'the perfect stoker', a remarkably life-like dummy. Dressed in matching outfit, complete with helmet-sized jesters hat, 'Gladys' attracted the inevitable 'The dummy on the back's not pedalling'. Janis Munro and Ian Bray, on a borrowed tandem, turned up with L-plates, and graduated to their Ps by Sunday. Meanwhile, Derek McKean and Kim Travers, perhaps worn out from the PBP, mastered the slow pace of the parade by letting Michael, on the hitcher, do all the work. Read all about the rest of the weekend in the various reports in this newsletter. I certainly went away on a high from meeting so many fun people and I hope to see all of you - plus lots of new faces - at TwoUp 2000. On November 11 & 12, it will be held in Canberra to make it more accessible to NSW and Qld members. Finally, I'd like to thank the hard-working TwoUp Committee. On the back of the TwoUp adrenaline rush, the TCA committee has been busy thinking of ways we can offer members more from the Tandem Club. To make the club more relevant to members in states outside Victoria, we've formalised the position of State Organiser (see the report inside for details). Hopefully this will result in a program of regular TCA rides throughout Australia, which will be advertised in the newsletter. To help publicise these events, the newsletter will come out every odd month. That means plenty of chances for you to tell everyone else your best tandem tip or touring story (see the publication and submission dates inside). We're hoping this will help us in our drive to recruit new members. Of the club's 84 teams, three quarters are from Victoria, so the mission for the year 2000 is to encourage a bigger representation from other states. Read on to find out how you can help ... Sally D NEW MEMBERS Welcome to new members: * Allan & Christine Gallard (NSW) * Claudia Hoeltje & Stephen Brethenston (WA) * Bradley Weisse & Rachel Martin (ACT) * Doug & Gianna Calder (ACT) * Sharon Schultz & Chris Wright (SA) * Kaye & John Molenkamp (NSW) * Wayne Kelly (Tas) FRONT-PAGE PHOTO: Janis Munro & Ian Bray (wearing L-plates) threw themselves into their first TwoUp - and first weekend on a tandem - with gusto TWOUP '99 On the 29th of October, the small country town of Euroa saw a huge increase in its population as the Tandem Club of Australia congregated for the third annual TwoUp. his year we had 35 bikes of various configurations participating and our first commitment was to the Euroa Wool Week parade. We all rode down the main street after classic cars and steam powered vehicles and must have made a big impact, as we received a 'Highly Commended' award for our effort. The next ride was to morning tea, the one after that was to afternoon tea, the next one to drinks and nibbles and then we rode to dinner! No, it was not quite like that but that's what it felt like at the time. We did earn our afternoon tea by riding 17km to Bimbimby, a beautiful private garden that had been opened especially for us, despite the fact that the owner had cardiac surgery the week before. Her family provided us with cakes, scones, sandwiches, tea and coffee which we consumed by the pool before wandering along secret paths lined with fabulously perfumed roses and unusual lilies. And then there was the shed. This was full of the usual shed things as well as a couple of vintage cars. Dinner was at Haygun's Restaurant, where we also had a huge Saturday morning tea and Sunday breakfast. Entertainment was largely provided by Fred Surr, auctioneer extraordinaire. Successful bids were taken for items ranging from a woolly bike seat cover to a horse-shoe thingy that goes on the brakes (?). It is expected that the auction will be a huge event next year after this success. Lots of enjoyment was also gained from the raffle tickets inside each person's name tag. Throughout the weekend riders won small prizes, and on Saturday night the lucky door prize was a foot pump, generously donated by Cecil Walker Cycles of Elizabeth St Melbourne. Our longest ride was to Violet Town on Sunday via a pleasant 65km, or a very hilly 75km, round trip. The scenery was of treed lush fields, horse breeding farms (lots of foals), and a paddock of very curious and friendly pigs and tiny piglets, which made those who breakfasted on bacon feel somewhat uncomfortable. The (all important) weather was a bit drizzly on Saturday and cool on Sunday but at least we were all inside for dinner when the thunderstorm passed through. There were only a few punctures and no accidents to worry about except for the one that prevented Martin O'Brien and Kay Trainor from attending. (Martin broke his kneecap in a serious fall during the 'Round the Bay in a Day' ride). With riders (including nine children) from New South Wales, ACT, South Australia and Victoria catching up from previous events or meeting for the first time, it was a very social weekend. Next year's TwoUp - in Canberra - promises to be even bigger and better again. Thanks to Cecil Walker Cycles & Christie Cycles (donations), Bruce Hargraves (hospitality), Fred Surr & Angelika Stoll (auction). Danya Driessen DECEMBER 5 - CHRISTMAS PARTY ( Jingle Bells, the Captain smells The stoker can't get away (( (Oh what fun it is to ride A tandem after Christmas lunch! (( OK, so it doesn't rhyme, but hopefully it got your attention anyway. Rush now to set aside in your diary Sunday December 5 for the TCA Christmas party. Then, straight away, call Sally on ( 03-9867 7443 to tell her how many people are coming (so she can stock up on goodies). RSVP by Friday October 3. Practice your egg balancing skills and brush up on your hottest tandem trick for the Silly Olympics. The day starts with a ride from the Fairfield Boathouse (Melbourne) at 11am, arriving at the Hawthorn velodrome off Reserve Rd by 12.30 and starting the fun and games soon after. BYO picnic lunch. Prizes will be awarded for the best-dressed Tandem Team, so get out that tinsel and create a spectacle. The cost is $2 per person for members and $5 for non-members (that's our little way of encouraging you to sign up if you want to join in!). Bring the moolah on the day. TIME TRIAL RESULTS One of the highlights of TwoUp this year, the time trial on the way to Bim Bimby attracted nearly 100% participation. This was thanks mostly to Peter Hines, who worked out an incredibly complicated age-based handicapping system and then raced around (tactfully) quizzing everyone on how old their 'combined ages' were (funny how many women said they'd married incredibly old men!). Basically, the older the team, the better the handicap. The ages of children in trailers was calculated in months, and more complicated formulas applied to children on hitchers or in the stoker's saddle. The handicapping seemed to work, with several fit teams with children taking line honours: 1. Derek McKean, Kim & Michael Travers 2. Will, Jenny, Lucy & Tom Levecke 3. Allan & Christine Gallard (who, incidentally, had the fastest time, averaging 35.7km/h, and were nearly a minute faster than the second quickest team). ENERGY BAR RECIPE At the TwoUp '99 Saturday dinner several AUDAX riders were discussing the effectiveness - and the price -of various energy bars. They were keen to hear more about the recipe for 'Bank Balls' I'd found in Backcountry Cooking, the cookbook produced by the US Backpacker magazine. One of their staff members - Joe Bank - teamed up with a nutritionist to create a snack with 135 calories, 1g fat, 31g carbohydrate, 2g protein per ball. The recipe makes 20 of these balls. They're fairly bland, but seemed to work on the 'Round the Bay in a Day' ride. INGREDIENTS 24 dried figs 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tbspn lemon juice 21/2 cups unbleached flour 1/2 tspn baking soda 1/2 canola oil 2 egg whites * 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 1 tspn lemon juice * with the maple syrup in Safeway METHOD Combine first four ingredients in a blender and chop finely. Mix remaining ingredients together (bar the wheatgerm) then add fruit and mix well. Roll into balls, coated in wheatgerm. Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes or until they are puffy; for chewier snacks, bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Refrigerate. Sally Dillon If anyone has another tandem tip - perhaps a cycling jersey pattern, or hints on entertaining kids in trailers, or how to make a helmet cover - send them to the Ed for the next issue. COMPETITION - WHAT'S IN A NAME? The MBTC has Spoke Notes, the Vintage Cycle Club has Cycle Courier. So far, we have the Tandem Club Newsletter - does our noble newsheet need a name? You tell us. Send any suggestions to Sally Dillon (sallyd@lonelyplanet.com.au or 37 Albion St, South Yarra VIC 3141). A prize will be awarded for the best suggestion, though the TCA committee reserves the right to decide which, if any, name will be adopted. And, to the person who suggested 'Quick Release' ... MEMBERSHIP DRIVE - HELP! The Tandem Club is planning a membership drive for the coming year and needs your help. WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. Help us contact potential members. If you know of anyone who has a tandem but isn't a club member, give their contact details to your state organiser and they'll arrange to send a newsletter to them, with an invitation to join the club. 2. Let us know where you bought your tandem. We're planning to distribute membership 'tags' to be hung off tandems in bike shops, but we need to know who sells bikes with a one-wheel:one-rider ratio. Send the shop's name, phone number and address to Derek McKean ( 03-9471 4506 (derekim@netspace.net.au). This information will also help us build a database; we get many queries from people wanting to know where to buy a tandem. TECH TALK Tandem cycling puts tremendous pressure on your train and derailleur systems. Shifting gear across the chainrings often necessitates less pedal pressure. On a single bike we take this for granted, but on tandems this is rarely coordinated, resulting in a rough shift. Whenever shifting down to the granny gear I often expect the chain to come off, despite carefully following the manufacturer's mounting instructions. I knew the answer, and found NGEAR produces what I had in mind. It's called a Jumpstop (pictured below). Very simply, it's a skip plate which mounts parallel to the chainrings, thus stopping total derailment of the chain. Jumpstops cost around AUD$13 and can be ordered by emailing ngear@gvtc.com or by contacting Nick at 303 Whitworth Rd, Boerne TX 78006-8559, USA. Derek McKean UPFRONT CYCLING THE MOULTON TANDEM - PART 1 I take the front of MY tandem - it's only right and proper and frankly I've always been the pushy sort so it suits me. No more suffering the indignities of the banal cry 'the one on the back's not pedalling'. It hasn't always been this way. For many years I meekly took the rear seat endlessly wondering whether I was putting in my fair share. It's most disconcerting to have a partner who constantly falls asleep when he gets off the bike. The word narcolepsy comes to mind or power napping or just plain exhaustion - how was I to know? Then last year we acquired the dreaded Moulton tandem. It was a hybrid creature purchased sight unseen from a diehard Sydney cyclist. It arrived as a jumble of tubes in a vast cardboard box. There was no problem working out the additional centre section as it still sported the rusty undercoat - a total mess really. An imminent month long trip across the Kimberleys was said to require suspension mountain bikes to make life bearable on the endless corrugations. Whilst we have a formidable collection of bikes, our twisted logic suggested the Moulton tandem as the best vehicle. It was hastily assembled and sent off to Christie Cycles so all the expensive worn out components could be replaced, and it returned a mere two days before our departure. Thus, with no idea of how this machine would perform, we headed off to the outback. And that heralded the start of my On The Front cycling career. I had cut my teeth on Fourplay - our wonderful four-seater which travelled across the Nullabor the previous year. But that was child's play - straight (did I say boring?) road beautifully surfaced with heat resistant tarmac shimmering into the distance. The sand and corrugations of the Gibb River Road were another story, more like the equivalent of an advanced driving test. I can now attest to the fact that: * small wheels are useless in deep sand * small wheels are useless in creek crossings * small wheels mean the chain hangs lower to the ground and gets much dirtier much quicker * small wheeled Moultons are the only way I can get admiring stares from pimply adolescents who have even been known to shout 'Cool bike!'. * ADVICE FOR WOULD-BE FEMALE CAPTAINS This well guarded secret really should be a sealed section in the Tandem Club Newsletter, but that level of sophistication has yet to be developed. Nevertheless, I will selflessly reveal the key - a Female Saddle. Yes that's all it takes. By putting a female saddle on the front I was able to commandeer that coveted position for the majority of the trip. It was easier to suffer the knife thrusting pain of Tandemist's Shoulderblades than cope with the crippling effects of the rear male saddle. Paul was similarly unimpressed with the numbing effect of the female front saddle. In essence, let me reassure everyone that if riding a single bike poses no problems then neither will captaining a tandem. And if it does then it must be the fault of an uncooperative rear rider! MISSING MEMBERS Does anyone know the addresses of the following members? A very special parcel is waiting for them: * Martyn Goodwin ( Hamish Scott * John Weller ( John White * Max Wilkinson TRAVELLING (AND TIME TRIALLING ( WITH A KIDDY TRAILER Cycling with two young children presents several problems, especially when Mum and Dad like to ride a tandem. You cannot use child seats, so where do you put them? And what about all the gear that goes with young children? And how do you occupy them on long trips? For us, the solution to the first question was a child trailer. This allowed us to carry both kids in relative safety, out of the cold and rain, from an early age (at about four months for both Lucy and Tom, pictured right). For day trips the trailer allowed us to carry plenty of gear - spare clothing, nappies, toys and, of course, food. Camping was out on overnight trips, so motels became the way to go. Even so, my luggage space has been reduced to a total of one small front pannier, and one learns to be very frugal when packing! How do you entertain young children in a trailer? We have carried oodles of toys and books in the past, but found one or two favourites to cuddle to be the best. The most important thing to carry, however, is snack food (and plenty of it). Our kids are either eating or sleeping. And yes, even dentists resort to lollies occasionally on a long ride - anything to stop that grizzle. Oh, and how do you time trial with young kids? Either ditch the kids or get a good handicap, and of course like any time trial you just put your head down and go for it. Will Levecke * Will now qualifies as an expert on this subject - see time trial results for his and Jenny's excellent results. NOTICES * John & Marjorie Barrett will be having a New Year's Eve party at their place from 9pm. All tandem club members are welcome. BYO party food, sleeping bag and pillow. ( 03-9528 3347 (John.Barrett@corpmail.telstra.com.au). * Derek McKean & Kim Travers * will be riding the AUDAX Club's Alpine Classic on Australia Day weekend. Tandem club riders wanting to form a team can contact them. * Know of a tandem-friendly bike shop in Sydney? Tell Matthew Leditschky & Linda Barnes * * Sally Dillon * is looking for helpers to run one event each at the Xmas party (Vic). No pre-planning required - just turn up and oversee the event with instruction sheet provided * Robyn & Peter Curtis are inviting tandem club members to their weekend bike tour in the Otways on 25 & 26 March 2000. It's not an official ride - just a chance to ride, eat and have fun together. Contact them for further details ( 03-9569 5233 * Cycle computer found at TwoUp. Contact Charlie ( 039827 4453 THE ADVENTURES OF 'EXXON' (OUR TANDEM TWO'SDAY) There are two seasons in Alaska: winter and road construction. We chose to cycle there during 'road construction', July and August. It seemed a better option than enduring temperatures of minus 40, 50, 60 or 70( (and besides, no one we knew of made 20 inch spiked tyres). And so we ventured into the 49th state of the USA, the bible belt of the north, where a favourite phrase was 'Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition'. Last century, the white folk were so determined to settle these parts that each church agreed to take on a part of Alaska and set about converting the 'natives' to various strands of Christianity. So, today you have the 'Reformed Church of the Nazarene', the plain old 'Church of the Nazarene', the 'Reformed and New Apostolic Church of the Reformed Seventh Day Adventists' ... and so on. The town of Tok, for example, has a population of 1200 and 13 religious organisations. Our 1900km, three week journey began on July 5th, when we flew into Fairbanks, a large town in the north of the state, with our new small wheeled tandem. We planned to cycle the Denali Highway, the Top of the World Highway, and continue down through the Yukon to Haines, which is pretty much what we did - all except the Top of World Highway bit ... After a few days - and nights - enjoying the sunlight we headed off to Cantwell, a small town and gas station at the western end of the Denali Highway. The 200km of dirt road that makes up the Denali H'way is spectacular and was easily the highlight of Alaska. It is quite remote, with much less traffic than other roads in the state (there are only five major ones anyway) and fabulous scenery of glaciers, glaciers and more glaciers. The surface is easily ridden on a touring bicycle, but would probably be more comfortable on a mountain bike. In the months leading up to the trip I had read about the state bird of Alaska, the mosquito, but had not really taken it all that seriously until we arrived at our first campground. I think all the mosquitoes in Alaska live at Brushkana campground and were waiting for me to drop my dacks, because they literally swarmed around my bum. I developed some useful tactics: 1. Only go to the dunny when you are really, really ready and then make it snappy. Have the toilet paper all ready to go - no mucking around. It is simply impossible to sit on the toilet contemplating your navel or reading a book. 2. Plan what you are going to wear before leaving the tent, and then plan how you are going to strip down to bicycle gear, pack clothes and be on the bike in three seconds. 3. Having accomplished that, maintain a riding speed of at least 15km/h or the mozzies have a field day. 4. Apply the most toxic, probably cancer-causing anti-mosquito repellent known to woman: do not under any circumstances use the brand 'cutters' which attract mozzies! 5. Fashion statements like head nets are sometimes needed; it's just hard to eat with a net over your head. In Valdez we named our beautiful new tandem 'the Exxon', an appropriate name as it turned out, as I couldn't keep the captain off the bottle. Camping in Alaska was pretty basic. For around US$10 you got a clean, quiet campsite with water from a pump or stream and pit toilets with loads of toilet paper. The water was always wonderfully cold; coming up through permafrost and flowing down from glaciers has that effect. However, even though there was water everywhere, a filter was necessary to remove the giardia caused by the moose, caribou and beaver poo that ends up in the water. In some places we had to carry drinking water for the following day and we always had plenty of food. Roadhouses provided enormous yummy lunches of soup, chilli, eggs, bacon and hash browns, endless coffee and tea, toast, homemade pie with icecream and cinnamon rolls. The grizzly bears enjoy checking out tents full of nice smelling cyclists and panniers full of food so it was a must to hang all the bags up a tree or pole at least 100m downwind from the camping spot. We didn't have any problems with bears, but one guy warned us we were 'meals on wheels'. The great thing about bicycle travel is the wonderful mixture of people that one meets. From generous locals like Janese and Lynn in Valdez who fed us up on smoked salmon, moose and caribou, to those who gave us good stories to take home, like the woman who asked me what part of Alaska Australia was in! Alaska is probably one of the few remaining unspoilt areas in which to cycle and I thoroughly recommend it as a holiday destination for you and your tandem. Bronwyn Laing CALLING ALL CAPTAINS Allan Bates is talking about organising a ride where experienced tandem captains give people with impaired vision a chance at stoking. Past rides have been loads of fun and have seen more people take up tandeming (and led to the formation of the RVIB - Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind - Tandem Club). Allan's set a tentative date for Sunday 19 March 2000. Call Allan on ( 03-9569 5233 if you're free to join ABOUT THE TCA NEWSLETTER The newsletter is published on the 20th of every odd month (ie January, March, May etc). Articles are welcomed from members and personal notices are published free of charge. The submission date is on the 6th of the publication month. Editor John Harland will be living in the Netherlands until July 1 at: Plantage Muidergracht 20 A1 Amsterdam 1018 TN The Netherlands Submissions can also be emailed to him on jch@sci.vut.edu.au, his permanent email address.