Who should sit in front of a 2 persons bike?

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  1. Who should sit in front of a 2 persons bicycle for a husband and wife?

    • 1
      Husband should sit in front
    • 0
      Wife should sit in front
    • 0
      The taller person should sit in front
    • 8
      The shorter person should sit in front
    • 0
      The one who knows the direction should sit in front
    • 0
      The one who refuses to ask direction should sit in the back
    • 0
      Whoever get to the front seats first.
    • 6
      Who cares
    • 1
      Others

16 members have participated

Here is a fun poll. I just notice a couple on a two-person bicycle and I wondered how did they decide who sits in the front and who sits in the back? Do they always sit the same or do they switch? Wonder is there a cultural difference? Does sitting in front have any symbolic meaning?

-Dan

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The couple I saw has the husband sat in front. He is really tall and the wife is really short. All she can see is his back. I think it make more sense if the shorter wife sits in the front unless if she does not know the direction of where they are going. I mean in a 2 person Kayak, the heavier person sits in the back for safety reason.

Now of course, there are cultural variables too which might dictate who sits where.

But from a purely practical point of view, the shorter person should sits in front. This also apply to the bicycles I see where they attached a smaller bicycles in the back for children. I think they should attach the small bicycle in the front so the parents can see their kids and the kids can enjoy what is in front of them instead of just seeing their parent's back.

-Dan

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Danu, the man has to be at the front to steer, as he always knows where he is going, and doesn't need to ask directions, even if he's lost! :chair: :chuckle

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Specializes in Everything but psych!.

My first question is: have you ever ridden/driven a tandem? I have. Both in the front and in the back. When I was with some, they were unable to balance in the back well enough for the steer-er to be able to out steer their wiggles. It is quite a balancing act. But commonly, The heavier person HAS TO steer because it makes the bike steadier. The last time I was on a tandem, it was with my daughter. I had a flowered blouse on and we were riding a tandem around Mackinac Island in Michigan. If you've never been there, you should go to experience it! She was unable to drive with me on the back. All she could say was, "All I see is flowers!" The person in the back DOES have a nice treat though. They don't need to watch where they're driving. The can watch all the scenery as they go past. What's so bad about that? :rolleyes:

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My first question is: have you ever ridden/driven a tandem? I have. Both in the front and in the back. When I was with some, they were unable to balance in the back well enough for the steer-er to be able to out steer their wiggles. It is quite a balancing act. But commonly, The heavier person HAS TO steer because it makes the bike steadier.
No, I have not been on a tandem. Interesting that the heavier person has to be in front, reverse of being in a 2 person kayak where the heavier person has to be in the back.

Usually the lighter person is also the shorter one, maybe they can make the back seat higher so that the person in the back don't have to look at the back of the taller person as a scenery.

The last time I was on a tandem, it was with my daughter. I had a flowered blouse on and we were riding a tandem around Mackinac Island in Michigan. If you've never been there, you should go to experience it! She was unable to drive with me on the back. All she could say was, "All I see is flowers!" The person in the back DOES have a nice treat though. They don't need to watch where they're driving. The can watch all the scenery as they go past. What's so bad about that? :rolleyes:

You know, you reminded me of another time I saw a couple riding tandem (many years ago) and I notice the female in the back was not peddling really... the poor guy in front was doing all the work and he did not even know it.

Once I saw a tandem bike that has more than 2, think it was 4. From what you decribe, that must be even harder to get everyone balanced.

-Dan

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Specializes in Everything but psych!.

The people in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seat have to be very relaxed and be able to balance well. The driver out-steers the wiggles of those behind. The driver definitely can tell if the one in the back isn't working. Maybe the driver really didn't care! Heh heh! :chuckle

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