Race the Tandem

[Bike/zzflyertop.htm]

Hey, Let's Race the Tandem!

by Charlton Jones

Tandems go really fast on the level and absolutely blaze on downhills. We love to show these characteristics off to our single bike (sometimes known as half bike) friends. Your chance to really show off is being made much easier by the United States Cycling Federation. Tandem Time Trials are a regular part of the National Masters Championships and frequently part of the District (about state level) Championships. (Tandem Road Races are available at Masters Nationals too.) A time trial is a level race of 40 kilometers, about 25 miles, as fast as you can go. You can ride 25 miles easy enough. You can ride a tandem really fast. Put these two qualities together, and with a little practice you can be a tandem racer. Master level is defined as 30 years old and up. For the purposes of racing tandems at the National level, the ages of the two motors are combined. Time trial classes are separate for men, women, and mixed and are divided into ages 70+, 90+ and 110+. (In the future I predict we'll see 130+ as well.) You can see there is a class for you. Remember, you can ride your tandem at least 25 miles in one sitting, and you can ride it fast. If I've got you interested, I'll tell you how to do it.

First, you'll need two USCF licenses at $35 each; and you had better hurry. You can call or write USCF for applications at USA Cycling, Inc. One Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909

1-719-578-4949 USCF can also tell you the name of the representative for your District. That person can tell you when and where your District time trial will be held and whether tandems are included. If the captain of your rig has raced with the a USCF license before or does so currently, it is possible to become rated at a Category 3 level racer. (A brand new license starts out as Category 5, or 4 for women. It takes some racing experience to convince your District Rep to move you up in Category.) You'll need a Cat 3 captain to ride in the Masters National road race: Cat 5 will suffice for the time trail. In 1999 the Masters Nationals will be at Fort Smith, Arkansas, so everyone should be able to attend. At the state or district level, a Cat 5 USCF license is all you need. The Georgia District TT may be late, Aug or Sept. Others will be sooner, so you need to find out quickly. I'd recommend a little practice before you try it.

The time trial, sometimes called the race of truth, involves a 25 mile run, usually out 12.5 miles and then back. You get a standing start, but you get to clip into your pedals while someone holds you. At the word "Go" from the starter you are on your own. (The holder doesn't give you a push.) There is no drafting. When you catch another competitor, you must pass wide. Competitors start 30 seconds to one minute apart. so there is some passing but no real heavy traffic. The turn around at the mid-point is something to practice, especially with the tandem. Usually, you've got just a standard two lane road, so start the turn all the way over to the right, clear the turn around pylon ( but not by much) and put the hammer back down for your return. I recommend the use of heart monitors both for practice and the event itself, to assure that you are working at your planned level. (It's easy to try too hard on your first time trial and blow up before the 25 miles are completed.)

As you practice, your goal might be for a time trial speed of about 25 mph. That means you complete the event in about a hour. Practice one or two mile "intervals" at 26 to 27 mph to get comfortable with the intensity. I'll be happy to e-mail a more detailed description of the time trial event to those of you who'd be interested.

Author: Charlton Jones, USCF certified coach and Masters racer, Smyrna, GA (undefeated Georgia District Individual Time Trial Champ (55+) for past 8 years, 3rd place 1998 Masters Nationals tandem TT 110+ mixed.) e-mail: cj.trainer@juno.com

[reprinted with permission from Charlton Jones]