Have you Ever Ridden a Tandem Mountain Bike?

I'm not convinced yet that tandem mountain biking is for me and I don't think my partner is interested either. What about you?

By Matt Miller
January 8, 2023

20 comments

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Every once in a while I’ll see it, and it amazes me every time: two people, usually in a relationship, riding the same bike. This fall as two friends and I grunted up a steep climb we caught up to a husband and wife team on a tandem mountain bike.

“Where are they going?” I wondered. “It looks like there’s only one way to go,” my friend replied. I was having a hard enough time getting my mass up the dirt wall and I couldn’t imagine trying to ride it on a tandem bike.

Not only is the challenge of putting energy into the same bike present, but the relationship dynamics are there too for better or worse and you’d better trust the person with the lead handlebars. I’m not convinced yet that tandem riding is for me and I don’t think my partner is interested either. What about you?

If you answered yes, tell us if you were the stoker or the captain in the comments below.

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20 Comments

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Dample California // 2019
Jan 8, 2023

I love rallying my single, but captaining a MTB tandem is awesome. Navigating a battleship thru rock gardens and switchbacks is a whole different challenge. Never waiting for your partner to catch up on a climb or at the bottom of a decent makes riding with them fun. Be aware to succeed it takes communicating what lies ahead and accepting the stoker’s limits. it’s called a relationship accelerator.

All who want to take their riding skills to another level need to give it a go. when you get back on your “half” bike it will feel like a toy.

hopefully you have the budget to add one to your fleet and the partner crazy enough to trust you,

happy trails

1 reply

Genai Heyer Kansas // 2014
Jan 10, 2023

My husband and I started riding a tandem when we were dating. It was an old 70s cruiser style that was a barn find.
After we got married, I started having shoulder and hand issues and we upgraded bikes and then started riding gravel. The tandem allowed me to rest my arm.
A couple of more upgrades and now we are on a true mountain bike tandem and live in NW Arkansas. We love our single bikes too, but the tandem adds a different challenge.
We live on The Back 40 and can ride most of it, tandem.
We have ridden "Unbound Gravel" and raced on the tandem. We have even rode a Cyclocross race on it.
We ride mtn, road, endurance gravel and bike pack on our tandem.
We believe it is a team builder and a relationship strengthner. Both riders need to have complete trust in the other.

hialttng Colorado // 2015
Jan 12, 2023

We have four USA made tandems; a 1967 Schwinn Deluxe Twinn cruiser, a 1988 Burley Duet 700c road, and two Specialized DejaTu 26" wheels of different colours.
One DejaTu is solely off-road hardtail singletrack rig and has done Monarch Crest multiple times, Rainbow Trail sections, Starvation Creek, Three Sisters, and a lot of other Colorado trails. The second DejaTu is a rigid commuter that we rode the NYC Five Bourougs ride on.
My stoker wife loves to be able to go places together and have more power.

Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Feb 13, 2023

Awesome list of rides. Very nice to think of what that experience was like, via tandem.

The '67 Schwinn is what my Aunt and Uncle rode out of the church they were married at. Good memories came from your mention of that particular bike!

spider Cambodia // 2014
Jan 13, 2023

As our Tandem Frame ist L-size in front and M-size in the back I, 188cm, am the captain. We ride Tandems since 20 years now and the biggest adventure was a trip of 10000 km from Alaska to Florida...you can check the site www.getjealous.com/grischa-tandem. in a few words.with the right partner, tandem is a great thing to discover the world...with the wrong one...tandem has another name: divorce bike ;-)

0 reply

astralzombie Minnesota // 2021
Jan 8, 2023

Hard no, but there’s a couple in their 60’s that I routinely see at one of our trails that ride a tandem…it kinda scares the shit outta me, but they look like they are having a blast and it’s pretty fun to watch!

Smittys on Tandem New Hampshire // 2023
Jan 9, 2023

I am the stoker. We have both ridden singles. We watched a video of our friends on a tandem. We purchased a used MTB Tandem “to give it a try” we were hooked. The best purchase ever. We love the challenge of single track and when someone tells us “I don’t think you can make it on that” we like to show them we can.

Only reason I can think of is turning radius of a tandem in tight quarters. Beyond that, dirt tandems are freakin' awesome to experience.
I can see them as 100% addicting.

Probikes153 Illinois // 2024
Jan 22, 2024

I have captained, and ridden as stoker. Prefer stoker. 3rd year on tandem in 2024. Preparing for gravel races and mountain bike tandem racing

mtn_fun101 Colorado // 2023
Aug 5, 2023

I'm a tandem captain. We've ridden Leadville 100, single day and Stage Race, and Unbound gravel on tandem. Great fun!

Shaggy G Vermont // 2020
Jan 13, 2023

It looks like Seth and Phil have fun on a tandem in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH9zTVJJ_Yw

Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Jan 8, 2023

Many years back, a Rodriguez! It was an awesome experience.
I was both roles, cap'n as well as stoker. Open singletrack where we could V8 the bike was a blast.

plee8118 Idaho // 2021
Jan 14, 2023

My husband and I had a cannondale mountain tandem. Orange fade to red beautiful paint job. He was the captain. He is a great communicator. We could stand together and rock the bike on climbs. We also could ride it over obstacles like small logs. Rode singletrack in the Midwest and sold it when we moved to a mountain area in Idaho where the trails are up up up and down. There are more rolling trails now but not when we moved west. It was a blast. We would also put slicks on it and ride organized rides with a long train of wheel suckers behind us. Good times and good memories.

OhioFatBiker Ohio // 2016
Jan 16, 2023

My lack of skills and fitness should not add to the frustrations in anyone else's life. I get along with my wife, I do not wish to add strife and strain. Divorce is expensive.

Tex, you and Mrs. Tex would have to be willing to work together and sort out the tandem thang however, you might be surprised how the experience could bring great reward.

616mhc 2018
Jan 11, 2023

My stoker (not my spouse) and I ride one of my 2 tandems for 85-90% of our yearly miles. The MTB is our fav for both the places it's taken us and the challenge it offers that we enjoy so much. We've ridden trails from in our home base of Michigan to Moab and some of the truly crazy stuff in the Upper Peninsula. It's our fav way to roll!

ds2199 2010
Jan 9, 2023

My wife and I have been riding tandem bikes for over 20 years. MTB tandem for 15. It’s a blast! Definitely requires trust and good communication. Many chime in and call it a divorce machine, and it could be, but we think a more appropriate description is “relationship accelerator”!

Way to go!

Marten Hoffmann Netherlands // 2015
Jan 9, 2023

We started MTB tandem riding in 1994 so we're now in our 29th year. Every ride is good fun! As Mr. Razo states, the "she's not pedaling" gets lame sometimes but then again we get a lot of "looking great!" and "you guys must trust each other!". I'm captain (born in 1960), wife (1962) is stoker.

Mr. Razo Idaho // 2015
Jan 8, 2023

My wife and I have been riding a Tandem MTB for about a decade and love it. There are limitations, but it has been a great way for us to share our love of riding, overcoming a big difference in experience and ability. As you mentioned, it is a lot of fun to hear the comments and kudos you get out on the trail, even if "She's not pedaling" becomes a bit cliché. It is also a great way to meet some amazing people who share this rare passion. I encourage anyone interested to start easy, try very hard not to crash, and always give the stoker lots of credit for the effort and trust they put in.

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