July / August 2008 SHARING ON A TANDEM, WITH OTHER MEMBERS. MAKE DOUBLETALK GREAT BY SHARING YOUR IDEAS, THOUGHTS, PHOTOS AND ARTICLES. Send DOUBLETALK articles to Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 Vanessa Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242-4430 Area Representatives Contact your Area Reps for local tandem information. Region 1 ( AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, UT) Double Talk - Bob & Lois Weast, 4324 Paradise Dr, A publication of the Tandem Club of America Carmichael, CA 95608 (916)-961-5193 An International Club for Tandem Enthustiasts Region 2 ( AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY) Established in 1976 - Charlie & Becky Steinmetz, 1165 NW Overlook Dr, Corvallis, OR 97330 www.tandemclub.org (541) 745-7612 Copyright © 2008 TANDEM CLUB OF AMERICA (except where noted) Region 3 ( IA, MN, NE, ND, SD) - Paul Campbell & Cathie Bishop, 1604 S TABLE OF CONTENTS Fairmount, Sioux City, IA 51106 (712) Who Does What? .................................................................... 2 274-2023 Region 4 (AR, KS, LA, MO, OK, TX) - John Back Issues Available ............................................................... 2 McManus & Brenda Cole, 922 Easton Letters to DoubleTalk .............................................................. 4 Pl, Dallas Tx 75218 (214) 321-6085 Club Notes ............................................................................. 7 Region 5 (MI, WI) - Chuck & Nancy Garber, 615 Kalamazoo St, South Haven, MI New Tandem Club forming in Hawaii! ................................... 7 49090 (269) 767-3920 Seth Cox, Honolulu, HI Region 6 (IL, IN, KY, OH) - Dick & Jackie Alabama Tandem Weekend 2008 - Homan, 34875 N Helen Ct, Ingleside, IL Our First Tandem Rally ..................................................... 8 60041-9410 (847) 587-6234 Chuck & Lois Stumpf, Kenner, LA Region 7 (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN) - Marv & Miryam Rubenstein, 2815 Eastern Off-Road Tandem Rally ............................................ 11 Sweetbriar Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32312 Mark Cook & Cheryl Prudhomm, Gillette, NJ (850)-385-0534 Our Little Bike Ride Around the Perimeter Region 8 (DC, DE, MD, VA, WV) - Bob & of the United States ......................................................... 17 Willa Friedman, 5514 Callander Drive, Diane and Hap Eaton Springfield, VA 22151 (703)-978-7937 2007 Northeast Tour – Part 2 ............................................... 20 Region 9 (NJ, NY, PA) - Chuck & Bonnie Steve & Bonnie Tigner, Rockford, IL Dye, 288 Mulberry St, Rochester, NY 14620-2512 (585)-473-8041 DATES ride for the blind ...................................................... 22 Region 10 (CT, MA, RI) - Emery & Anne Harry Thompson, Dallas area, TX Glass, 1 Dodge Road, Marblehead, MA DoubleTalk Calendar ............................................................ 23 01945 (781)-631-3239 TCA Tandem Hospitality Homes .......................................... 23 Region 11 (ME, NH, VT) - Bob & Linda Harvey, 16 Clinton Street, Salem, NH Classifieds .............................................................................. 27 03079 (603)-898-5285 Dealer Members .................................................................... 31 Region 12 (AB, BC, MB, NT, SK, YT) - Ray Membership .......................................................................... 32 Thouret & Audrey Gordon, 88 Doug- lasbank Rise SE, Calgary AB T2Z 1K7 (403) 281-6494 Region 13 (ON, PQ) - Dave & Brenda Vandevelde, 2964 Keynes Crescent, Mis- sissauga, ON L5N 3A1 (905)-824-9364 Region 14 (NB, NF, NS, PE) - Alan Davidson & Lynell Withers, 20 Cascade Dr, Hali- fax, NS B3M 1Z3 (902) 457-4030 Send articles to: Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 Vanessa Dr, Birmingham, AL 35242-4430 [email protected] DoubleTalk Who Does What? Editor: Edits your articles for Editors: Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 DoubleTalk, accepts all advertising, Vanessa Dr, Birmingham, AL 35242 What do TCA and wants your mid-year address [email protected] (205) 991-7766 corrections. members do? Secretary: Arly & Sandy Aronson, Secretary: Contact point between TCA 1627 Jasberg St, Hancock, MI 49930-1219 Write articles, and the outside world. [email protected] draw cartoons, Membership: Collects dues, processes (906) 932-9852 send letters, host memberships. Membership: Smith Doss & Claude rides and rallies. Treasurer: Money management, tax and Monnier, 10708 Cambium Ct, Raleigh, NC financial reports. Pays the bills 27613 [email protected] (919) Merchandise: Sells T-shirts and any other 847-8437 TCA-approved merchandise that may Treasurers: Al & Sue Berzinis, 99 Bender be offered from time to time. Ln, Delmar, NY 12054-4331 Webmaster: Maintains the TCA Website Merchandise: Yvonne Hensley - www.tandemclub.org & Beth Hobensack, 180 Industrial When you contact one of these volun- Blvd, Suite P, McKinney, TX 75069 Deadline teers, seeking information about the [email protected] (972) 562- for the TCA and/or tandem activities in the area, 8588 please be specific. Many of these indi- Hospitality Homes: Phil Mortello, September viduals are also active in other bicycling 11701 E Calle del Valle, Tucson, AZ 85749 organizations, and a SASE with no ques- [email protected] / October, tions asked may never be returned. Webmaster: Brian Speck & Cindy Milhoan, 315 W Glendale St Bedford, OH 2008 44146-3233 [email protected] Issue is August 1, BACK ISSUES AVAILABLE 2008 We have a limited number of Issues still available: back issues of Doubletalk available 2008 to complete your collection. For each March - April issue desired, send a check for $3.00, January - February payable to Tandem Club of America, 2007 to Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 Vanessa November - December Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242-4430. September - October The issues you order will be sent to July - August you either via first class postage (1-4 May - June issues ordered) or via UPS (more than March - April 4 issues ordered). 4 Send articles to: Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 Vanessa Dr, Birmingham, AL 35242-4430 [email protected] July / August 2008 DoubleTalk www.TandemClub.org From the Editors today with the 70’s. One consequence of High gasoline prices getting you the gasoline shortage of the 70’s was the down? It seems the lead story every night bike boom of the 70’s. Bike sales in 1973- on our local news station these days is 4 were the highest ever, since statistics “AAA reports that gasoline prices have of bike sales have been tracked. It would set a new high today, with average prices be great to see a new boom in bike sales, now exceeding ….” While gasoline prices and more people riding bicycles (and are seemingly in an endless upward spiral fewer people driving cars/SUV’s/trucks) these days, there are some very good again. And of course, we would like to see Have you things happening because of higher pric- more tandems out on the road, too! We es. We find that our Sunday rides now just don’t think there’s a more efficient changed have less cars on the roads. The “Sunday method of propelling two people down a your ways driver” out for a nice drive appears to be roadway than on a tandem. a vanishing breed, at least in rural Ala- So don’t let high gasoline prices keep due to high bama, leaving us nice roads to ride, with you from that tandem rally or from tak- fewer cars to contend with. Of course, it ing that tandem trip this summer. Figure gas prices? costs us a bit more to drive to a ride start out another place to save a few dollars Please share (when we can’t ride from our doorstep), that you can use for gasoline money to but the empty roads are really nice! get you and your tandem to a tandem- a use you are We hope the high gasoline prices friendly destination and have fun! now mak- won’t keep you from attending a tan- And when you get back from that dem rally or two this year. The hosts are terrific, safe ride in that great locale, take ing of your counting on your team to be there to some time and share your adventures and make the event the best success possible. your pictures with others in the Tandem tandem (or When you compare – on the average Club of America. You can send your ar- single) – the amount of gross income being spent ticles to us at the address below, or e-mail on gasoline today – 2008 – it’s only a few them to us, or hand them to us at a rally. tenths of a percentage higher than the We love to hear from you! percentage you were spending back in the gas shortage days of the early 70’s. The economists report that today the average Ride on! motorist spends about 4.5% of gross in- Jack & Susan Goertz come on gasoline. Back in 1973 that per- centage was 4.1%. Not a big difference, but we’re not all average, and for some of us, the percentage of income is definitely higher than that. And at least today our gasoline stations still have product to sell, when back in 1973 they didn’t. Maybe, just maybe, there will be another parallel Send articles to: Jack & Susan Goertz, 2220 Vanessa Dr, Birmingham, AL 35242-4430 [email protected] 5 DoubleTalk Dear DoubleTalk, the seat & then clip into the right pedal We have been riding tandem for whenever convenient.) about 6 years. We were taught to start We, too, have tried the “recom- by having the stoker clip in while the mended” or “official” method many times captain holds the bike. The first time we & each time this resulted in a fall. This tried that I felt very unsafe. We quickly method will not work for us because I devised the system where we both clip in am tall, the same height as my husband, with the left foot then push off together. & he simply cannot balance the bike It works perfectly for us. My only & mount it when I am already in my comment would be that we were taught high saddle. We have met other tandem in a riding class that you should always couples who are not of the conventional dismount with the right leg down so you size (stoker much shorter than the cap- are leaning away from the traffic. tain) & they have also not been able to use “recommended” mounting method. I thought for a long time why anyone Letters to would have the stoker clip in first and I We believe tandem couples should do think that if the stoker was a child that whatever works for them.