I would give Campfire 8 stars for going above and beyond to help me "Nice Red Thirst Extinguisher " arrived yesterday Patience is perhaps the most useful tool in my tandem tool kit Of almost equal importance is imagination or lack there of tandem is a big heavy beastie that does not like to go up hill And ... it has two brains One brain must develop autopilot able to react on the fly and in real time keep it smooth while thinking ahead of time The other brain is like nitro glycerine being transported by wagon and mule even the slightest little jolt might be enough to set it off for no reason Symptoms of Angry Cow Disease dormant since 1991 ? The Captain should not forget what riding in the back is really like so Try It smooth motion and momentum make it look easy but it takes a lot of miles together to be smooth When I am 90 plus years old who will I trust enough for me to ride stoker Some people can not ride A SINGLE BIKE in a straight line without crashing so always ride stoker Two riders who are the same size with ability to switch positions can cover more ground faster ... riding with no hands also gives the stoker the advantage to rest hands and lower back muscles When a captain feels confident enough to ride no hands first remember that A CRASH on A TANDEM really DOES HURT MORE than on a SINGLE BIKE