Ex and I did a weeklong camping trip on a tandem forever ago, I should have let it break us up like it was trying to do.
Years later we were in Key West on a snorkeling tour and they had a tandem kayak among all the single deals. Even the guide described them divorcemobiles. She wanted to try it again and the face I made started another huge fight. Even talking about tandem nonsense is a bad idea…atmo.
We rode a tandem once, I loved the fact that sup wasn’t getting dropped or in danger of crashing from inexperience and we could chat easily while going at a very good clip. She hated the fact that she was hammered by bumps she couldn’t see and she wasn’t in control. She is not interested in riding a tandem again.
Contrast that with kayaks: we have a tandem kayak and a single. We go out in the tandem somewhat regularly, she used the single exactly once, for all of 3 minutes. Never had any trouble in the tandem kayak, it’s always pleasant. She never demands to have her own single.
Moral of the story is, I really don’t think tandem kayaks are divorcemobiles at all unless you’re a complete idiot. If the cap’n has a little skill in handling a kayak and a modicum of common sense, it’s a really pleasant experience even with a beginner/nervous stoker. Mostly because a) no unannounced ass-hammering bumps and b) the stoker sits at the front and can paddle at their own rhythm. They can also rest with the cap’n paddles on. The captain can see them from behind and adjust to their pace and catch problems in time. I’m comfortable putting anyone in the front of my tandem kayak and paddling across a large river or a mile out from shore with them in nice weather. Unless they lean way out to the side and do their damnedest to flip the thing, nothing can really go wrong.
I think tandem kayaks have a bad rap because of dinguses who take out the missus and scream at her when in fact the problem is the dingus who knows fuckall about kayaking himself, and should have spent more time in a single before renting a tandem. Obviously in big waves/strong wind all bets are off but going out in challenging weather without enough experience is again a lack of common sense.
My wife enjoyed being able to relax and watch the scenery go by. Bumps are indeed a problem – a sprung saddle was our solution but a suspension seatpost is probably the reliable option.
The one thing she really hates is the fact that I pedal so goddamn much. I’m used to pedaling 98% of the time the bike is moving. She, a relative novice, is a fan of “pedal, coast coast, pedal, coast coast”
Well, I’ve kayaked like twice to her zero, and we were just gonna float around the mangroves and drink beer, so I opted to take my own and I was glad for it.
It probably had a lot more to do with the fact that we couldn’t get along than anything else.
[quote=emor][quote=kmcdon]
erocked this for $25. 94bcd/175mm
Dunno what I’m gonna do with them, probably put them on the univega, but seems like they ought to be able to be nerdcranked.[/quote]
If you don’t end up using these I will buy them from you.[/quote]
They’re still sitting in the bin, let me see how well they mount up to the 'vega and I’ll let you know.
we raced tandem cyclocross in the dc area for a few years til it got played out. being stoker was absolutely terrifying.
[quote=drwelby]30 tooth 94bcd silver ring for your nerd cranks for $13 shipped.
Consumed & Confirmed[/quote]
dang! shame intl ship is $21
Tarck LLC seriously needs to find a way to get parts to the down under tarckers on the cheap. Any on y’all travel between kangaroo land and murica with any frequency wanna throw some cheap parts in a checked bag for these guys?
scored an old bmx cro-mo Spec Fatboy at the dump today. Probably around this vintage:
they spray painted the frame, but still stoked on an actual bmx race bike.
Scored a Zo bag for $40 at a swap meet today. It doesn’t have the usual label, just the initials Z O as stitch patterns on a strap. The guy selling it said it was just “a neat handmade bag.”
Planning on flipping it for about $500.
Just kind of waking up to the Zo Bags hype, and I found this eBay post with a loooong story.
No idea who this guy is but he has a certain storytelling flair that I dig.
DQ: Is there a decent bag on the market that has the same minimalist styling and size like the Zo Bags without the premium price tag? I wouldn’t mind a simple everyday bag like one of these.
Edit: Seagull still makes sling bags, that’s what I’m looking for
Re-load, seagull, dank bags, pacdesigns, baileyworks, timbuk2, chrome, whatever random messenger in your town owns a sewing machine and makes half a dozen a year. I have a reload backpack and it’s pretty sweet.
I have a seagull
it’s great
whoa they make some cool stuff now
[quote=mdilthey]Just kind of waking up to the Zo Bags hype, and I found this eBay post with a loooong story.
No idea who this guy is but he has a certain storytelling flair that I dig.[/quote]
That dude is a nut. There’s this ridiculously long facebook thread accompanying that post on a zo bag trade group. The dude basically is some 50 year old man who is still burnt up that his cool messenger scene got sold out by MTV and is now being sold out to Japan via $1000 zo bags. He’s a total prick. The thread has a bunch of 50 year old men arguing about who sold out and was more legit. It’s really god damn embarrassing. Makes me feel pretty good about my decision to sell out pretty soon.
Seagull bags are cool. Dude apparently didn’t like what the company was doing or got overwhelmed (can’t remember the particular story) so he shut it down and refocused on doing smaller work on what he wanted to sew. Luckily it looks like it worked out for him. I’ve always loved his work and he’s one of the few bag makers I don’t know personally. I’m really happy he’s back making shit and hopefully happy doing it this time.
Unless you absolutely need a super-fancy limited run bag from a #artisanal #handmade bagmaker, just snag something from Timbuk2 or Banjo Brothers off of eBay/CL for like $50. They make simple looking bags. If you don’t like something about it, heave it back up on a bargain basement resale site and try the next one.
If you know someone who makes bags and want to support their hobby, buy a bag from them.
I like the idea of using eBay product listings as a platform for personal essays.
[quote=mdilthey]DQ: Is there a decent bag on the market that has the same minimalist styling and size like the Zo Bags without the premium price tag? I wouldn’t mind a simple everyday bag like one of these.
Edit: Seagull still makes sling bags, that’s what I’m looking for[/quote]
I’ve got an all black size large chrome mess bag that’s in near new condition i need to sell