Tandem Thoughts

Don’t you hate it when someone cycles really close behind you? Well we have one month of that! However, not satisfied with staring at each other’s bums on the bike, we decided to add a second perspective through rock climbing. We’re fairly mediocre at both of these sports, but combining them makes us feel like we we know what we’re doing. People ask us a lot of questions like “who steers” and “who brakes”. Not knowing things like these ourselves early in the trip led to a few difficulties. Ned said that cycling is a really good time for thinking, so here are some thoughts:

1. If we cycled a kilometre a month, this trip should last the length of our lives.
2. If, instead of years, the length of your life was measured by gallons of sweat, ours would nearly be over.
3. All that the human body needs to survive is eggs, milk and bread, in any combination.
4. You can determine friendly, encouraging car honks from angry ones by the revs of their engine.
5. As well as camp sites, maps ought to produce a ‘three trees’ symbol, where it is possible to sling two hammocks.
6. We have quite a few tandem thoughts now. Yeah Alex, but how many funny ones?
7. We find that Roxanne has a tendency to lean to the right. Ironic as she’s cycling through Europe.
8. The great thing about hammocks is you can’t catch bed bugs.
9. The brain is the only organ that named itself.
10. Why is it that we’re ok standing on our feet all day but when someone else stands on them we get upset?
11. If a quiz is quizzical, what’s a test?
12. Ants have an amazing capacity to withstand injury.
13. How come paper gets a special name when applied to a wall but paint doesn’t?
14. If animals played spectator sports, which animal would you watch?
15. Can you brake now?!!
16. Some of our escapades led us to questions surrounding tandem law. Like bikes, tandems aren’t allowed on motorways, which led to a few interesting detours. But who really is in control where a tandem goes?

• If the tandem causes an accident, does all responsibility lie with the pilot?
• Can the stoker cycle drunk just like passengers in a car?
• Can the stoker sue the pilot if they have an accident?