ArticleBritish journal of sports medicine2003
The physiological effects of cycling on tandem and single bicycles.
Article in British journal of sports medicine, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Solo Versus Tandem Cycling Performance: The Whole Is Less Than the Sum of the Parts.European journal of sport science · 2025Article
- Visual Impairment does not Limit Training Effects in Development of Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity in Tandem Cyclists.Journal of human kinetics · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe purpose of this field study was to compare the physiological responses from cycling on a tandem road bicycle to those from cycling on a single road bicycle.
methodsNine pairs of experienced, recreational tandem cyclists rode a tandem or their single bicycle for 5 min at each velocity of 19.3, 22.5, 25.8, and 29.0 kph on a flat, paved surface. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and lactic acid (LA) data were collected after each interval.
resultsRiding a tandem resulted in lower HR, RPE, and LA mean values across the four velocities compared to the single bicycle. Mean (SD) HR, RPE, and LA for tandem and single bicycles were 126 (20.7) v 142 (20.1) bpm, 10.1 (1.7) v 11.3 (2.6), and 1.46 (1.0) mM/L v 2.36 (1.7) mM/L, respectively. No position differences were observed between the captain and stoker (front and rear positions) when both were on the tandem. Stokers had significantly lower HR, LA, and RPE values when they rode a tandem compared to a single bicycle. No statistical differences were observed between bicycles for the captains. When on the single bicycle, captains exhibited significantly lower HR, RPE, and LA values than stokers.
conclusionCycling on a tandem resulted in lower physiological stress than when cycling at the same velocity on a single bicycle. Cyclists were able to ride from 4.8-8.0 kph faster on a tandem than on a single bicycle at similar physiological stress. Apparently, stokers can add to power output on a tandem without adding significantly to wind resistance.
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Registered trials
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