Are We Really Hill Slugs?

When I first started riding bicycle I came across a website, TeamEstrogen. It is chiefly a women's cycling clothing and accessories online ordering website.  Prior to signing up to do a challenging bike tour with Adventure Cycling in 2004, called Cycle Utah, I had ordered this cute jersey that was colorful and had a billboard message printed on it: Caution! Hill Slug, for I knew it would probably describe me on the hills. I also wore it on Bicycle Tour of Colorado and Ride The Rockies week-long tours. It received a number of thumbs up while on these bike rides during those days when we climbed some tough mountain passes. And as the faster climbers pedaled on by me a number of them in a panting voice said they too felt like a sort of 'hill slug' cranking up and over those hills and mountains.  I don't know what happened to the jersey.  Did I put it on the 'give away table' at an SCBC banquet figuring that as the years went by I had become a little better at climbing? I don't know where it disappeared and who is wearing it now. But yesterday that jersey came back into my life, and Paul's as well.  The person we had purchased our tandem from was cleaning out some bike clothes and came across these jerseys.  He recalled wearing them with his stoker-wife back when he was riding that tandem. With the jerseys in hand Mike showed up yesterday at the parking lot of Walsh University as the Folks On Spokes touring bike club was gathering for a Saturday morning thirty-six mile ride, he handed them over to me. Paul and I put the jerseys on. In memory of his dear stoker who passed away I put on the jersey with good memories of the days I wore my original one, and with sadness that Carol is no longer here. Paul and I do enjoy the tandem-team, aka Bobbsey Twins, look of matching jerseys.  And if you pass us grinding up some of the steeper hills just tell we slugs to "step it up a notch!"  Or maybe the Stoker ought to start pedaling. . .and help the Geezer Cruiser up and over the top! (Photo here by Jim Postlewaite)

Thudbuster To The Rescue

 How do you spell relief? T H U D B U S T E R !!
Oh my goodness.  What a difference a suspension seat post has made on this tandem.  The person riding in the back will feel every rough railroad bed crossing, every accidental hitting of a pot hole, rough pavement.  The stoker in the rear takes it on hard up through the seat post.  I just had to do something about making this ride smoother.  I had ridden tandems with the Cane Creek Thudbuster and I did not realize until I had been riding our tandem (without any suspension seat post), how awful it was beginning  to feel on my tush and sitz bones.  Thudbuster to the rescue.  I am one very happy stoker now on my Specialized Body Geometry Women's Jett titanium rails leather saddle with the Thudbuster below it. One smooooth ride now.  Spring is here and we are have a great time out on our tandem rides.  No stoker should be without a smooth ride over rough surfaces.  
That squarish looking thing in the middle of the Thudbuster holds an elastomer that is exchangeable and you put in there the one that is right for you based on your body weight and how much 'give' you want in your suspension. Jim Szittai at The Bicycle Shop in Canton set me up with this great piece of equipment.