Chen Yugang of Taiwan designed and built a tandem bike prototype that allows two cyclists to ride the bike by positioning themselves face to face or back to back. The idea, according to Chen, is that you can enjoy a different and unique view while riding on his tandem bike. The bike isn't yet in production. But according to Chen, you can change the seating configuration quickly and easily without tools.
Of course, for those sitting face to face, there is also the thrill (and potential danger) of the unknown, since you can't really see where you are going. The same thrill of the unknown is partly true for those sitting back to back, since the captain (person in the front) still faces forward and can see where he or she is going. But the stoker (person sitting in the back) is now facing backward. So the stoker doesn't have to count the hairs on the captain's neck, but the stoker also cannot see for love or money without the use of a mirror where the bike is pointed. Check out the video of two riders booking on a different tandem set up back to back.
(First photo lifted from the DailyTimes . Second photo lifted from Geekologie via video from Metacafe.)
daily times to geekologie to dvice to giz
