Paper Post April 10

David wrote the article for our ward messanger this month and sent it to Riley.

The Power of Tandem

Last year, near the end of summer, Leadelle and I purchased a used tandem bicycle built for two. The front rider on a tandem is generally the tallest of the riders and frequently called the “captain” or “pilot”. The captain controls the steering, braking, and gear selection while the rear rider, often called the “stoker”, sits directly behind the captain and functions as a source of additional power. Of necessity, there’s a linkage between the riders called the timing chain. This ensures that the pedals are synchronized so that the downward power stroke of each pedal rotation occurs simultaneously for both riders. The combination of twice the pedaling power on an apparatus lighter than the combined weight of two bicycles, and the fact that the captain nearly perfectly blocks the wind for the stoker makes a tandem a thrill to ride and potentially a serious force to be reckoned with. We love going fast and few bikers are able to keep up with us on a level surface. Downhill we approach speeds almost beyond reason and only the most serious riders on highly geared bicycles even come close to keeping up.

We rode hundreds of miles together and had a blast, but early on began to notice some stretching and slippage of the timing chain which got progressively worse until the timing chain was noticeably looser than when we purchased the bicycle. Over the course of any ride, it would repeatedly jump a cog or two until the front and back pedals were out of synchronization anywhere between a quarter to three quarters of a revolution. There’s a rhythm and sway to a tandem bicycle that we call swing. It’s a little difficult to describe but easily felt, and it only occurs when both riders are moving in synchronized harmony to maintain balance and speed. What we quickly discovered was when we were out of sync on the pedaling we lost our swing and a portion of our energy was wasted in battling each other. This negatively affected balance and power which translated to lower speeds and less enjoyment for our effort.

Earlier this spring we took our faithful tandem in for a complete tune up. When we got it back, the timing chain had been tightened and the drive gears and chains had been completely cleaned and lubricated. These elements combined with a dozen other minor tuning adjustments transformed our bicycle into a machine we had never experienced before. It seemed alive beneath us and fairly pulsed and surged with each revolution of the pedals now perfectly in sync…always in sync. With swing easily maintained and gears free from grime, we picked up our average speed by nearly 2 miles per hour without any additional effort.

We’ve marveled at the power and thrill and power of working in synchronous tandem and can’t help but draw a few parallels with life. What marriage wouldn’t benefit from a periodic tune up to ensure that both husband and wife are working in optimal synchronized harmony towards worthy goals? What life doesn’t benefit from a periodic good cleaning to remove the grime and extraneous elements which prevent each of us from reaching our full potential? What power and blessings would manifest in the lives of any and all willing to work in synchronous tandem with God and our Savior Jesus Christ in thought, word, and deed?

As we move into General Conference weekend may we avail ourselves of the opportunity to tune and clean our hearts and lives; may we bring them into synchronized harmony with God as we apply the words of inspired leaders; may we more fully experience the power and blessings of working in synchronous tandem with Christ to build His kingdom and further His work.

Bishop Parish