Articles
about the Counterpoint
You can harmonize and switch off on this jive
new machine
BICYCLE USA March 1984
Tandems are often recommended as a way for an unevenly matched cycling couple
to stay together. But what if they're so unevenly matched that even a tandem
is unsatisfactory?
That happened with Jim and Marlene Weaver. But it has a happy ending--Jim
inventing a unique machine that seems to solve all the problems.
Jim, a French horn player, took up cycling for what is itself a unique reason--to
improve his recovery time from playing the horn. (It works," he insists.)
He wanted to share bicycling with his wife, but their differing strength
levels made it hard to ride together. So they got a Gitane tandem, but Marlene's
cadence was much slower, and she didn't enjoy not being able to see where
they were going. Moreover, "my voice isn't loud," recalls Jim, "and to give
instructions I had to turn my head and weave slightly. It also felt like
a lot more work than a single bike. I even tried riding with my brother and
it wasn't any better."
Two years later, he says, "after seeing some recumbents at the International
Human Powered Speed Championships, it dawned on me the way to ride tandem
with someone who is not your style is to mix things up."
Once the idea came, it was not too hard for Jim to put it together. He is
a former bike shop mechanic, and a veteran tinkerer. He's actually invented
a new kind of French horn mute that is used by musicians in top ranked orchestras
such as the Chicago Symphony.
After designing the tandem on paper and talking to an HPV enthusiast friend,
he built a prototype "out of cheap garbage." It weighed 85 pounds, followed
by a second prototype weighing 49 pounds.
"The first ride with my wife, we went 30 miles at 18 mph. At the end of the
ride she didn't believe we'd gone 30 miles. We had to go clock it on a truck
to prove it, because she'd never ridden 30 miles in her life."
Jim Weaver now has a production model which he will build to a customer's
measurements and specifications. Reflecting his musical background it is
called "Counterpoint Opus II."
What is it about the Counterpoint that made Jim and Marlene compatible on
a tandem? First, both the stoker (riding recumbent in front) and the captain
have a clear view of what's ahead. Second, the Counterpoint has a "Stoker
Cadence Modulator System." This is a three-speed derailleur system which
the stoker controls, enabling him or her to pedal faster, slower or the same
cadence as the captain.
The three-speed freewheel allows the stoker to rest while the captain continues
to pedal. But if the stoker pedals, the captain must also. Thus, as with
a regular tandem, the partners must communicate. When starting up, the stoker
has to give some slack after the initial shove-off so the captain can get
his foot into the toeclip. And without a word or two, an easy-going stoker
may not realize when the captain has started pedaling.
In Seattle last year, I had a chance to road test the Counterpoint on a hilly
40-mile ride. My partner, whom I'd just met, was Kevin Gow, a former bicycle
messenger who seems to hate hills so much that he always attacks them. Even
though I've ridden tandems very little, I had no problem adjusting to the
Opus II. I stoked it for 25 miles and captained for 15. I even rode it a
short distance by myself (in the rear, captain's position, of course). The
"stoker crank boom" on the model we rode is adjustable for a rider up to
6'2". I'm 1/2" less than that, and found it quite comfortable. However, we
did not have enough chain to extend the boom fully, so I was unable to pedal
with full leg extension. A little extra chain would easily solve this difficulty.
As captain, I was able to observe the cadence compatibility factor. I noticed
that if I didn't shift soon enough to continue a good cadence, Kevin would
shift his 3-speed freewheel and when I at last did shift into the proper
gear, he would go back to the center cog which put us at the same cadence.
On the hilly parts of the ride, Kevin was captain and I felt what it was
like to ride with a booster rocket behind me. The only drawback on this tandem,
and I consider it a minor one, is some flexibility in the stoker crank boom.
The stoker's crank is attached to an oversized tube that for adjustability
fits inside another tube and can be slid in and out like a seatpost in a
seat tube. Even though the tubing is oversized, the lack of triangulation
in the structure allows for some noticeable flex. It would probably be less
noticeable for shorter riders with the boom less extended.
What was it like to ride on the front with nothing in front of me? Exhilarating.
I had no feeling of exposure or vulnerability at all. In fact, I had a camera
with me with a wide angle lens, and used it to increase the thrill. This
lens exaggerates perspective, and looking through it while riding fast increased
the sensation of speed. Plunging down a hill at 40 mph, I saw scenery rush
towards me the way it does in a jet about to take off. If this gets too scary,
you can always take the camera away from your eye. But I never wanted to.
You can also use the Counterpoint as a good photography bike, because the
stoker has great freedom of movement and can point the camera in most directions.
When Jim and a friend did the 192-mile, one-day Seattle to Portland ride
(STP), the stoker held a crossword puzzle in his lap and he and Jim worked
it together.
Even though Kevin is considerably shorter than I, we found it easy to adjust
the bike and trade off the stoker and captain positions. (On the model we
used the captain's seatpost was extra long.) Jim Weaver says the best
configuration is a short person in front and a tall person in back.
However, Kevin and I rode the other way most of the time, and found
it satisfactory.
Jim has sold only a few Counterpoints so far, but he'd be glad to build one
for you. Asking price is about $2300--comparable to a good custom tandem.
"My lawyer said I should point out the patent is pending" he added.
-- Walter K. Ezell
Depends on your point of view
Bicycle Guide July 1993
The Opus IV looks, well...funky. And appropriately enough, the first three
letters of that word spell the word that sums this contraption up quite nicely:
fun.
Officially a "semi-recumbent" tandem, given the normal upright seating position
of the captain and the lounge-chair recumbent seating of the out-in-front
stoker, the $3599 Opus IV is unique among all tandems in that it features
separate derailleurs for both riders. The patented *crossover hub" of designer
Jim Weaver gives the stoker his or her own shifter lever and opportunity
to set a personal cadence--or no cadence-- independently of the captain.
The TIG-welded chrome-moly frame (a version of which appeared in the February
issue) is designed with the stoker seat directly above the diminutive 20-inch
(with 2-inch tire) front wheel. The rear 26-inch wheel has 36 spokes. The
fork and steerer tube are connected with a 15-inch-long steering rod. The
stainless steel Pedal Boom has a quick release that allows enough length
adjustment to accommodate inseams from 28 to 35 inches.
The drivetrain features the two Shimano Deore XT derailleurs, XT top-mount
shifters, Sakae crank, Specialized cartridge-bearing hub and Sachs-Aris
freewheel. With its two racks and large handlebar bag, the 43-pound Opus
IV is well setup for touring long or short
distances.
The test ride
Erik: Being that I was openly skeptical of the Counterpoint from the minute
it arrived in the office-in fact, I didn't even want to get on it--I was
surprised that it turned out to be so much fun. While it took just 15 minutes
for us to reduce the wobble of the small front wheel, I found the Opus IV
to be highly maneuverable immediately. Although it was slower going uphill
than a normal tandem, the bike still climbed confidently--and descended quite
nimbly.
As for criticism, I don't see it as a serious distance vehicle and question
its choice of a 36-hole rear wheel. I think it's too expensive for a tandem,
bur I could tell it was an E-ticket ride for Roy.
Roy: E-ticket! Riding in the stoker seat thing was better than that
memory-implanted vacation from the movie Total Recall--and that's
what makes this bike so great. The stoker's out-front seating position gave
me a feeling of exhilarating freedom compared to that of a normal tandem,
and this freedom was multiplied by the opportunity to control my own gears
and pedal at my own cadence. More importantly, I didn't have to breathe Erik's
neck fumes.
And as for long distance, I think it'd be better than a normal tandem because
the stoker is so comfortable. Many are reportedly seen on the 200-mile
Seattle-to-Portland ride each year. And as a strictly social vehicle, the
Opus IV was unmatched in our test. The two seating positions actually place
us much closer together, so we could talk at normal volumes, not the
near-screaming decibel we'd have to resort to on the other tandems.
So what's with all this information, Karen? Heck, I didn't invent this bike.
I can claim no credit for its marvelous design. But if I help spread the
word, maybe I won't have to answer the same questions on bike tours. |
Bilenky
Our trip on the