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Phase
The synchronization of a tandem's cranks. Most tandems are set up so that the cranks are "in phase", that is to say, that the pilot's and stoker's pedals go up and down together at exactly the same time.
Tandemists sometimes like to experiment with different phasing of the cranks. One alternative is "90 degrees out of phase", where one set of cranks is horizontal while the other is vertical. This produces a smoother power flow, although it is a debatable whether this matters. Out-o- phase cranks complicate high-speed cornering, since both riders cannot have their cranks horizontal at the same time.
Out-of-phase cranks disrupt the unity of a tandem team, since the two riders are not moving in the same direction at the same time. As Osman Isvan says:
"There are essentially three entities riding a tandem:
The captain, the stoker, and the spirit.
It is the spirit who likes in-phase cranks."
Some tandemists prefer a setup that is only slightly out of phase, typically with the pilot's chainwheel one or two teeth ahead of the stoker's.
See also my article on Tandem Synch Chains.
