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The sociable or buddy bike or side by side bicycle is a
A YouTube video of a Sociable in action.
How to build your own Sociable.
A You Tube video of Two Sociable Bicycles in Action
''Patents'' *—''Side by side bicycle''— Robert C. Barrett Cycle types {{cycling-stub
The sociable or buddy bike or side by side bicycle is a bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
B ...
that supports two riders who sit next to one another, in contrast to a tandem bicycle
A tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle (occasionally a tricycle) designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement (fore to aft, not side by side), not the number of riders. Patents relat ...
, where the riders sit fore and aft. The name "sociable" alludes to the relative ease with which the two cyclists can speak with each other, unlike on the tandem.
History
''Bicycling through Time'' by Paul and Charlie Farren has a picture of a sociable with a frame under each rider and two wheels between them from 1897. The Ford Museum in Detroit has a similar sociable on display. More modern single framed sociables may have started with Australian cyclistHubert Opperman
Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE (29 May 1904 – 18 April 1996), referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acc ...
,
although in its basic form the design has been around for longer, since the end of the 19th century. It was originally marketed by the Punnett Cycle Company. Historically it has been used as a courting
Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private ...
bike; gentlemen would be able to spend time with ladies in an activity that allowed proximity.
Present day
For several years the Taiwanese "Buddy Bike" sociable was available on Ebay. There are currently no commercially available sociable two-wheelers, although there are plans in circulation by which a person with welding and metal fabrication skills could make one. There are some sociable three- and four-wheeled machines (quadracycles
A quadracycle is a four-wheeled human-powered land vehicle. It is also referred to as a quadricycle, quadcycle, pedal car or four-wheeled bicycle amongst other terms.
Quadracycles have been in use since 1853 and have grown into several famil ...
) on the market, however.
See also
*Outline of cycling
:''This article is an outline about the activity of cycling. For an outline about bicycles themselves, see outline of bicycles.''
:The following ''outline'' is provided as an overview of, as well as a topical guide to cycling:
Cycling, a ...
References
External links
A YouTube video of a Sociable in action.
How to build your own Sociable.
A You Tube video of Two Sociable Bicycles in Action
''Patents'' *—''Side by side bicycle''— Robert C. Barrett Cycle types {{cycling-stub