Editing Tandem bicycle (section)

===Wheels===
Because of the extra weight and stresses, tandem [[Bicycle wheel|wheels]] may use a higher [[spoke]] count, sturdier rims, higher pressure [[Bicycle tire|tires]], a stronger freewheel, dishless spoke configuration, or asymmetric wheels. Tandems wear out rear wheels faster than front wheels; therefore, they may use non-symmetrical wheel setups, such as more spokes or a sturdier rim on the rear wheel.

The [[Bicycle wheel#Dish|dish]] of a wheel measures the amount of asymmetry between the rim and the hub flanges. To accommodate a large [[Cogset#Cassettes|cassette]], more space is needed on the drive side of the axle; this increases the complexity of manufacturing and truing the wheel. Tandem rear wheels tend to run a wider hub/axle to allow the right-side hub flange to be further right of wheel center and thus reduce the total dish of the wheel.  Some modern tandems use a 160-mm-wide axle that allows a wheel that is completely "dishless" (i.e. symmetric). The disadvantage is this may increase the [[Q Factor (Bicycles)|Q-factor]] of the stoker's cranks and may also cause "heel-strike" of the stoker's shoes on the chain stays.  Others use shorter axles (often 145&nbsp;mm wide) thereby trading a little decrease in the strength of the wheel for the advantage of a similar decrease in the bending moment of the axle spindle. Rear hubs may also be threaded on the left side to allow the use of a drum brake.

Specialty wheels such as [[Aerospoke]] or [[Shimano]] "Sweet-16" may build "tandem certified" racing wheelsets.  The Aerospoke tandem wheelset is built up more than their roadset with special tandem hubs that can be removed and which facilitates stacking the rims flat into a travel case.