{"243231":{"#nid":"243231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Does it take two? Mars Berwanger, the Solo Tandem Rider","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo wheels, two seats, two chains, two sets of handlebars and one cyclist: This is the typical scene for Mars Berwanger as he rides to class each day aboard his yellow Kulana tandem bike \u2014 typically with the rear seat just waiting to be occupied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMost of the time I ride alone,\u201d said Berwanger, a second-year electrical engineering major from Houston. \u201cIf I see a friend I\u2019ll give them a ride. That happens about once a week.\u201d Occasionally strangers will ask for a ride, and Berwanger lets them hop on as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast spring, Berwanger and two friends from his economics class got tired of their long walks to class. With one bike among the three of them, the tandem bike became the solution for getting the three of them to class more easily. Walmart was the retailer of choice, and the bright yellow beach cruiser, complete with palm tree decals, was theirs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll three now live in North Avenue Apartments, though not together, and still co-own the bike, although Berwanger is the \u201cmajority owner\u201d and the one who rides it on a regular basis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019ve ever ridden it alone,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think they have the courage.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rear seat of Berwanger\u2019s bike is not for freeloaders. Hop-ons have their own set of pedals and are also tasked with manning the bell and horn that adorn the rear handlebars. Though his roommate has been a great passenger in the past \u2014 \u201ca strong rider who is willing to put in the necessary effort to get the wheels to spin\u201d \u2014Berwanger would choose his mom above anyone else to ride \u201cshotgun.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShe is both very supportive and someone I have grown quite fond of,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs anyone who\u2019s walked or ridden Tech\u2019s campus will know, it\u2019s hilly \u2014\u0026nbsp;and not just at Freshman Hill. Berwanger, who\u2019s also involved with Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech, knows the terrain all too well, as the Kulana has just one speed. To make his rides less of an uphill battle, he\u2019s considering trading the bike in on Craigslist for something with more speeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut one thing won\u2019t change: \u201cIt has to be tandem,\u201d he said. \u201cSomeone on this campus has to ride a tandem bike.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESecond-year student can be seen on campus riding a tandem bike, solo.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Second-year student can be seen on campus riding a tandem bike, solo."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-10-07 17:02:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"243241":{"id":"243241","type":"image","title":"Mars Berwanger","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Mars Berwanger","file":{"fid":"197852","name":"mars_bike.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_bike_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_bike_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5430447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mars_bike_0.jpg?itok=0VVnsErG"}},"243251":{"id":"243251","type":"image","title":"Mars Berwanger","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Mars Berwanger","file":{"fid":"197853","name":"mars_ride.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_ride_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mars_ride_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2881203,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mars_ride_0.jpg?itok=KzxG1qKM"}}},"media_ids":["243241","243251"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"47071","name":"bikes"},{"id":"76061","name":"Mars Berwanger"},{"id":"167141","name":"Student Life"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}