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Hallo,

I read in the article that the sociable has been invented by Oppermann. So as Opperman was born in 1904, who invented that sociable on the picture of 1897. -81.244.49.53 (talk) 11:24, 13 October 2008 (UTC) alias lb:Benotzer:Les Meloures[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2008-10-13T11:24:00.000Z","author":"81.244.49.53","type":"comment","level":1,"id":"c-81.244.49.53-2008-10-13T11:24:00.000Z-Question_about_history","replies":["c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-81.244.49.53-2008-10-13T11:24:00.000Z"]}}-->

The text in the cited source actually says that they were invented in Australia by Oppermann, but does not mention if he knew about their existence elsewhere before he did so. As for who invented the first one, that detail remains to be sourced. -AndrewDressel (talk) 19:23, 15 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z","author":"AndrewDressel","type":"comment","level":2,"id":"c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-81.244.49.53-2008-10-13T11:24:00.000Z","replies":[]}}-->

These bikes look mighty unstable, and therefore, dangerous. -121.217.155.62 (talk) 11:16, 15 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z","author":"121.217.155.62","type":"comment","level":1,"id":"c-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z-Question_about_stability","replies":["c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z","c-Mr_Larrington-2016-06-22T17:55:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z"]}}-->

Just because something looks unstabledoes not mean that it is unstable. Why would these be any less stable than tandems or even singles? -AndrewDressel (talk) 19:23, 15 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z","author":"AndrewDressel","type":"comment","level":2,"id":"c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z","replies":["c-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z"]}}-->

Obviously that's why no company is willing to risk being sued for making this bike. -121.217.155.62 (talk) 11:16, 15 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z","author":"121.217.155.62","type":"comment","level":3,"id":"c-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z","replies":["c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z-1"]}}-->

Just because a product isn't made anymore does not mean that it was dangerous. History is littered with perfectly safe products that are no longer in production: 8-track tape and players, electrical telegraphs, ditto machines, etc. A more likely explanation is that they were not practical, compared to tandem and single bicycles, for much else besides courting, and they were replaced in that role by the automobile. -AndrewDressel (talk) 19:23, 15 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z","author":"AndrewDressel","type":"comment","level":4,"id":"c-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z-1","replies":["c-Wschart-2015-06-08T13:32:00.000Z-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z"]}}-->

Stability is probably fine when ridden by two riders of reasonably similar weight, say two adults. But I wouldn't want to try to ride one just by myself. A normal tandem is quite fine to ride one up, so a guy could, for example, hop on his tandem and ride over to his girlfriend's house to pick her up. Wouldn't want to try that on one of these. It also might be a problem if there is a large difference is weight, say a child-adult combo; or an NFL lineman-super model. Wschart (talk) 13:32, 8 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2015-06-08T13:32:00.000Z","author":"Wschart","type":"comment","level":5,"id":"c-Wschart-2015-06-08T13:32:00.000Z-AndrewDressel-2012-07-15T19:23:00.000Z","replies":["c-AndrewDressel-2015-06-08T14:18:00.000Z-Wschart-2015-06-08T13:32:00.000Z"]}}-->

The handling of a sociable with one rider should be similar to that of a single when riding with a steep cross slope: a little tricky at first, but easy enough to get used to and likely requiring a constant applied torque at the handlebars. Other than that, the "stability" should be about the same. Not as easy as a tandem, perhaps, but not especially difficult, either. Persistent suitors have certainly faced worse challenges. -AndrewDressel (talk) 14:18, 8 June 2015 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2015-06-08T14:18:00.000Z","author":"AndrewDressel","type":"comment","level":6,"id":"c-AndrewDressel-2015-06-08T14:18:00.000Z-Wschart-2015-06-08T13:32:00.000Z","replies":[]}}-->

ALL bikes are unstable. Let go of one and what happens! It falls over! They are clearly dangerous and should be banned </irony> Mr Larrington (talk) 17:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]__DTELLIPSISBUTTON__{"threadItem":{"timestamp":"2016-06-22T17:55:00.000Z","author":"Mr Larrington","type":"comment","level":2,"id":"c-Mr_Larrington-2016-06-22T17:55:00.000Z-121.217.155.62-2012-07-15T11:16:00.000Z","replies":[]}}-->