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Welcome to the home page of Bury Tandem Club for the Visually Impaired. We are a small group of tandeming enthusiasts who all live in or near Bury which is a few miles from Manchester in north west England. The club comprises both sighted front tandem riders and visually impaired rear riders and consists in all of some thirty regular cyclists.
Although
broadly similar to riding a solo machine, tandem cycling is quite
different in certain ways. Most importantly, every tandem needs a
front and a rear rider who need to work as a pair to keep the machine
stable and moving efficiently. The front rider must be able to see,
as they are responsible for steering the tandem and ensuring that it
is always in the appropriate gear. The rear rider, otherwise known as
the stoker, is simply responsible for pedalling. While the front
rider initially sets the pace of the tandem, the rear rider, often
blind or visually impaired, ensures that a suitable pace is
maintained at all times. Tandems tend to be steadier than solo
machines when climbing hills, but often make up for it on the level
where it is not uncommon for a strong tandem pair to cruise at 18 to
20 miles per hour. When travelling downhill, tandems really come into
their element! Speeds of over 30 miles per hour can be achieved
surprisingly easily and some of our riders have touched almost 50
miles per hour on some longer steeper descents.
If you are a member of Bury Tandem Club for the V.I., please click here to go directly to the members' section. If you are not a member of the club but would like to find out more about us and how you may be able to contribute to our organisation, the following links will hopefully be of interest to you:
Bury Tandem Club is continually on the look-out for new front riders. This will help ensure that our blind and visually impaired rear riders have a chance to participate in their favourite sport every week. Maybe you are an experienced solo cyclist and can help us by becoming a front rider, or maybe you are a blind or visually impaired person who would like to join us as a rear rider. Please click the 'Become a front rider' or 'Become a rear rider' links to find out how to join.
If you are new to the idea of tandem riding and how it can enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals of all ages, our “Frequently Asked Questions” page will help to get you started. Please click the 'Frequently Asked Questions' link to find out more about tandem riding in general:
Should you have comments about any aspect of Bury Tandem Club for the V.I. or about this website, please send us your feedback. We look forward to hearing from you.
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