Bury Tandem Club - Home Page |
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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.
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.