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Scary concept!
OK they are not piloting but on the back of tandems 🙂
this bunch are a great outfit and are going from strength to strength but your support will help
https://www.cyclinguk.org/group/vie-velo
they are trying to get some charity funding - you can nominate them via this
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I did a cycling trip 10 years ago to Peru where one of the group was a tandem with a visually impaired guy on the back.
They'd been all over the place.
Amazing and inspiring.
I cannot recall where, but I saw an article online about blind stokers on tandems and how riding made them feel 'alive'. A great initiative
Nominated, thanks TJ. Vie-velo are great. Did a taster session a couple of years ago with one of my students who's been blind since birth and he loved it. (Though he hasn't been back despite encouragement, that's more about him.)
I'd volunteer as a pilot if I had more time.
I am trying to pluck up the courage to pilot for them. I hope to be able to do so soon.
Go for it TJ. One of my colleagues at work has piloted a few sessions on the track at Middlesbrough piloting tandems. Seems all find it a good session.
I few years back about 15 of us did the coast-to-coast (Whitehaven/Sunderland) and the group included a totally blind guy on the back of a tandem.
Apparently according to the guy in the front of the tandem the most important thing to remember to do was to warn the blind guy of any sudden bumps etc. If he didn't it really shook the guy up and he would launch a torrent of expletives.
Slightly different concept of cycling but
the most important thing to remember to do was to warn the blind guy of any sudden bumps
True for sighted stokers too. Mrs Tired used to jab me in the kidneys if I didn't call a bump!
A great cause - marshalled some paracycling earlier in the summer and the father and son visually impaired tandem were fantastic.
If you think a blind cyclist on a tandem with a sighted pilot is scary then I don't know how you would find a blind cyclist piloting his own downhill bike.
I had a blind pal when I was a student and thought it would be fun to take him rock climbing in Derbyshire. Having made short work of it he admitted to doing a big wall climb with a hanging bivvy overnight!!
I ride for Bury Tandem Club for Blind.
If anyone in the Bury or Manchester area wants to join us we'd be really grateful. We always need more pilots. No tandem experience is needed.
http://www.bury-tandem-club.org/join-us/
Apparently mtb riders make better pilots due to our better handling skills!
many years ago i took a old gent out on his Jack Taylor custom tandem. his daughter worked with my wife.
we went out a few times, and i thought we got on well. i listened to what he was telling me, and didnt do anything without giving him warning. kind of like a running commentry.
the bike had very narrow drop bars, like 38 wide or something.  i asked him i could fit some wider bars to help me ride better on the tandem. this seemed to upset him, and he told me not to bother coming again to take him out riding.
sad thing is he never got another pilot to take him out.
There's a Tandem Pilot & Stoker Matching Service on Facebook that's always putting out requests for pilots.
This overlaps a whole lot with my work and we do have a small number come in for tandem rides (including some that prefer the side by side cycles) -
incredibly rewarding!
Blimey this is all very much a blast from the past for me, did some piloting & raised cash for Tandems for the Blind* whilst at uni in the mid 80's. Will have to see if there are any local groups 👍
*Yes it was called that 40yrs ago
This is nothing to do with cycling (but I know that there are some keen kayakers on here) but it seems appropriate to post it here as it's very much about inclusion in sport - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-66299827
Pretty impressive stuff.
Nowhere near as scary as the seemingly visually impaired motorists...