Bury Tandem Club for Blind and Partially Sighted People was founded by Derek Pritchard in 1984 and set up as a registered charity (number 1017270) in 1993. Over the decades, Derek Pritchard’s passion, vision and dedication have fostered a unique community where tandem cycling thrives.
All our rear riders, called stokers, have a visual impairment and range from very experienced club cyclists who have lost their sight to younger people who, through the club, have discovered the joys of cycling. Members include men and women from age 18 to 80+ years old, from across the whole of Greater Manchester.
Some of our members have always cycled, others are taking it up for the first time. While we have grown, the ‘philosophy’ of the club has stayed true and makes us a little different from some other bicycle charities – we are primarily a disability sports club, rather than an accessibility charity.
We ride extremely well-maintained tandems, with visually impaired riders (stokers) at the back and sighted riders (pilots) at the front, controlling both the gears and, of course, the steering. Tandem riding is a partnership – both the pilot and stoker work together with the pilot letting the stoker know when there are turns, hills and potholes.
There is a pool of about 20 pilots supporting 10 stokers. Stronger and weaker riders pair up, so that all tandems ride at a similar pace – averaging around 13mph. We have up to nine tandems out on our Sunday club runs, which tend to be between 40 and 60 miles, with a lunch-stop at a cycle-friendly cafe. New pilots and stokers receive training and quickly build up confidence on the tandems.
The joy of cycling tandem is shared by both the pilot and stoker; finding a good rhythm, so that all you can hear is the wind in your ears and the hum of tyre on tarmac; cresting a hill and keeping your legs turning smoothly all the way up; chatting to other club members; descending at 30 miles per hour or more.
Clearly, as a partnership, each rider is dependent on the other, so commitment is important. We have four-weekly rotas and if you do not want to ride every week, that is fine, but you really do need to make every effort to ride the weeks you have committed to, as someone else is riding with you.
Based in Bury, Greater Manchester, our Sunday rides take us across Lancashire, the West Pennine Moors, Cheshire and West Yorkshire. We average about 13mph and rides are between 40 and 60 miles with a lunch-stop in the middle. We ride every Sunday unless the weather is very bad.
Riding a tandem is a great way to experience the beautiful countryside around Manchester, while keeping fit. Pilot and stoker work together and getting into a good cycling rhythm makes riding a joy.
Some of our regular routes can be found at the links below
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