Free wheeling

Thanks to the vision of a Fife cycling club, a whole new world has opened up for visually impaired people. Caroline Lindsay finds out more

Tandem enthusiasts are opening up a world of thrills, and hopefully not spills, for blind and visually impaired riders.

My stoker and I ran out of power on a steep hill, ground to a halt, and fell into a hedge

When Louise McLeary found herself out of puff after climbing a few stairs, she realised it was time to start getting fitter.

However, Louise, who is blind, had a few more factors to consider than your typical wannabe fitness enthusiast. Poor vision since childhood had ruled out many activities but thanks to the support of a group of volunteer cyclists the 38-year-old from Kirkcaldy is now riding high.

She is a proud member of Talking Tandems – a Fife-based cycling club which encourages people with visual impairments (known as stokers) to take part in cycling on a tandem guided by a sighted person (the pilot).

The hobby has allowed Louise to realise her childhood dream.

“I always loved the idea of cycling as a child but never really had the opportunity,” she expains.

“Though I wasn’t fully blind back then, my eyesight was still quite poor so I wasn’t allowed to have a bike.

“I joined the club around eight years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

Riding a tandem is a team effort and that’s part of the fun of it, according to Louise. “It’s all about two-way communication: the pilot needs to let me know if there are any hills coming up or when they are about to change gear.

“I need to pay close attention so I can do as the pilot asks, such as signals for other road users.”

When she first started she could barely manage a few circuits around Kirkcaldy’s Beveridge Park. Now, thanks to Talking Tandems, she thinks nothing of cycling more than 50 miles in a day.

The club, which has around 35 members, meets twice a month in Dalgety Bay.

Pilot Sandy Wood has been involved since he retired in 2009. The former depute head was looking for new interests and when he heard about Talking Tandems he knew immediately that he wanted to join.

“Here was a group of people with a serous disability who were looking for help to go cycling. I couldn’t have found anything better,” he smiles. “I’ve always enjoyed cycling and my wife and I have owned a tandem for about 30 years.”

Mastering a tandem is slightly harder than riding a solo bike. “It’s heavier, longer, less easily manoeuvred, and more likely to wobble,” he says.

“There’s also the need for pilot and stoker to cooperate when starting and stopping. For a new pilot starting off with a stoker for the first time, the experience can be quite alarming.”

He loves the idea that two people working well together can produce a great deal of power and speed – a thrill that a blind or partially-sighted person can’t experience any other way.

“For me that is one of the great pleasures of tandemming,” he says. “Fortunately we rarely fall off, as falling from a tandem is not a pleasant prospect.

“I have done it once – my stoker and I ran out of power on a steep hill, ground to a halt, and fell into a hedge. Luckily only our dignity was damaged.”

Club outings usually cover 30-40 miles, with a stop for lunch. Weekend trips and social events have resulted in some close friendships being forged, with many members helping and supporting each other beyond the world of cycling.

Louise has the last word: “For me it means I can enjoy an experience which I would never otherwise be able to do. And flying down a steep descent is just exhilarating.”