Cycling

There are no adaptations required for tandem cycling, other than having a sighted pilot. However, there are a few suggestions for cyclists who have never been on a tandem bicycle.

First, communication is crucial between the two riders, especially when learning to ride as a team. It is preferred that the pilot already have experience with the tandem, either from previous rides with experienced stokers, or at least having ridden it for some time alone. This will increase a pilot's familiarity with the different handling characteristics of the bicycle's longer wheelbase.

When mounting the tandem, the pilot should hold both brakes and sit on the top tube of the bicycle with his/her legs further apart for a stable stance and to allow for clearance of the pedals, which will at first be controlled by the new stoker as he/she boards the bike. Once the stoker is in both pedals, he/she will inform the pilot by saying, "ready", the pilot will then tell the stoker the desired position of the pedal for starting. When the pilot is ready, he will tell the stoker to start pedaling and when pedaling needs to stop for the pilot to get into the other pedal. This seems complicated at first reading, but will soon become natural with regular rides on the bike.

Again, with turning the bike, the pilot needs to communicate to the new stoker what is going to happen. The first few rides should be gentle for instruction and to allow the new stoker to get used to the movement of the bicycle. If the new stoker simply keeps his/her weight centered over the frame of the bike, this will make the pilot's job much easier. This also will form a good foundation to build on as skills and speed increase. Eventually, the stoker will learn to follow the bike's lead. A good stoker will become so smooth that the pilot will sometimes forget that he/she is on a tandem.

When stopping the tandem, the pilot should be expected to stop the bike and hold it up while the stoker leans slightly in the opposite direction to help balance the bicycle. When restarting, the stoker will learn to rearrange the pedals to the pilot's preferred starting position. If the stoker is expected to dismount the tandem, the pilot will communicate this and assume the position explained above. The pilot can then dismount the bike only when the stoker has informed the pilot that he/she is clear. Otherwise, the pilot can hold his/her seat and swing a leg over the front of the tandem to avoid kicking the stoker.

As two riders learn to ride as a team, they will become familiar with communicating through the timing chain between them. Also, finer skills such as pedaling with a powerful, circular stroke and a smooth upper body will be developed with coaching from the experienced pilot.

Riding a tandem will open many new doors for a blind or visually impaired rider, particularly for those who have previously ridden a single bike, either competitively or recreationally. The pilot also gains a great deal of satisfaction from sharing his/her passion for cycling and watching the stoker grow as a skilled cyclist and athlete. Then, as a team, the two riders can enjoy the rewards of tandem cycling, whether they are riding recreationally or competing against other qualified teams from all over the nation and even the world!

Purchasing a Tandem
Check out the following information on where how and where to purchase a tandem bicycle…

In The Market For A Custom Tandem? A Primer by Mark Livingood

Also, check out The Rush-Miller Foundation for information on how to receive a donated tandem for youth ages 5-17.

Tandem Dealers and Manufacturers
• Tandems Limited (Jack & Susan Goertz) Birmingham, Ala.
• Gold Country Cyclery, (Rick & Ann Steele) Cameron Park, Calif. {E-mail}
• Cupertino Bike Shop, Cupertino, Calif.
• Rincon Cycles / Ph. (805) 684-9466, (Dennis Coffman) Carpinteria, Calif.
• Santana / Ph. (800) 334-6136, LaVerne, Calif.
• The Bicycle Outfitter (Dick Powell) Los Altos, Calif.
• Ventana Mountain Bikes, USA (Sherwood Gibson), Rancho Cordova, Calif.
• Tandem Cycle Works (Lynn Dexter & Patrick Gibbons) Denver, Colo.
• daVinci Designs, Denver, Colo.
• Longbikes, Lakewood, Colo.
• Florida Atlantic Bicycle, Margate, Fla.
• Suncoast Bicycles Plus, Inc. (Charlie Wade) Crystal River, Fla.
• MTBTandems.com (Alex & Kim Nutt), Macon, Ga.
• Pedal Power Bike Shop (Karl & Margaret Joffre) Stone Mountain, Ga.
• Atlanta Cycling, (Don Dutson) Vinings, Ga.
• Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery, (Todd Kuzma) LaSalle, Ill.
• The Bike Rack (Hal Honeyman), St. Charles, Ill.
• Village Cycle Sport Elk Grove Village, Ill.
• Matthew's Bicycle Mart / Ph. 317-547-3456
• Precision Tandems, (Mark & Susan Johnson) Shawnee, Kan.
• Belmont Wheelworks, Belmont, Mass.
• Peter White Cycles, (Peter Jon White) Acton, Mass.
• Velocipedia Bike Works/Trek Stop Bicycles, (Mark & Diane Shelley), Shrewsbury, Mass.
• Harris Cyclery, (Sheldon Brown) West Newton, Mass.
• Seven Cycles Inc., Watertown, Mass.
• Tandem Matchmakers (Larry Black; aka. Mt. Airy Bicycles) Mt. Airy, Md.
• Superior Tandems / Ph. 906.932.9852 (Arlyn & Sandy Aronson) Ironwood, Mich. {E-mail}
• All-Star Bike Shop, (Jeff Hutchinson), Raleigh, N.C.
• Neighborhood Transportation (Bruce), Winston-Salem, N.C.
• High Gear Cyclery, Sterling, N.J.
• Tadems East (Mel and Barbara Kornbluh) Pittsgrove, N.J.
• Gear-to-Go Tandems (Rich Shapiro) Elmira, N.Y.
• Geneva Bicycle Center, Geneva, N.Y.
• HubBub Custom Bicycles (Brian Jenks), Cleveland Heights, Ohio
• Meridian Tandems, Bend, Ore.
• Co-Motion Cycles, Eugene, Ore.
• Gateway Bicycles Portland, Ore.
• Jay's Pedal Power, Phila., Pa.
• JB's Mountain Bikes, (Justin Bernardo) Reading, Pa.
• Tandems. Touring & Recumbents, (Scott McCrary ) Greenville, S.C.
• Acme Bicycles, (Tim M.) Rapid City, S.D.
• B and J Bicycle, San Antonio, Texas
• R&E Cycles (A.Rodriguez), Seattle, Wash.
• Elliott Bay Bicycles/Davidson Cycles, (Bob Freeman) Seattle, Wash.
• Erickson Cycles, (Glenn Erickson), Seattle, Wash.
• Gregg's Cycle, Aurora, Bellevue, Greenlake, Wash
• Burley, National Manufacturer

Tandem Cycling Clubs
• Delta Peddlers, Antioch, Calif.
• San Diego Tandem Club, San Diego, Calif.
• Bay Area Roaming Tandems, San Francisco, Calif.
• Chile Pedalers, Corrales, N.M.
• Hoosiers Out on Tandems, Indiana
• Michigan United Tandem Society, Spring Lake, Mich.
• Greater Rochester Eating and Tandem Society, Rochester, N.Y.
• Greater Ohio Area Tandem Society, Ohio
• Tandems of York Society, York, Pa.
• Texas Capital Area Tandem Society, Austin, Texas
• Brazos Area Tandem Society, College Station, Texas
• Houston Area Tandem Society, Houston, Texas
• Richmond Area Tandem Society, Richmond, Va.
• Enthusiastic Group of Riders Exercising Tandem Style (EGRETS), Virginia Beach, Va.
• Couples on Wheels, Wis.
• Tandem Club of America, National Organization

The United States Association of Blind Athletes, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, which continually draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.