There have been a fair few tandems scattered throughout my life. I was lucky enough to grow up in the countryside where I rode scooters and bikes with stabilisers in the wide green spaces of the Yorkshire Dales. My parents bought a Tag Along bike so that I could accompany my family on rides. I loved our trips to Center Parcs and one year, we loaded all our bikes onto a roof rack and headed for France. I have good memories of those cycling trips, even though my parents complained that I wasn’t pedalling and made them do all the work!
More recently, I have taken part in inclusive cycling trips. These usually involved riding an adapted bike rather than the tandems I was used to. I once rode a ‘Chuckle Brothers’ bike’ with the seats side by side and on one occasion, I rode a reversed tandem. This meant that I was at the front of the bike for a change and that my pilot had to steer from the back. Last year, my boyfriend and I borrowed a tandem from the charity Charlotte’s Tandems. They are a wonderful Dursley-based organisation who recognise the need for people who can’t ride a normal bike to experience the freedom of cycling.
I’m really excited about Tandemonium. Tandems enable people with a visual impairment to get out and about, stay active, and to meet new people. I’m looking forward to working with our sighted pilots – otherwise known as the navigators on the front! Our group will enable people who enjoy cycling to come together for regular rides. I can’t wait to get back on a bike!
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Meg is studying for a Masters degree and loves reading and writing.
"I have really enjoyed training for the sponsored cycle," she says. "It's given me an excuse to eat lots of sugary things and all the cycling has done wonders for my sleeping pattern!"
Meg will be cycling 92 miles on Saturday. You can sponsor her on our fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tandemonium
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