Its been a while.
2024 threw me some pretty horrid curve balls, I was exhausted; emotionally, mentally and physically. And I allowed myself to get lost among it all.
2025 has been about making peace with the demons, coping with the new way of doing things and finding passion in life again.
It all started with a message in a Facebook forum group little over six weeks ago, I asked for a pilot. Not the ‘fly me to an exotic island kind’ but rather someone who would take the lead and pilot my tandem so I could start getting back to the things I love.
A few people reached out, one is just a few miles away. Another has recently started training to be a pilot and again is within a few miles. Then there was John, he organises social rides for groups of visually impaired people, matching them with pilots on a social ride once a month.
And it was one of these social rides that I found myself at yesterday.
This option wasn’t as local, but as I didn’t need to take my own tandem; with the help of a friend giving me a lift I joined the fun … or madness.
An early start to get to Reading for 9am on a Sunday, where I joined 4 other visually impaired riders, their pilots and several support riders for a 26 mile ride that saw us travel through Cavisham and Henley-on-Thames with some pretty good audio description from my pilot.
Realising the last time I rode anything more than ‘around the block’ was in 2022 and that was only 5 miles – so this ride threw me completely out of my comfort zone.
But I absolutely loved it.
We stopped at around 13 miles for a coffee and much required flapjack sugar fix, as the ride involved many hills and some poorly maintained roads with uncomfortable pot holes.
My pilot was brilliant, he explained all the terms to me, he warned me of cars approaching in front, cars from behind and even dogs and horses.
He also pointed out the boats on the river, the big posh houses and the flowers in the hedgerows as we went past them.
It took about 20 minutes to get into a rhythm with him; but by the end of the ride we were pretty clued into each other.
It’s a common misconception that the stoker on the back of the bike just sits and pedals a bit. There were actually times when I needed to put more force in to get us going on a hill start as they need a good rear push.
Yes; the pilot takes control of the gears and such, but it is a team effort; which going by the aching thighs and saddle sore I’m feeling today I feel the description of a gentle social ride was a little economical with the truth.
But incase you haven’t realised by now. I loved it, I can’t wait to go again, sadly work commitments means that’s not for a few months.
But it was an amazing adventure and one that I am not going to put off any longer.
Thankfully my leg strength hasn’t completley diminished in the last year of inactivity.
And I have found a new passion.
Now to buy some good quality padded cycling shorts!
