People living with sight loss in west Norfolk are being offered the chance to enjoy the freedom of the road, with a series of special tandem bicycle rides which are being offered by sight loss charity Vision Norfolk and the West Norfolk Cycling Club.
Blind and vision impaired riders are being welcomed on rides ranging from gentle ten mile outings to the club’s regular 50 mile-plus rides during the programme, which starts on Monday 11th May and runs throughout the summer months.
The charity has its own tandem which was funded last year by Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, and the club also has a number of tandems which will be provided for the rides.
One of those planning to take part is Fred Hargreaves, who has been completely blind since birth. “At first I was nervous, as it takes a bit of time to get used to cars passing you, and being reliant on your pilot to keep you safe,” he said. “But I am someone who can’t stand sitting indoors, and the opportunity to get outside and do a new activity was too good to miss.”
David Beveridge is one of the club’s members who volunteers to run the sessions with the charity. “Most vision impaired cyclists are a little nervous at first, and some of them may never have been on a bike. But it is surprising how well they cope, and confidence comes quite quickly,” he said.
“It is all about the communication between the sighted ‘pilot’ and the vision impaired ‘stoker’, which is what cyclists call those on the back seat of a tandem. The pilot has to give a running commentary throughout the ride, not just warning of obstacles and sharing navigation, but describing the scenery so that the vision impaired cyclist can enjoy the full experience of cycling in the countryside.
“It is all about building trust between the two, just as it is when two sighted people are on a tandem. Once that is established, it becomes a really enjoyable and fulfilling experience.”
Vision Norfolk’s west Norfolk tandem cycling sessions run on a weekly basis throughout the summer months. To find out more contact Abbi Waters on 01553 660808, or by emailing [email protected].
