Andy and Karen 'Ride Social'
Published 23 July 2014
When Karen started getting on her bike and enjoying gentle social rides with her friend, it didn’t take long for her husband Andy to feel left out.
So what did he do? He got back on the bike, too. Investing in a Bicycle Made for Two enabled the couple to ride together; Andy and Karen both found that they loved every second of their newfound - shared -hobby.
‘Karen took up cycling and I was being left out - and I didn’t really like it!’ Andy confessed. He added that old injuries had stopped him getting involved in sports before, but the positive benefits of riding the tandem have been immeasurable:
‘I find it difficult to express just what a difference it has made, in every way possible,’ he said.
Karen added that once Andy decided to ride with her, it brought a new level of enjoyment:
‘We found that we were going out together regularly and the best thing about it is just sharing all the experiences. Any opportunity, we're out on the bike.’
Riding for fun and enjoyment with their friends on Ride Social rides around their Lancashire home, it's easy to see the positive effect their ‘Bicycle Made for Two’ has had.
Building a network of like-minded cyclists - some, like Andy and Karen, on tandems others on ‘solos’ - through British Cycling’s Ride Social tool enabled the couple to develop their group and keep going further and longer.
‘You need other people there, you need somebody just to bolster your spirits and you bolster theirs as well,’ said Karen, who shared a pearl of tandem-based wisdom which she believes has stood the couple well and proven the strength of their relationship, both with each other and the bike:
‘Somebody told me once that tandeming takes your relationship in the direction it is going, faster - both good and bad.’
If Andy and Karen have inspired you to get on your bike, you can do what they did and search Ride Social for others near you. No matter what kind of bike you own, your level of fitness or where you live, there's sure to be someone nearby who wants to Ride Social, too.
Simply pop your postcode into our ride finder to discover a ride coming up near you.
Also worth a read:
Accessible routes make enjoyable rides
New Breeze Challenge Events for women