Giving children and adults with disabilities the freedom of cycling
Charlotte’s Tandems loans out tandems, tag-a-long bikes, recumbent tandems and wheelchair tandems for free to people with disabilities or additional needs. The charity has over 250 such bikes spread throughout the country with ‘helpers’ who are the contact in each area.
Our local helper is John Saunders, who is well known to Cycling UK Reading cyclists. John and his wife Pat can often be spotted out and about on their own tandem. You may have also seen them both at the recent Reading Cycle Festival where they had a stand.
The Tandem Club then helped by obtaining donated Tandems in 2010 to expand the idea that what worked for Charlotte could help others. Charlotte’s Tandems was given Charity status in 2011, and Alex and Kate were awarded the “Points of Light” by Theresa May the then Prime Minister in June 2019. This award recognises outstanding individual volunteers who are making a change in their community.
In 2022 Reading Cycle Campaign contacted Charlotte’s Tandems as we had a Copilot tandem which was looking for a new home. The bike was donated by Richard Lawrence of RES Fire in Reading.
The tandem is of Dutch origin and has the pilot (with all the controls) at the rear and the stoker at the front. The Copilot bike allows independent pedalling, not always a good thing with a child when they realise they can have a free ride! However, with this design of tandem it is possible to be aware of such inactivity.
The Charity is named after Charlotte, the daughter of Alex and Kate Reeves. Charlotte is autistic and happily rode a tag-a-long until she outgrew it. In 2015 Kate and Alex then bought a tandem (untried) and she loved it!
Some repairs were needed before the tandem could be loaned out. Specifically, the eccentric was rusted solid so no chain adjustment possible and the German rear mech needed to be replaced. Otherwise, the bike was in good condition.
The Copilot bike has now been loaned out to several families in the Reading area. The current Borrowers live in Woodley and have a blind child. They came round to have a test ride and as the picture shows other family members did not want to be left out of the experience!
Charlotte’s Tandems normally loans tandems for one to two months, but in the autumn and winter with less demand they tend to give them out for longer. Tandems are best used occasionally rather than not at all. Various sizes are available.
If you know someone who could benefit from borrowing a tandem, have one to donate, or would like to become a ‘Helper’, please use the form on the website: http://www.charlottestandems.co.uk
Quick Guide to Tandems
Typically, a tandem is a bicycle designed for two riders. There are also triplet and quad bikes, side-by-side or recumbent tandems.
Quite simply, the riders cycle together ‘in tandem’. Only one of the riders controls the bike (pilot), with the other providing additional power (stoker).
The pilot generally sits on the front of a conventional tandem and controls the steering, braking and gears. Adaptive or companion tandems may have the pilot at the back, enabling a greater view, or a recumbent seating position for the second rider.
The second rider is known as the stoker and helps by pedalling to move the tandem forward. They have no control over the bike, but their movements can impact the stability of the tandem.
It’s important to have an agreed process for starting and stopping! Both riders must use the same leg to push down and start and remove the same leg first when they come to a stop.
Bikes available from Charlotte’s Tandems:
- Comfort tandem – with an upright riding position and a low step-through frame, these are easy to ride. They’re generally set up for urban riding and gentle terrain.
- Tag-a-long bikes – are essentially a child’s bicycle with the front wheel, fork and headset replaced by a long towbar or boom.
- Recumbent tandems – with either just the stoker or both riders sitting on a recumbent seat with a horizontal pedalling position; these tandems are a fabulous way to get less able-bodied riders out cycling.
- Wheelchair tandems – part road-going wheelchair and part bicycle, these bikes enable anyone who cannot help with the pedalling to still enjoy the pleasure of cycling.
For more advice on riding tandems and where to buy, go to: https://charlottestandems.weebly.com/tandem-advice.html
Susan Children
RCC Publicity Coordinator
