On Saturday 11th July we were headed to Bellahustoun Park in Glasgow to film a day with the Glasgow Tandem Club with my new Insta 360m Luna Ultra.
Above…Chris Malcolm (Stoker) Philip Johnston and Donald Booth (Pilot)
First day using the Luna Ultra in anger, I spoke to Chris a week earlier in his kitchen about the cycle on the 11th July but this is all documented in my video.
The Glasgow Tandem Club “We focus on social rides, bringing vision impaired and sighted cyclists together, promoting social inclusion and equal access to the enjoyment of cycling, improving the physical and mental wellbeing of our members. For those less physical we have a small fleet of E Tandems. An E tandem cycle means the electric motor provides pedal assistance, reducing the effort needed on climbs and against headwinds a less experienced or less fit rider can comfortably ride at the same pace. This makes e-tandems ideal for couples, families, or friends.”
On a tandem bicycle:
- The captain (or pilot) rides in the front, steers, brakes, changes gears, and navigates.
- The stoker rides in the rear, where they contribute pedalling power but do not steer.
The word stoker comes from the days of steam locomotives and steamships. A stoker’s job was to stand behind the engine and stoke the fire by shovelling coal into the furnace, providing the power that kept the engine running while the engineer drove it. The analogy fits a tandem well: the rear rider supplies additional propulsion while the front rider is responsible for directing the bike.
Below is my version of the Tandem day for YouTube, I have made a audio description version for Chris & the fellow visually impaired riders that will be sent to the Glasgow Tandem Facebook page.
