Duncan & Ruth - Cycling

 

Cycling is an excellent way of getting exercise and getting around. It should be the ideal way to get around cities but so many of them in the UK are clogged up with motorised vehicles. However the good news is that Britain is an excellent place to cycle because of the large number of country lanes which are often quiet. There is also plenty of detail and interest that you miss as you travel through in a car. Cycling is also a tremendous way to travel. It is the ideal way to see an area, again because you see so much detail.

Tandeming is excellent fun although it takes cooperation, trust and practice. The reduced wind resistance of a tandem means you can go faster than you would on a solo along the flat or downhill. Unfortunately a tandem is often more expensive than two equivalent single bikes. A lot of the components have to be especially well engineered to take the extra stress that is put on them. The special components for a tandem are often only made in small quantities which means the price is higher.

Here is a photo of us on a tandem approaching Pistyll Rhaeadr which is the highest waterfall in Wales. You can only just see the waterfall in the middle top of the picture (it was at the end of a dry summer). If you click on the picture you'll be told if you found it!

The waterfall is West of the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, where they filmed "The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a Mountain".

The tandem is not ours, since we were on a Tandem testing week organised by the CTC (British cycling association) at the time. It is a Santana Visa (made in California). It certainly seemed to go quite fast.

We hired our first tandem from Pedalaway near Ross-on-Wye and Hereford (tel: 01989 770357). They certainly looked after us.

[Photo of Duncan and Ruth on a Tandem]

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