Blind Cyclist

[Kitsune06]

On my way to work today, I saw a couple of folks on a tandem, the person on the back (stoker?) had a big orange/black print on the back of their black jersey that read "BLIND" along with white helmet. There was text under the "BLIND" but I was passing in my car and a) didn't want to get too close b) didn't want to slow down too much.

My first thought was "They must have incredible communication!
2nd was "What a strange sensation, to bike blind!"

Has anyone else seen anything like this? Think it was legitimate, or just a joke jersey of some sort (in sortof bad taste?)

[SadieKate]

Tons of it. Well, not tons. But there are events specially set up to put a sighted pilot with a blind stoker. Lots of bike racing down this way. I can't remember her name, but we (the USA) had a blink stoker in the Olympics a decade or so back. Pretty cool.

Do a little googling.

[SandyLS]

Yup. On my recent four day tour there was a blind woman on a tandem with a guy. I understand that these two were not related or otherwise involved. Just two people out doing an activity they both love.

[baskingshark]

There was an article in this month's Bicycling magazine about a pair of Olympic tandem-ers, one of whom is blind.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-12-15055-1,00.html

[midgetcycler]

One of our LBS just recently had a Biking for the Blind event. They had several people carry a blind person as a stoker on the back of a tandem, and then a second cyclist would ride beside them on a "single" bike. I didn't participate, so I don't know how many actually participated, but they had an article in the paper and everything, so I guess it was a pretty big event.

[KnottedYet]

There is also Team Bat, which has bikers who echo-locate. (no kidding)

www.teambat.org

And it truly works.

[Bikingmomof3]

My dad would take my brother biking (my brother is blind).

[eclectic]

A little different thread on the tandem topic

A good friend of mine has a disability much resembling MS but caused by - I even hate to say the words - Domestic Violence.

Her life has majorly changed and she went from a very active outgoing person to someone who constantly needs a walker to get around.

She met a friend that had a tandem and took her out on it. She started to cry with joy while riding because it gave her freedom and she was able to be back on a bike even if it was for a very short time

Sadly that person with the tandem has moved and I don't know of anyone else in town that owns one. I wish there was some type of buddy rides around here

[snapdragen]

Yup, a million years ago when I did the AIDs ride, there was a couple on a tandem, he was blind.

[Brina]

We were at a wedding labor day weekend - the groom has been blind since childhood. It has not stopped him from cycling, skiing, moutain climbing or skydiving. He used to work at The Lighthouse in Seattle and a bunch of him former co-workers flew in for the wedding. Most of them were mighty impressive in their accomplishments.

[GLC1968]

We just saw this at our local MS ride a couple of weeks ago. I was riding behind them for a stretch and I was wondering what the stoker could possibly be looking at for so long as his head was bent over.

At the next rest stop, I found out that he was blind! I'd had no idea! What an amazing feeling that must be...to be on a bike when you are blind. Way cool!

[SalsaMTB]

There is a blind downhill mountain bike racer named Bobby McMullen. I read an article about him recently, very interesting. He has a leader go down first and shout instructions so he knows what to expect on the trail. A quick google search found this:

http://www.mbaction.com/detail.asp?id=1485

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-9-12875-1,00.html (longer article)

[Denise223]

Hi Kitsune!

There's a bike shop near me called Quad Bicycles, in Arlington, MA.

http://www.quadcycles.com/

I read that there's a guy who rides with them (Bobby Mac), and he is legally blind. He's a part of their team, "Team Quad" :D . They have rides on Saturday/Sunday - I'd love to check them out one day!

Peace & Love,

Denise

[Deanna]

Here in Sonoma County, we have the Earl Baum Center for the blind, which has their own tandems. A few times a year the local cycling club does a group tandem ride, pairing up club members with blind stokers. If I thought I had any ability as a captain, I'd do it, but as it is, I'm afraid of hurting people.

[fixedgeargirl]

One of the members of the club I sometimes ride with is legally blind. He owns 5 VERY nice tandems, is a serious cyclist, and takes out classified ads in the publication of another club's newletter looking for captains. He does lots of organized rides and weekend rides with the first club I mentioned. He even went with several members of the club on a tour of Italy and several of the men in the group took turns captaining. I've heard him giving instructions to his captains during rides, schooling them in the art of tandeming ;) .