The group prepares to depart Oren, Turkey, bound for Akyaka, near the end of Tandem Tour TK. For this tour we chose our Co-Motion Mocha with Rohloff hub and Gates belt drive train (Molly). We fitted her with 26 x 1.25" tires, but given the rough state of many of the Turkish roads (rough chip seal), there were times when we wished for 26 x 1.50" tires!
Days riding: 9.
Distance ridden: 312.8 miles.
Elevation gained: 18,328'.
Here is a video with Relives of the tour.
2014 Tours
The group prepares to depart Selchuk for Sirince, day one of Tandem Tour TK.
The group shares dinner in Istanbul during the pre-tour.
2014 - Tandem Tour TK: This was the highlight of touring over the past several years, for us. Our friends John and Danelle (then Tour TK, now Tour CO) worked with us to organize a tandems-only tour along the Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts of Western Turkey. Prior to that the group enjoyed a pre-tour in Istanbul, organized by Chris and me. The weather was great, the routes were good, the people were warm and friendly; the whole experience could serve well as a once-in-a-lifetime tour.
2014 - NW Tandem Rally, Pendleton, Oregon: This rally marked our return to multi-day touring and rallies, following the stoker's recovery from hip replacement surgery. Riding was limited since we helped out our friend and ATOC owner, Charlie Buchalter, by manning his ATOC vendor booth during the rally. Our ride for this rally was our Co-Motion Mocha with Rohloff hub and Gates belt drive train (Molly, short for Molly Mocha). (Note - Molly is no longer in our fleet, having been sold in February, 2017 to a couple from Arizona who plan to put her to work touring. Great plan!)
2014 - Lopez Island Weekend: Most of the tandem couples that shared this weekend of touring on Lopez Island (in Washington's San Juan Islands) with us also joined us for our tandem tour of Turkey in the fall. For this quick weekend, Molly pulled our gear in a Bob trailer. Here she and I are seen walking onto the ferry at Anacortes, to begin the trip out to the island.
Days riding: 3.
Distance ridden: 48.8 miles.
Elevation gained: 3193'.