TANDEM Diversity
2016 - Lands End to John o' Groats: This will very likely remain the most significant tour of our lives, in terms of overall effort, miles, and elevation. And what a wonderful experience it was! Along with 15 other riders we rode end-to-end in the UK on a tour conducted by the CTC (Cycle Touring Club), of which I am a member (Mark). The support and route planning were excellent. This will be remembered as one of our absolute favorites!
The start in Lands End was rainy.
Cycling on Lopez Island involves pastoral scenes, hardly any traffic, and friendly locals.
Rosie, our Co-Motion Speedster, got the nod for this tour, pulling our Bob trailer.
Enjoy a short video of the experience.
The scenery at the summit of Mt. Constitution is worth the effort to get there. Here is the view to the south, taking in Obstruction and Blakely Islands. The trip was rich in scenery and experiences, but short on distance.
Days riding: 2.
Miles ridden: 50.7.
Elevation gained: 5809'.
Along the way we saw all kinds of interesting and beautiful countryside, like this bridge near the border of Cornwall and Devon.
But the finish in Scotland was sunny. For this trip we took Willy (Co-Motion Primera Ultra) to assess the suitability of this rig for travel and for strenuous touring. Verdict: perfect! We especially think the switch to Rolf tandem wheels makes the ride very smooth and comfortable. We finished this tour feeling more fresh than any previous tour, and we think it was largely due to the tandem we rode.
Days riding: 17.
Distance ridden: 1060.3 miles.
Elevation gained: 79,868'.
And this bridge over the River Wye on the border between England and Wales, with Chepstow Castle in the background.
As mentioned in today's News, I have been working up videos documenting some of our tandem travel experiences and am in the process of beginning to share those here on the website. Here is an early video we made of our LEJOG experience. And here is a more recent, HD LEJOG video, incorporating Relive tracings. We hope you enjoy these.
2016 Tours
2016 - Orcas Island, Washington: We needed to do some serious riding research on Orcas Island since we are now including that island in our signature San Juan Islands tour. Molly (Co-Motion Mocha with Rohloff hub/Gates belt drive) took us around the island, including up to the top of Mt. Constitution. Here she is resting on the descent while we enjoy the view.
2016 - Lopez Island, Washington: Three tandem couples transformed the annual Tour de Lopez into a 3 day weekend tour. Lopez Island is one of the premier cycling destinations in the Northwest. We stayed at the wonderful Edenwild Inn.
Access to the island is via the Washington State Ferries.
Days riding: 3
Miles ridden: 53.8
Elevation gained: 3741'