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Janet and John Roberts at Sudbury
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 | Tandem 2026 - UK National RallyAnother visit to the Somerset Levels for a rally at Thorney Lakes as we did in 2015. Plenty of flat rides as well as the challenges of the Mendip and Blackdown Hills 3rd August - 10th August 2026Langport, TA10 0DW |  |
Another visit to the Somerset Levels for a rally at Thorney Lakes as we did in 2015. Plenty of flat rides as well as the challenges of the Mendip Hills
WEDNESDAY ROUTES These are at SHORT/FAMILY https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1906 MEDIUM https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1907 LONG https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1908 These head west. For the medium and Long please go prepared as the western parts are poorly served with pubs/cafes. The long is quite a ride to Wellington. If you have time go and look at the monument, but the view isn't as good as you'd think, better the layby a mile before. The caisson lift which I've highlighted is in my opinion quite something.
THURSDAY is velocio day. It's a test of map reading and route planning. The format will return to the one that Stephen Dee did in Stratford. There are multiple clues in several directions each has a value and all you have to do is cycle to whichever you think will get you the most points. For families, I have done clues in the closest towns, designed for you to cycle there and walk around in a limited area to find the answers. As a twist points will be awarded for stopping at a tearoom and having a piece of cake or an ice cream. It's a fun event. In the evening, we'll mark the entries together in the marquee as I have pictures of each clue. There is a grand trophy as soon as I locate it.
FRIDAY. Heading south. The family/short ride is at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1910 Through Martock and Stoke Sub Hamdon and onto Barrington Court. Some good places to eat and drink, including The Feed Station at Merriot that was CyclingUK's cafe of the year a few years ago. The medium ride is at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1911 and extends to the lovely rail trail from Chard to Ilminster
OOOPS, hit return, so FRIDAY CONTINUED. After Ilminster through Dillington Park and back via Barrington Court. The long is at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1925 This takes you further south. If you have time, you can visit Forde Abbey. I stopped at the delightful Thorncombe Village shop that serves a good cup of tea, a community shop seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Out and return as the medium Ride
OOOPS again FRIDAY is the rest day, nothing planned aside the Hog Roast in the evening
SATURDAY RIDES are the ones I labelled as Friday, apologise
SUNDAY. Last day and it has to be Glastonbury. The short/family is at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1920. There is no sensible way to shorten the short for a family, but it could be reversed to go back, but there will be a climb as on the way out, it is shorter than the short if you do that. The medium takes in Wells at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1921, well worth a look, to get in the mood watch the film 'Hot Fuzz' and mind them swans. The long ride heads to Castle Cary. Personally I liked this ride when I test rode it (as with all the routes) a few months ago. The countryside around Castle Cary is different to the levels. It's at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1922. These have 6 as the number in front, could be 4, but it makes no difference really. So endeth the routes, I hope you can print of the detailed route sheets and please have a look on rides, even icon tells a story and helps plan to get the most out of the day
Hi Neil Can we fit in a jumble at the rally? I have a few bits and I am sure others will have also. Perhaps on the Wednesday or Thursday? See you soon Chris & Margaret
A seconder for jumble please. Mark and Gill
A seconder for jumble please. Mark and Gill
Ive tried to download the route for Saturday and Sunday so i can print it out but i am unable
Hi John. Could you download Tuesday and Wednesday?
If we add bringing things to sell, that should work. After the Tandem Games
Tuesday and Wednesday were ok but no link to Saturday or Sunday
Only links to gps and tpx
CAMPING WITH FRIENDS. The site is exclusive use and not that large. However I can try to arrange for friends to camp next to eachother if you are on an electric site. To allow this, can you liaise with the folks you wish to be next to and as a group tell me. What I can't easily do is cope with daisy chains, where X wishes to be close to Y and Y next to Z, then Z next to A etc. Please email me privately at Neilwheadon1@gmail.com. For non electric there is space and non marked pitches, so come along and save a space for a friend. All the families will camp together if they are non electric. Having written this as the campsite is small and there are new members, everyone mixed up is a nice thing to have.
Download for route sheets on Saturday and Sunday, hopefully fixed, thanks for the fedback
Janet and I will be bringing a selection of items from the Club Shop
I contacted the campsite to check for availability a
Over the weekend before the rally. They have spaces and said they anticipate having the rally pitch allocations so we can be put in the same one throughout without having to move on the Monday. Is that correct?
PRE CAMPING FOR THE RALLY. I visited the campsite for the last time yesterday before the event and Sally gave me the list of those that have booked a pitch before the rally. I will be allocating pitches by Saturday and people prebooked will be placed where they will be during the rally. It is therefore absolutely crucial that anyone booking a site before Monday emails me and tells me, otherwise you may have to move when the rally starts. Can I also put this one to bed please. I have had maybe 6 emails regading the price of the pitch at the rally being £10 more than if you booked it yourself. There are 2 factors. Firstly the level of extras involved. The extra showers and marquee are just shy of £3000 for example, you don't get that for hiring a piece of grass for a day. The other is the fact that we have sole use of the site, so a single figure was asked for. In advance it is tough to guestimate the break even point, therefore for the clubs sake I took the decision to make sure that it would hopefully break even. Any surplus does not go to shareholders it either goes to the club or is ploughed back into the event. Previous organisers may appreciate this but having some money to play with takes an awful lot of stress out of putting these together. In short this is an event
Hi Neil. It would appear that you used Ride With GPS to create the routes. Did you save them with public or friends visibility? If not, would it be possible to make them available to us? It would appear that inporting the gpx files only loads the route with no cues. It would be particularly helpful for David and me to have the turn-by-turn cues which ar automatically generated when creating a route. Thanks Peter and David
PITCH ALLOCATION. Thankyou for all the emails. There were also some notes with the booking forms, so I think I've satisfied everyones requirements. I have had a list of everyone turning up a day or so early as well, hopefully no-one will have to move. For those that haven't asked and non electric: ELECTRIC. Allocate on arrival, slot you into available pitches. NON ELECTRIC. Along the hedge at the back of the site, just pick a place. There is a 6 metre rule between pitches but not at rallies. FAMILES. Dedicated area at the back of the site, between the hedge and the road to the lake (not close) One family asked about electric. It might be possible if you bring a very long lead, just not sure yet, there are an awful lot of variables to satisfy here. In short, I've done the best I can
I can bring a 10m HOOKUP EXTENSION lead in case needed for family area.
FACILITIES in marque. Trying not to oversell here. There will be tables, chairs and places to charge phones and Garmin type devices. For E-bikes there will be socket and we can accommodate a few but I would be grateful if you could bring a multi socket to save tying up the plugs. Overnight charging is OK but please away from the marquee material and anything combustible, however unlikely. I have also acquired 2 fridges 😃
COMMUNICATION HI Folks. If you have any queries can you use email only please. I don’t use what’s app, messenger, text etc etc. There are just too many of them. Either via tcn2026 or neil@tandem-club.org.uk Thankyou, Neil
BAKERY IN THE MORNING. There is a bakery in Martock which is about 4 miles away. They do bread, rolls, croissants etc. They open at 08:00. If I get a few volunteers, we could co-ordinate to order and collect in the morning with 5-6 people taking a turn to collect at 08:00. I've done this before and it works well, but the best way by far is a standard order every day, so every day you get 1 croissant or 2 packs of rolls. One person could take this on entirely but it's an obligation. If you'd like to volunteer, please email me at neil@tandem-club.org.uk and mark the email 'bakery'
WHATS APP GROUP We'll be running a whats App group again. This is for general chit chat, pictures etc, official announcements will be via tcn2026, which means you won't miss anything important if you aren't on what's app. The link to join is at https://chat.whatsapp.com/EXVPq8SgMH64DOH6bcf9br and the group will be deleted at the end of the rally
ROUTE DOWLOAD step by step Kay. Can you access the website and find the ride you want on the Tandem Club website? These have a map, elevation, 6 pictures and download links. Start there with a yes or no and I’ll go to the next step
FOOD AND DRINK. So 1 validation and 2 rabbits out of a hat. The Hog roast. I have paid for and have booked the exact numbers and this depends on what you have booked, I won’t be issuing tickets but will have a list to tick of as you collect the meal. I might be able to accommodate anyone who hasn’t booked, having just asked the question to the caterer, this check will be part of the booking in process. OK now the rabbits… There will be a bar in the marquee all week, wine, cider, beer etc run by the campsite managers children. It is separate to anything I am doing. A licence has been applied for and will be from approx 18:30 to 22:30. It’s a lovely gesture, please support it as it gets people in the marquee. Sunday There is the barn dance starting at 19:30. There will be a paid for meal beforehand, bread, quiche, cheese etc, all free for participants.
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Note to view Attendees Event information including the rides you need to be logged in with an account and the email address of that account must match the one you used to book.
The site
Thorney Lakes Caravan and Camping Park is a family run campsite on the Somerset Levels. The site is based in a large orchard with level generous pitches. There are 10A electric hook ups so no 3KW rapid boil kettles please. The site boasts four acres of fishing lakes stocked with a selection of coarse fish. The club has exclusive access to the site.
Family Event
Tandems are made for families, they are simply the best way to either carry children or to allow them to cycle with you. For many years the Tandem Club attracted up to 40 families to a National event, the legacy are the many couples attending the event who have 'been there, done that' and are only to happy to offer advice. In 2026 the club are holding a family rally within the national, you don't have to bring a tandem but we are hoping that by the end of the week you may like one. Martin Hook who is our family liaison officer will be camping with his family.
For maximum enjoyment we will be setting up a dedicated area for families in a large field adjacent to the main field giving plenty of room to run about and play games. Through the week, we will offer bespoke rides for families with places to visit, led by Martin, and a few additional events will be laid on, including the famous tandem games. Dedicated family page at Family Tandemimg , more detail at Family Camping
Off Site
You are welcome to join us on the rides and for the evening activities should you wish to stay elsewhere. Riding to the start or picking up one of the routes during the day would be the preferred way to join the rally. There are a limited amount of car parking spaces at the campsite should you wish to bring your car to the start. There is an off site option on the booking form and it is very important that you email Neil at neil@tandem-club.org.uk to let me know how you are arriving each day at the campsite or if you are joining the rides at on route.
Number of places available
The family event is limited to just 11 families.
There are 48 electric sites
There are 100 non electric sites
Electric
Electric and non electric sites are offered. For those with non electric there will be a marquee within which will be charging facilities for mobile phones and GPX devices. There will be a kettle for making hot drinks and probably a small fridge to store small amounts (please be considerate to others)
If you are wishing to attend the family event and wish to have electric, then we can run a long cable from an EHU on the main field. Alternatively if you have a campervan/caravan and wish to come please indicate on the booking form and we will get you as close to the other families as possible.
Marquee
A marquee will be available with a matting floor. This will have seating and tables. For cyclecampers and for anyone else this is the perfect place to have breakfast and to relax after the rides in the company of others.
Toilets and Showers
An additional 4 berth shower unit and additional portaloos have been ordered.
The Area
The nearest village of Muchelney was in the news last winter because of the floods however Thorney Lakes remained dry. Here you will find the remains of Muchelney Abbey, a large Benedictine abbey which once dominated this part of the Levels. Just over a mile away is Kingsbury Episcopi with a convenient community shop and café. Just seven miles away is the rural town of Somerton ' The Ancient Royal Town of Wessex', with its 17th. Century square and Thursday Farmers market.
Although we are on 'The Levels' this part has some pleasant undulating country roads ideal for tandem riding. The area abounds with pubs, cafes and other places of interest.
Evening activities
A full range of activities is planned for the rally including:
Welcome party
Evening Bar
Hog roast/vegetarian option
Velocio trophy (a treasure hunt style ride)
Local food and drink (Cider and Cheese)
Barn Dance
Quiz
Rides
A choice of 4 rides a day will be available, ranging from 25 to 65 miles. These will explore the many sites and cafes in the surrounding area. These will head out the same way each day, allowing you to mix with everyone and to choose on the day if you’d like to extend or shorten a ride. A couple of communal coffee stops will be organised, where a single place will be chosen after about 10-15 miles where coffee/tea and cake will be provided to bring us all together in one place. Rides are offered in a GPX format but also as route sheets which will be checked before the event giving turn by turn instructions and also pointing out the places of interest and places to eat along the way.
What to expect on a ride
For those that have not yet attended a Tandem Club rally, we do not go out as a large group. Instead we tend to set off in small groups, so that we do not swamp the local roads. Each rally attendee is expected to bring their own printed copy of the route instructions and to have downloaded the gpx track files to their device. These will be published to those booked on the rally about 1 month before the start of the rally. The GPX routes, description and detailed information for each ride are available at Rides for the 2026 Easter rally
Surfaces and dangers
The majority of riding will be on tarmac roads. The Parrot Trail is a 2 mile section near Langport that is a track. Major roads will be avoided, but there will be traffic on the roads, but a real effort is made to use quiet roads.
Communal Tea Stops
These are arranged to bring everyone together as after all this is the point of a rally. Coffee/Tea and a piece of cake will be offered that is paid in advance as part of the rally fee. Both the short and medium rides will be taken through the same point. You are welcome to pass through within a window of 2-3 hours. I have done these in the past and they are very popular, they have the advantage of getting to chat to others, have a dedicated indoor space to be served and also remove the pressure on local cafes and will work out cheaper than a cafe. There are anticipated to be two stops provided during the event.
Organisers
Neil Wheadon, ably helped by the West Country Group, will be organising this event. Having organised many nationals, internationals and Easter events in the past,we are very experienced in running these events.
Tandem Club membership
All participants must be members of the Tandem Club. If you have a login for the website then this should appear automatically in the booking form. The exception are families attending the family event. In this case you will be gifted a years free membership, so you do not need to enter any details in the booking form, just please don't forget to tick the box to say you are attending the family event.
Booking Fee
The booking fee covers an awful lot of things from the marquee to the showers, from the welcome drink to the band
For anyone under the age of 19 at the time of the event a booking fee does not apply.
Closing Date
The closing date for this event is the 3rd July 2026
Booking and dates
Please fill in the booking form via the link below. The following may help if you have issues with booking. The Tandem Club uses NOCHEX, occasionally for many reasons, your card may be declined, please check the numbers are correct. If this fails please try another card or use the BACS facility. (The booking will go through and we will contact you for your bank details) The booking form is a bespoke, very secure interface but it does not respond well to folks using the 'back' button. Finally, as happens, you make 2 booking applications, don't worry, just email the organiser and we can invariably sort this out for you.
Cancellations
Please check the terms at the bottom of this page. Cancellations must be made by email to the organiser.
You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.
Please use the button below to book for this event. Preferred payment for UK residents is by on-line credit/debit card payment but the form will present you with other options. If you have a website login account, then please login before using this form as most fields will be filled in for you automatically.
PLEASE NOTE EXTRA NIGHTS STAY BEFORE OR AFTER THE RALLY MUST BE BOOKED WITH THE CAMPSITE
Booking:
You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.
Please use the button below to book for this event. Preferred payment for UK residents is by on-line credit/debit card payment but the form will present you with other options. If you have a website login account, then please login before using this form as most fields will be filled in for you automatically.
Need further information?
- Event attendees detailed information including rides etc.
- E-mail the rally team at: tcn2026@tandem-club.org.uk
Map
Event Information
Attendees Event informationTerms and Conditions.
Booking confirmation:
Your booking is not confirmed until payment has been received in full and cleared which should be before the closing date for bookings. Dishonoured cheques will result in the cancellation of your booking.
Members Only:
This event is open to UK or overseas Tandem Club Members or, in the case of overseas people, members of the following organisations: "Tandem Club of America", "Tandem Club de France", "Tandem Club NL (Netherlands)", "Tandem ClubVlaanderen (Belgium)" and "Tandem-fahren.de (Germany)". You can join the Tandem Club using the forms on the TC website. Joining the TC (About 10 UKP per year).
Disclaimer:
If you participate in any ride or event organised by the Tandem Club you do so entirely at your own risk. The Club, its officers and ride organisers accept no responsibility for loss, damage to property, accident, injury or death, that may occur, however caused, whether by negligence, deliberate act or otherwise.
Cancellations and refunds.
The rally fee will not be refunded after the closing date. Refund of other components will depend on what the Club can recover from the campsite and/or other suppliers. Members may wish to consider taking out Holiday Insurance to cover losses the Club cannot refund.
Photographs taken at the event may be published on the Tandem Club Website, The Tandem Club Facebook pages and The Tandem Club Journal