The Department for Transport seek views on changes to the Highway Code to improve road safety, and so as a club we will make a submission on behalf of tandemists. If you wish to contribute to the Club’s response, which is set out in the latest TCJ, please send your comments to Eifion Francis and Jonathan Flower. Details below.

There are 3 main changes proposed:

1. Introducing a hierarchy of road users - those who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility
2. Clarifying rules for pedestrian priority
3. Guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists and priority at junction

1. Tandem riders need to exercise greater prudence and responsibility than ordinary bicycles.
2. Special mention should be made for tandems and other ‘non-standard’ forms of cycles, which may be longer, wider or less manoeuvrable than a conventional single bicycle. 
3. It should be made clear that people who cycle, especially on tandems and adapted cycles, may have impaired sight, hearing or mobility.
4. The proposals about cycle crossings could be strengthened.
5. The proposals advise cyclists to: “ ...leav(e) enough room (a door’s width or 0.5m) to avoid being hit if a door opens unexpectedly ..."  We think 0.5m is not enough when passing parked vehicles especially on a tandem which is less manoeuvrable
6. ‘bicycle’ should be replaced by the more inclusive ‘cycle’ which embraces trikes, hand cycles and other variants  
7. Clubs such as the Tandem Club could help promote and disseminate these changes.

Comments to be included in the Tandem Club response must be received by 20 October.  Please send comments to: eifandjill@aol.com or jonathan.flower@uwe.ac.uk

My wife and I, Have a Tandem called the White Rabbit. It is named after a loving bunny we have called Jester. Jester is a 18 Month old, Continental Giant, Red eyed White rabbit. He was born on the 01 April, Hence the name Jester. For charity Jester has had a Children's book published. Entitled Jester's 1st Christmas. it is available from Amazon. All money raised from the sale of the book will go to Charity. The book can be obtained from amazon at the following link. https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjY4qPfzsHtAhVK1O0KHcT1AvIYABAHGgJkZw&ae=2&sig=AOD64_0Xh1ug_rslEgf_sKQaXKtEXx5Lrw&ctype=70&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjyx5nfzsHtAhWUThUIHaNqDAIQ-pECegUIAhDHAg&adurl=

If it's raining outside and you'd like something to do then why not add a few icons to the Tandem Club ride map. I've added over 1000 and the map is looking pretty good for the South West. Anything from teashops to Farm Parks to Ancient Monuments that can be visited for free. There really is nothing like this anywhere else and if every member did just 10 that map would look prety impressive and would be a fabulous thing. Go on you know you want to, brew a cup of tea, grab a mince pie and look at https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=placeList. Just Shift/left click on the place, add a description and away you go. Any question, I'm about at Neil@Tandem-club.org.uk

Note you can no longer login to the website using the generic Journal month based logins. This has been done for security reasons. You now need to have an individual user login on the website based on your email address. This can be setup using this link: https://tandem-club.org.uk/user?cmd=register

20 Feb Latest advice from Cycling UK about cycling restrictions during Covid

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/coronavirus-qa-cycling-guidance

Articles and content are needed for the next edition of the Tandem Club Journal. It could be an account of a day ride, or a long tour, preferably with good quality photos. Any technical notes, queries, solutions or customisation would also be of interest I'm sure. Send content to editor@tandem-club.org.uk

The TCN2025 rally webpage is now available and the booking system is open.

Book now to secure your place at the rally.

For those who are unable to attend the 2025 AGM it will be possible to join by Zoom. Details in the Member's Area.

Hi all. I posted a Cooper drop handlebar tandem on the for sale listings over a month ago now. It has been heavily reduced, down from £4500 to £2000. It’s a real bargain but hasn’t had any enquiries and I can only think the reason us that it’s dropped down the listings since I first posted. Really need to seek quickly, so if anyone is looking for a very special tandem, please have a look at the listing and get in touch. Thank you

I've added the Shopshire Cycleway to Rides as a tour. There are 5 parts to this and each have been individually added. The GPX files have been especially created for this resource. https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=tourView&id=42

TCN2025 National Rally bookings will CLOSE at the end of Monday 31st March. 
After that point, no further bookings will be accepted.

Bookings are now being accepted for the 2025 International Rally.

Use the Booking Form button on the rally webpage rally webpage.

The rally team is busy making final preparations for the rally.

I have added many of the routes from the International Rallies to Rides, so if you fancy a fixed based centre in Europe and want a selection of good routes from the campsite, here they are. There are 11 sets at the moment and will increae as I find more sets. For an example see https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?group=tci2022

You need the “Garmin Connect” application on your laptop. Drag and drop each gpx file onto the Garmin Connect app. Or find some way of getting the files to the app. I am not sure with a PC because I use a Mac or iPad but you should find help on You Tube.

When you have the files in Garmin connect open each gpx file (called “courses” in Garmin terminology. You will find the list of courses hidden in the “More” menu (three dots) and then in “Training and Planning” then “Courses”. Open each in turn (each will show a small scale map) and click the Send to Garmin icon which is a small blue arrow pointinf at a watch. Then you need to connect your Garmin to the PC by bluetooth or cable. It will show connected in the home menu of the Connect app. Then you just need to activate the “Synch”. On my iPad it takes a while and looks like nothing is happening but eventually the “courses” will appear on the Garmin.

When you get on the rally find someone with a Garmin to show you how to operate it to guide you round the course. Martin Green is better at this than me as I don’t use mine very often and usually forget what to do until I have practised a couple of times.

Hope that helps. You should be able to find a You Tube video and/or a User Manual online that you can download.

Some re-organisation of the website is on-going, some things may have moved ...