Don’t know which club he is in, but I’ve never heard of any club round here that do intervals on a club ride! Club/group rides round here are usually quite social.
Hi, thanks for your time in replying. Yes, my club is a generic cycling club, with multiple group rides from 6 to multiple mini-groups totalling 50 each week, with options for mtb routes, flat, hilly routes, and organised hill climb repeat type circuits, where on the tandem we participate exactly the same with the other 7 / 8 solo cyclists. Obviously, we put in more watts to keep the tandem in the mix, and on those hill repeats, we tend to re-group at the tops, so everyone does their own pace. In gen the tandem is always welcomed in to the various rides, although I’ve obviously not taken my road tandem on an mtb circuit.
So, you see its not a dedicated single style of riding club, and my issue is simply in recruiting occasional pilots to help me out, just one ride a year from 12 different people would allow me to participate once a month for certain, instead of every Thurs/Fri, me praying/begging/chancing someone will pilot me on the Sat/Sun organised rides.
I’m not chasing any long term permanent commitment from anyone, and more of a question to fellow club members to give a little, to remind them that the more they put in, the more they will get out of any activity. I do have 2 guys who are busy people and will pilot me, but I am keen to spread the load to any of the other 298 members in this club, but for only those where it practical / convenient and of mutual benefit. I wouldn’t want to take anyone out of their own comfort zone, or expect someone to have to drive 30 miles to my place to pilot and then drive back, when they would normally ride from their own doorstep.
Thanks
Bri
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I, thanks for your full/detailed reply and not sure if you read all of my own replies/background, but I’ve been just trying to secure an occasion offer of anyone from my 300+ general cycling club to pilot, so if I get someone to agree to one ride in a year, and can get 12 different offers, then at least it ensures I get 1 ride per month.
It’s a generic cycling club, so I join in on the events already, hill repeas, enter TT events with the tandem representing our club, and do all the short,medium/longer distance rides with 2 current members piloting, but I just need more pilots / others so as not to keep asking the same 2 members. These other 2 obviously want to do MTB riding, or their own solo rides and so not always responsible for piloting me as otherwise I’m stuck at home with no ride that weekend.
I’ve ended up buying a smart bike to cover those weekends, which is great, keeps me fit, the TR app is brilliant, wonderfully accessible for me being blind compared to the native watt bike hub app, zwift, rgt etc, I’ve tried them all, and my club is a general cycling club with all ages / abilities where we all pay an annual membership.
No one in the club is expecting ‘coaches’ for free and lots of members are encouraged to do the ride leadership courses as every mini-group of 6 / 8 cyclists has to have at least 1 trained ride leader, so someone has the first aid, and road awareness training.
Anyway, I’ll get there and hopefully in time, with my efforts and continued club participation, the tandem won’t be feared or seen as such an alien form of cycling.
Thanks
Bri
Yep, spot on.
I fully appreciate cycling is a kind of selfish activity, just you , the bike and the road to think about, and the tandem introduces many extra factors. However, some of those factors just add a new dimension of cycling fun, team work, a companion to battle the 20% gradients together with and I’m just seeking a whole crew of potential pilots, so as not to rely on the same guy/girl every weekend.
Most are not interested in anything ‘extra’ to the solo bike, so I get that, but may be in time I can get some to offer up one ride a year from a few to spread out my pilot dependency.
Thanks for replying 
Bri
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Yep, the club I’m talking about is Cheshire, Soth Manchester and we enter annual hill climb events, TT races, and on weekly training rides have a phase of doing multiple hill repeat climbs, but all at a social level.
There is never an issue with the tandem in the mix. Obviously, on race events, the tandem has its own category.
Thanks
Bri
Think your plan to offer tandom riding experiences or introductions is a good one! Tandems have become somewhat rare, so I’d think fear of the unknown could be a factor.
Hope you’ll find some more pilots!