Blind Tandem Riders

Getting To Know You

Blind Tandem Team – Training No.4

DASHBOARD

Time/Date: 4-6pm, 9th May 2015

Venue: HTCC, SS14, Subang Jaya

Attendees: Eddy, Jeffrey, Gus, Siow Ling, Maryati.

Absent: Steven (participating in 100kg Judo at International Blind Sports Association Meet in Seoul, Korea.

Guest Rider: Evon Lim (Jeffrey’s guest)

From L: Evon, Eddy, Jeffrey , Gus, Siow Ling & Maryati

The Iron Lady

FIRST FEMALE TANDEM PAIR

It was a proud moment for BBT (BESS Blind Team) as we launch the first female tandem pair of Maryati & Siow Ling in Klang Valley.

While waiting for Jeffrey & Evon, Eddy & Gus rode one loop on the fast & furious Black Horse tandem. It was the first time for Gus to navigate a blind rider, besides Steven. Eddy explained the role of the navigator & pillion rider to Gus. Gus practiced shifting gears to give a more effortless ride under different elevation. Gus also noticed how important it was to have a pillion rider who is well-balanced to prevent the tandem from slipping sideways. Another important advice from Eddy was to not slow down for bumps & potholes. Instead, the navigator must ride straight through these obstacles as the long wheel base of the tandem can withstand such impact. Before the impact, the navigator must warn the pillion to brace himself & grip handle tighter to steady the bike. We must not swerving suddenly to avoid obstacles because this will cause both riders to lose balance & fall. After my ride with Eddy, I realised what a truly accomplished tandem rider he was, and I know that he has put in a lot of effort on his trainer at home to be a stronger rider.

This Is How We Do It!

For the second loop, I rode for the first time as the back pillion rider with Jeffrey being my navigator. It was an eye-opening experience as I realised that the pillion relies totally on his navigator to steer and pace the tandem. For first timers, it can be nerve-wrecking to put your life in someone else’s hands. However, with Jeffrey in total control of the tandem, I was soon put to ease by his steady and confident handling. Jeffrey taught me how to shift gears to find the right balance to allow for a comfortable ride without compromising too much on the pace. As we ended our ride, I concluded that if Eddy was a skill full pillion rider, then Jeffrey was his equal match as an excellent navigator. After learning so many new techniques from both Eddy & Jeffrey, I cannot wait to apply my newfound knowledge with the next ride with my tandem partner, Steven.

The pairing of Siow Ling & Maryati, and Gus & Jeffrey

Meanwhile, Maryati & Siow Ling was riding for the first time together. As in my case, the first blind tandem training session for Maryati was awkward as she has to get use to keeping good balance on the tandem and, at the same time, steer the bike with a pillion rider behind. I was happy to see that our female tandem pair was slowly, but surely, working well as a team. With more practice together, I am confident that Maryati & Siow Ling will be an outstanding team. I felt excited & fortunate to be able to witness their first few baby steps today as this was really a history-making moment for our little group.

From L: Gibbon, Gorilla & Chimpanzees

Before I sign-off, I would like to extend our team’s appreciation to our guest rider, Evon Lim who rode together with us. In fact, we welcome anyone to join our weekly training session as we are more than happy to share with you the joys of blind tandem riding. On this note, I will leave you with an inspirational quote from our team captain Eddy, “As you take one step at the time, one will find a lot of surprises”.

Black Horse & Iron Lady

About The Author: Gus Ghani is a qualified Senior High-Intensity Interval Training Coach. His ambition is to promote an active & healthy lifestyle in order to help people live life to the fullest. In his spare time, he likes to participate in endurance sports and play with his pet cats.
You can contact Gus by email at gusghani@gmail.com.

About Gus Ghani

Hi:) My name is Gus and I am a Fitness Coach who enjoys outdoor adventures. In particular, I like to run marathons & ultra marathons, and compete in triathlons and century rides for fitness, fun & friendship. My passion is to motivate my friends to exercise more so that they can live life to the fullest. The purpose of this blog is five-fold:- 1) I find writing very therapeutic & beats paying for a psychiatrist to keep sane 2) I like to share & inspire others into engaging in any healthy pursuits 3) This is a great way to keep track of my progress in all my sporting endeavours 4) This also keeps me honest & spurs me on to do more 5) Even if you are a couch potatoe, I hope you will find my entries entertaining and/or informative. In summary, this blog is helping me help others help myself...get it?

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