Achilles Track Club Tandem Bike Program

by Jack Baranski

@##=#<1,L>@##=#Do you feel like your training rides just blur with similarity? Do you wish they could sometimes be more meaningful? Or simply is your training bike too light for your own good? Well here is an idea that might be just what you’re looking for. There is a fun program that the Achilles Track Club put together with the help of Bike New York, Recycle-a-Bike and Fuji Bicycles to give athletes that could not ride alone the joy of spinning on the open road.

When our team CRCA/OrganicAthlete first heard about this program, with the main event – the 29th annual Five Boro Bike Tour just weeks away, some of us volunteered, curious as to how this 42 mile jaunt on “double trouble” machines can be accomplished with everyone smiling? To make sure that’s what happens we met a week prior in Central Park with very helpful Achilles volunteers and athletes with impaired vision to do a captain/stoker training session. We paired up, listened to instructions together, adjusted the 40 lbs behemoths and rode slowly into the unknown. After making it through the crowded Sunday loop drive in one piece our confidence skyrocketed. Because of limited number of tandems available some of us would ride our regular bikes for support if needed.

@##=#<2,r>@##=#So this past Sunday morning we all got together as planned, rode downtown as VIP to the front of already gathered thousands, and shortly took off for the epic journey through closed-off streets, parks and neighborhoods that brought out plenty of cheering spectators. It was amazing to see how well most people handled their bikes given enough “personal space”, the handful of accidents were lone riders on sharp turns. Our group of tandems all rode strongly and quickly figured out how to synchronize pedals, take advantage of every gear and most importantly avoid or warn of upcoming potholes! If you think park roads are bad, try taking the hits with your eyes closed with your full weight against a very rough saddle! And just like on a plane, the back seats were very bumpy.

@##=#<5,L>@##=#We made it in about three hours and everyone had big grins on their faces and a hell of a workout! The feeling of accomplishment that each pair of riders felt at the end was priceless. Many thanks to our tandem partners Maria, Angel, Jim and Richard who were unbelievably determined and tough as nails not having any recent cycling practice, and everyone at Achilles, especially Jeffrey and Nora who introduced the idea to us and Artie who helped put this all together. Overall we all walked away exhilarated with a higher level of understanding of what’s really possible and also what really matters. If you also want to enjoy some of your rides on a totally different level please check out the Achilles tandem program. And if you enjoy it and it’s still not enough, there is more… you can go national or international by joining in USABA events!