What a day it turned out to be. 12 tandem bikes set out, well eleven and a half, as Sallyann’s partner sadly couldn’t make it but she still did the ride on her solo bike (well done Sallyann).

Pauline, Rowan, and Mat were the other GoodGym riders. We were aiming to take our back riders round either the 25 or 50 mile course, which ended up being 30 and 57 due to last minute changes to the course.

There were hundreds of riders of all descriptions from the ultra-serious, to the never really got on a bike before. It didn’t matter because the atmosphere was amazing and hardly a moment went by when you weren’t near another cyclist.

The favourite part of the journey has to have been turning right and seeing the Anglican Cathedral, knowing you’re only a couple of miles from the end, but the toughest part lay ahead, which was the incline out of the tunnel.

Everyone got round safely and so hopefully we have given some of the good folk of Bradbury Field’s, who are blind/partially sighted, the chance to do something they’d never normally be able to do. We must never take our senses for granted.

There was talk at the end of people wanting to do the full 100 miles next year, even though some of the saddles were a little hard to sit on shall we say. So, who knows what next year may bring? Amazing effort. Well done all.

It was touch and go whether we were going to be able to get out yesterday as the rain started while we were setting up. Despite this 5 tandems set off and it wasn’t of course long before the heavens properly opened, but in true GoodGym style we persevered and after a 12 mile cycle we were rewarded with coffee and cake.

The ride home seemed to be mostly downhill and was thankfully rain free. Congrats. go to SallyAnn, Rowan and Mat from GoodGym, and Kirsty and Jess as the front cyclists and our brilliant powerhouse cyclists on the back from Bradbury Fields. One more long cycle in 2 weeks, then the main event, the Chester to Liverpool ride on the 3rd July.

We are now just three rides away from the Chester to Liverpool bike ride. It was a really beautiful day today, despite the weather forecast saying it was going to rain. There was a beautiful gentle breeze. In short it was perfect cycling conditions.

Pauline and Matthew and three other front cyclists, set out for Crosby. There were therefore five blind/partially sighted back riders, who got to experience a bike ride today and put their faith in our cycling skills.

Things never go to plan but despite getting regularly lost, bike chains coming off, and urgent pitstop is needed, we had a really good laugh, and some great exercise. It’s lovely to see really good friendships forming and we can’t wait for the main event.

Four intrepid front cyclists ventured out to Crosby and back with the lovely blind/partially sighted folk of Bradbury Field’s on Sunday morning. We are gearing up (no pun intended) for the Chester to Liverpool cycle event on the 3rd of July. Pauline, Sally-Ann and Mat from GoodGym joined Jesse from Bradbury Field’s as the front cyclists.

There was the usual getting lost, coffee and cake on the way back, and this time we weee treated to a special display of dexterity by Sally-Ann when she did a beautiful forward roll after tripping up. (Disclaimer: Nobody was harmed in the making of this forward roll).

The weather was cold but generally sunny and dry. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

On a wet and windy Sunday 8 GoodGymers joined all sorts of other volunteers at The Greenbank Sports Academy, to help run a day of sports for blind and partially sighted people in the Liverpool and surrounding areas. There was an array of sports all day, from football, to goal ball, boccia, curling, baseball and tennis.

Attendees ages ranged from the 20's to the 90's. We basically mucked in and did whatever was required, from joining in with the sports, acting as ball fetchers, to helping people getting around, and sometimes just having a friendly chat.

It cannot be underestimated the power of what we did, and the power of just having a chat. This is a section of society, which has struggled more than most during the pandemic. Not only do some of the participants have sight loss issues but other health issues as well, so it was heartwarming to see everyone giving every sport a go.

As well as the indoor sports we offered tandem cycle rides, which proved really popular. I was privileged to be able to take out C, who at 93 years old wanted to do a tandem cycle ride as it was on her bucket list. So, off we went. The smiles on everyone's faces after the rides and sports was something to behold. It was lovely to see Heetu, Lee, Christina, Pauline, Jess, Ruth and Roz throwing themselves into the event, in cases literally, in order to make it such a success.

Another glorious autumnal Sunday morning dawned, clear and dry...perfect conditions for our intrepid tandem trio:

Sallyann, was attending her first session at Bradbury Fields, an organisation supporting blind and partially sighted people in the Liverpool area. As such, there was a certain amount of nervous excitement, as she met the ride leaders, service users, and tandems! However, as soon as Sallyann was paired with Lyn, and had a quick ride around the carpark, her 20 year old tandem riding skills came flooding back.

Rowan, now a seasoned tandemer (with two rides under their belt 😁) chose a brand spanking, shiny new machine, which she rode with Mat, one of the SAVI team leaders. After a few teething problems (incolving some very sensitive gear shifters), they were soon eager to show off their speed and headed to the front of the tandem train whenever they could.

I managed to grab hold of a coveted mean, green machine. I'd had my eye on it for a couple of months, but soon regretted my decision, as the gears were a bit tricky to master 🤦‍♀️.

Once we were all paired up with our cycling buddies, we set off for an 18 mile round trip, partly along the Liverpool Loop Line, now a beautiful, tree-lined walk and cycle way. The highlight, of course was when we descended on an unsuspecting Yew Tree Farm Café. They were not prepared for 12 hungry cyclists to suddenly appear, but thankfully managed to fit us in. After an hour of resting and refuelling, we headed back to our bikes and set off for the return journey.

As always, there was much chatter and laughter, as riders got to know each other, working together to make the ride as safe and enjoyable as possible, for all.

It never fails to amaze me, how much we volunteers gain from these experiences...and how many wonderful, caring people we get to meet.

As usual, we three GoodGymers found an opportunity to pose for one last photo, this time on the triplet (Goodies style 😆)! Maybe next time, we'll actually manage to ride it - if only around the carpark 😉