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About us
We lend tandems to (and only to) people with disabilities or special needs for free, who are unable to ride a bike safely on their own, so that they can enjoy the wonders of cycling. Our borrowers are both children and adults. Tandems are a fun and safe way to get out and about as friends, a couple, family or group. They are available for hire for a couple of a months at a time. Sorry, if you are not disabled and you are after a hire tandem or one for a Charity Ride then please try the Tandem Club website instead.
We now have about sixty tandems and tag-alongs all over the UK. They are looked after by the Helpers listed below. If you would like to borrow one then please use the Contact tab above and Alex will put you in touch with the appropriate Helper.
The disabilities and special needs of our borrowers have so far included: Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism, Aspergers, Blindness, Visual Impairment, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Amputation, Hearing Loss, Dyspraxia, Fybromalgia, CRPS, COPD, Hemiplasia, Tuberous Sclerosis, Charge & MPSIII.
Click here for a short video.
We now have about sixty tandems and tag-alongs all over the UK. They are looked after by the Helpers listed below. If you would like to borrow one then please use the Contact tab above and Alex will put you in touch with the appropriate Helper.
The disabilities and special needs of our borrowers have so far included: Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism, Aspergers, Blindness, Visual Impairment, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, Amputation, Hearing Loss, Dyspraxia, Fybromalgia, CRPS, COPD, Hemiplasia, Tuberous Sclerosis, Charge & MPSIII.
Click here for a short video.
Our charitable status
Charlotte's Tandems is a Registered Charity and our number is 1148053. Full details can be found here. The charity is run completely by volunteers. Gift Aid forms are available here. We do not charge for our tandems, but welcome donations. Our Trustees for 2013/14 are Richard Nutall, Francis Jones, Gordon Potter, Anne Glanville and Kate and Alex Reeves. Our last AGM was on Sunday 17th March 2013 in Dursley, Glos.
Our Tandems
We have lots of tandems and trailer bikes that have been donated or bought. One is owned by Charlotte and some others are lent by other people. Charlotte gets to ride one and the rest are for borrowing by others.
Please let us know if you would like to borrow one of our bikes. Here is our range of bikes with the names of their current borrowers. Our tandems change hands every few months so you could be one of them soon.
Please let us know if you would like to borrow one of our bikes. Here is our range of bikes with the names of their current borrowers. Our tandems change hands every few months so you could be one of them soon.
A very large road tandem
Cannondale 25"/23" frame. Currently riden by Bill of Dronfield
Four Ladyback road tandems
Typically about 22"/20" frame
Suitable for stokers from teenagers up. Some flat, some drop handlebars. Currently riden by Dylan of King's Lynn and Daniel of Sheffield. One under repair in Rugby and another under repair in Chesterfield Lots of Mountain bike style tandems
Typically 17"/15" frame. Suits stokers from 8+.
Currently riden by Sarah of Cheltenham, Carrie from Cam, Chloe of Gloucester, Ollie of Fairford, Adam of Stroud, Elliott of Potter's Bar, Selin of Tottenham, Pearl of Kensington, Ryan of Marlow, Lillian of Salisbury, William of Telford, Larry of Birmingham, Jamie of Northwich, Eleanor of Middlewich, Del from Abergele, Jake from Widnes, Liesel from Leicester, Karen of Sheffield, Helen of Bradford, Lewis of Dewsbury, Daniel of Skipton, Charlie of Middlesborough, Ged of Hartlepool, Ellis of Stockton, Michael of Edinburgh, Josh in Haddington, Elis from Llandiloes, Rory in Belfast, Gabe of Beccles & Roisin in Tiverton. Others available now in Cheshire. Three Backrests with side supports
Attach to our tandems. For the use of more physically disabled stokers. One currently used by Joe of Herefordshire. Others available now in Chester and Chesterfield
Helmets and High Viz Vests
These are available to borrow with the tandems.
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Lots of road Gents-Gents tandem
Typically about 22"/20" frame
Suitable for stokers from teenagers up. Some flat, some drop handlebars. Currently riden by Charlotte of Dursley, Amanda of Royal Wootton Bassett, Clive of South Gloucestershire, Matthew of Gloucester, Sam of Oxford, Joanna of Pontyclun, Harry of Bath, Garry of King's Lynn, Chris of Chiswick, Bill of London, Adi of London, Tina of Harlow, Joel in Oxfordshire, Kaine of Oswestry & Jake of Hexham. Others available now in North Essex and one in Cheshire and one being repaired in Gloucestershire. 2 Tandem Trikes
Details soon
Available soon on the South Coast Three Kiddybacks
Typically 20"/12". Suit stokers from 6+. One riden by Grace of Bath, other riden by Ben of Brightwell. One available now near Birmingham
Large Tag-along/ Trail-a-bike
Lots of Tag-alongs/Trailer bikes
These are for our youngest riders (4-8). Currently riden by Joe of Herefordshire, Brooke of Midsomer Norton, Izzi of Dursley, Ben in Great Barr, Matthew of Frodsham, Ben of Gt Broughton, Aron of High Peak, Ella of Sheffield and Matthew in Hexham
Also available, a luggage trailer
We know it's not a tandem but it was donated to us and may be of use to someone.
Available in Cheshire |
Some of our Helpers have a range of accessories to borrow, even if you don't borrow a tandem, e.g. front & rear pannier racks, panniers, helmets, bike luggage trailer, bike racks and tandem roof carriers for cars, if you need to transport your tandem.
Our Helpers
Kirsty
from Edinburgh
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Carole
from Edinburgh
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Mike
from Teesside
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You?
from Northern Ireland
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Ryan
from Cumbria
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Ruth
from Yorkshire
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John
from Yorkshire
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Brian
from Cheshire
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Andy
from Cheshire
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David
from Derbyshire
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Nigel
from West Midlands
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John
from Warwickshire
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Alex and Kate
from Gloucestershire
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Martin
from Somerset
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You?
from Wales
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Richard
from Essex
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John
from Suffolk
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Ceri
from Hertfordshire
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Colin
from London
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Jim
from London
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Daren
from Berkshire
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Tim
from Hampshire
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Richard
from Hampshire
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Brett
from Devon
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Tedi
from N. Scotland
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Our History
Charlotte has severe learning difficulties, autism and is non verbal. It is hard to keep her busy and happy but we (Kate and Alex) found that cycling was the best way. When Charlotte grew out of her Tag-a-long in 2005 we decided to take the plunge and a bought a tandem, without even trying one out beforehand. Fortunately, she loved it from the start and we've riden many miles, without major problems. We therefore wanted to share our love for tandeming with others. The very kind members of the Tandem Club started to donate some tandems to lend out in April 2010. Other families, couples and friends are now able to try out a tandem for a couple of months for free, to see if they enjoy it too and decide whether to buy one for themselves. We turned it into a charity in April 2011 and then from the summer of 2011 we started to get Regional Helpers. Our current Helpers are shown above and we are very grateful for all their help and that from our previous Helpers. We became a Registered Charity in July 2012.
Our Donors
We are very grateful to the too numerous people to mention here for donating their tandems or trailer bikes, many of whom contacted us through the Tandem Club, and to lots of people for their financial donations, for bits of bikes and for cheap sales of tandems to us.
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We received grants from the Summerfield Charitable Trust and the Beavers Golfers for use in and around Gloucestershire. We have also received grants from the Tesco Charity Trust, the David Hopkins Trust of the Nationwide Group Staff Union, Foster Wheeler, Rolls Royce, St George's Chuch, Cam, National Grid, J.D. Tandems, Cooke Components and Dursley Inner Wheel. We are also supported by Alex Reeves Engineering
Ltd.
If you are selling on Ebay you can now donate some or all of your profits by clicking here. You can also raise funds for us through Easyfundraising.
Supporter Paul Perry, will be undertaking a very exciting, unsupported 3 week bike ride covering the length of Norway, in aid of Charlotte's Tandems in June/July 2013. You can follow his progress on our Facebook site and donate money here.
Ltd.
If you are selling on Ebay you can now donate some or all of your profits by clicking here. You can also raise funds for us through Easyfundraising.
Supporter Paul Perry, will be undertaking a very exciting, unsupported 3 week bike ride covering the length of Norway, in aid of Charlotte's Tandems in June/July 2013. You can follow his progress on our Facebook site and donate money here.
We are also on Facebook. See the site for more photos, videos and comments. Please join our Facebook Group.
