Tandemonium

After a three-day charity ride for cancer research earlier this year, we’ve found another reason to keep the wheels turning.

On November 1st, we’re taking on the MS Gong Ride, from Sydney through the hills of Royal National Park to Wollongong.

While for some of you this is enough reason to donate, we know that there’s a few of you that want to see our teeth gritting before you hand over your hard earned cash. So we’ve added a challenge: we’re putting our legs—and possibly our friendship—to work for a good cause, by doing the ride on a tandem bike.

Behind the laughs is a serious reason to ride. Multiple sclerosis is a potentially debilitating disease, affecting movement, vision, balance and energy, making everyday things many of us take for granted incredibly difficult. There’s currently no cure.

We can choose to take on a tough day on the bike. People living with MS don’t get to choose the challenges they face.

But first, we needed a tandem bike.

Enter Geoff, founder and president of Exsight Tandem Cycle Club in Wollongong. He might just be the sweetest and cheekiest president you ever meet. One phone call from a stranger he’d never even heard of later, and Geoff had his (garage) door wide open and a tandem pushy ready for collection. 

His asking price? No money. Just a favour: spread the word about tandem cycling and encourage people to volunteer as front seat captains, helping someone who can’t cycle independently enjoy the ride from the back seat. That was when we learned that tandem biking makes cycling available to those people with disabilities.  

You may wonder why Geoff is so passionate about this cause: because he has been completely blind from age five- unable to see light nor darkness. Through Exsight, he helps others experience the freedom, adventure and connection that cycling brings. 

He lent us a bike. He also gave us another cause worth riding for. 💛  
While Geoff doesn’t ask for much, we would love it if after donating to the MS Gong, you could make a small donation to Exsight Tandems. You can do this by copying and pasting the following into a web browser:

 
https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=l1jpZsMDB4SSNQzmXoYR7GIMgNnJ4VV31qVtmF6vCs_SafRoHnmzBeWyuNIcdeF4ciy7m0WZDcgBFI3V

Support either cause or both—whatever you can manage. If donating isn’t possible, please share our story. And if you’re interested in volunteering as a tandem captain, Geoff would love to hear from you. Go to www.exsight.org.au

One last thing before you click the donate button.. Did we mention we’ve never tandemed together before and won’t get to until the day before the event? Don’t worry- we’ll supply the sweat, the swearing and the pandemonium. You just need to back us up.

Thank you,

Niki & Kiri — Team Tandemonium