Events in 2020

This page shows details of events organized by us each month.
More information will be added as it becomes available.

January, February, March, Tandem Club Easter rally, April, Tandem Club National rally,
June, July, Tandem Club International rally, September, October, November, December.

For a list of all tandem events in and around Kent, click on the Diary 2019 page where you will also see events and rides organized by the Tandem Club Surrey & Sussex.

Event Date: Sunday, 26/01/20

Wingham

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance: 33 miles
   contact: Cliff & Pauline - 01732 750885 or 07507 398397
   email:

Kent January ride next Sunday (26th) will start at 10am from, Wingham near Canterbury (car park in High Street). About 33 miles. Coffee at Elham valley Vineyard, Lunch at Bridge Please let us know by Thursday 23rd if you would like to join us. Look forward to seeing you. Cliff and Pauline

Event Date: Sunday, 16/02/20

Ide Hill

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance: about 35 miles
   contact: Cliff & Pauline - 01732 750885 or 07507 398397
   email:

February ride will start at our house, in Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks. Starting at 10am arrive early for tea or coffee. Ride will be approximately 35miles returning to ours for afternoon tea.

email or phone 01732 750885 if you wish to join us or for more information

looking forward to seeing you all

Cliff and Pauline

Event Date: Sunday,15/03/20

Joint ride with Surrey & Sussex region - Mayfield

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance: 37 miles
   contact: Dave & Caroline - 01737 766649 or 07788 915455
   email:

Caroline and Dave invite you to join them for this ride which starts in Mayfield. Leaving the public car park TQ 587269 we will ride through Stonegate, Wadhurst and Frant to reach Groombridge for lunch at the Crown. We return via Eridge and Rotherfield to Hadlow Down for afternoon tea. The short final leg brings us back to Mayfield - about 37 miles in total.

If you are interested please contact us on 07788 915455 or 07588 313190 or david.wilde@tetrapak.com by the end of Thursday 12th with your menu choices. Please see www.thecrowngroombridge.com for the menu. The pub also serves roasts on Sundays. Our landline is currently unavailable so either email or use our mobile numbers.

We have not been able to find a suitable stop for morning coffee so please bring your drink and snacks with you. See you soon!

Caroline and Dave



click here for a report and pictures of the joint ride


event cancelled due to Covid-19

Event Date: Thursday 9/04/20 to Monday 13/04/20

Tandem Club Easter rally at Bletchingdon, Oxon.

   for more details see Tandem Club web-site


event cancelled due to Covid-19

Event Date: Sunday, 26/04/20

TBA

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance:
   contact: Liz and Mark - 01732 848432
   email:






event cancelled due to Covid-19

Event Dates: Saturday 23/05 to Saturday 30/05/20

National Rally at Corsham, Wilts

   for more details see Tandem Club website


event cancelled due to Covid-19

Event Date: Sunday, 28/06/20

TBA

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance:
   contact: Dave & Caroline - 01737 766649 or 07788 915455
   email:

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Event Dates: Sunday, 26/07/20

Northiam

   start time: 9:15 for 09:30
   approx. ride distance:
   contact: Richard & Anne - 01797 252944
   email:





Kent July Tandem Rides

We pondered for a while as to how to organise a ride for July with the Covid restrictions and still be able to accommodate enough tandems so everybody could have a ride. Cafes were not fully open and pubs didn’t seem keen to cater for multi-family groups. It was clear that more than one ride would be required and a picnic coffee break followed by a mid-afternoon BBQ would seem to address the catering. In the end we organised three rides, one on a weekday, which seemed to accommodate most people who wanted to ride. Apologies to anybody who we couldn’t fit in. The only thing we really needed was good weather.

Part 1 – Sunday 26th July – Early start 09:30 to accommodate the BBQ – 40 miles - Hastings Rye loop

It was really nice to welcome Nick and Simon back into the group. It was 2011 when we last rode with them. It was also nice to meet Michelle and Marcus for the first time. We were favoured with a generally warm and sunny day with a strong westerly wind. Countryside looked lovely after the rains of yesterday. Nick commented on the long stretches of downhill on the way to Sedlescombe, I pointed out that that was about to change with the stiff hill out of Sedlescombe. The route undulates quite a bit from here before the long hill up to the top of Hastings which everyone managed admirably. We had a good view over Hastings from here. The next long hill to the top of the Fire hills was punctuated by some traffic lights guarding a long stretch of electrical cable replacement works. As a result, there was quite a queue of traffic waiting which we joined. Just as the traffic started moving there was a shout from the back saying there was a problem. It soon became clear that it was serious as Michelle’s seat post cap head screw had fractured (fatigue fracture - It is not only tandemists that get tired going up hills!). We pulled onto the side of the road to see what we had to affect a repair, but none of us had anything suitable. We tried the electricity workers but they didn't have anything. Michelle then noticed a British Gas van in the queue and went across to see if the Gasman had anything. He said, " I only live up the road so come up and I will see what I have in my shed". Marcus walked up and came back with a cap head screw of exactly the right length unfortunately the head was just a little too large to fit in the recess. We pushed our bikes up to the Gasman's house to see what else he had in his shed. We had all parked the tandems in his narrow drive and he asked if we could move them as his wife would be back soon and wouldn't be expecting to find the Tour de France in her drive! We couldn't find anything suitable in his box of bits so he went to his neighbour to see what he had in his garage. He found an old aerial bolt which was long enough but didn't sit square on the seat post. We thought if we tightened it would probably last. Marcus considered going straight back but as we were almost halfway on the ride anyway so he decided to stick with us. The last half of the hill was achieved without further incident and we pulled in at the top to make use of the facilities. During this brief stop I said that there was no uphill for the next 12 miles. It was just a short ride to our picnic morning coffee/refreshment stop. There was a slight rise on this stretch and it was commented that I had said no uphill for the next 12 miles. The picnic stop has a magnificent vista overlooking Rye Bay and Romney Marsh so it was no hardship to sit in the sun absorbing the view. We could have sat there for longer but we had lost on hour with the repairs so we were going to be late for the BBQ anyway and I didn't need anyone to run out of energy. The seat seemed to be holding out but was starting to tip backwards a bit. The drop down from the Fire Hills takes you through some lovely rolling countryside which is an absolute pleasure as it is generally downhill. I got another comment about the short uphill bit! The next stage is flat along the seafront for a couple of miles, with the 19 mph tail wind we were doing 24 mph along this stretch; quite exhilarating. The section through the Nature Reserve was quite quiet so we didn't have to slow down too much for walkers and dogs. We stopped to overlook Camber Sands which was moderately busy, probably less so due to the strong wind. The ride through the industrial section of Rye harbour is not particularly inspiring but the view of Rye is quite spectacular. A short trip through Rye to get to the military road and then a turn left took as back to the "mountains". These are not too steep apart from the Col de Stocks Mill which has a 16% section at the bottom, this had us all breathing a bit and Marcus said he had spent quite a time observing the road gravel as he climbed upwards. At the pause at the top we noticed that Michelle's seat was almost pointing vertically! I think we were all impressed that she was still managing to ride. A further eight undulating miles through verdant countryside bought us back to Northiam and a welcoming glass of homemade lemonade. I think everyone enjoyed the BBQ in the sun as we sat and chatted for a while afterwards which was really pleasant.

Part 2 – Tuesday 28th July 2020 – A Pevensey Bay loop -30 Miles

This ride was to accommodate those who could manage a weekday ride and it was a pleasure to welcome Jen and Cliff and Val and Dave to the group. The route was planned to be relatively flat generally circumnavigating Pevensey Levels in order for Val and Dave to get used to their Tandem. In the end Dave and Val came on their solos as they didn’t yet feel confident enough on their tandem to tackle public roads. One slight misnomer was that I had it in my head that Jen and Cliff lived in Headcorn and not Heathfield which led to some confusion (to me) throughout the day and I probably would have planned a slightly different route. It was a sunny day with a slightly cooling breeze from the west. Dave’s local knowledge took us a via a back road through Little Common before heading up the short hill to Whydown. I always enjoy the road from Whydown to Hooe as it is a mix woodland and open countryside with views. Dave also led us the backroads through Hooe which was certainly better than my route along the main road. It was along here I commented to Cliff that this was probably new territory for them and he replied that this was just on the edge of their area. I was hugely impressed as it must nearly be a 40 mile ride from ‘Headcorn’. The Horsewalk to Wartling is a lane I hadn’t cycled before it is very picturesque ending with a quite brutal hill up to Wartling. We stopped outside a pub at the top to regroup and Cliff said they had had a meal in the pub on one of their rides. I was even more impressed. The route took us through Herstmonceux and then to Grove Hill. There were a few more discussions about pubs and it appeared that Cliff and Jen knew them all, hugely impressed! Here I had built in an option to either circle back round the Levels or head to Horam and pick up the Cuckoo trail depending on time. As we were making good time, I opted for the Horam route. There was a little bit of consternation about the use of the Cuckoo trail as it can be busy but I thought it would be alright on a Tuesday and anyway we didn’t want to be too early for the pub. What would Cliff and Jen know about the Cuckoo trail anyway! As it turned out the trail was virtually empty and it was an absolute pleasure to cycle down it. Cliff and Jen told me later that during the early stages of lockdown it was so crowded that it was difficult to socially distance. We left the trail at Hailsham down Station Road and then onto Rickney picking up cycle route 2 for the ride back to Normans Bay and the Star Inn. It was a lovely ride along the levels with the tail wind. The pub was pretty well organised to accommodate the Covid requirements and we enjoyed our meal in the sun although we could have done with slightly less of a breeze. It was here that my confusion over Headcorn/Heathfield was revealed and all became clear much to my embarrassment. After the meal it was a short trip back to Cooden beach for a cup of tea in Val and Dave’s garden. We had a look at their tandem which is an old Dawes model with very low bars for the stoker. Our stokers recommended something a bit higher so hopefully with this modification Val and Dave can get underway.

Part 3 – Sunday 2nd August –40 miles - Hastings Rye loop (again)

Building on the success of the previous week we decided to make this day exactly the same so everybody had the same experience. We didn’t mind repeating the route as it is one of our favourites. The group, assembled ready for the 09:30 start, comprised familiar faces and it was good to pick up our group riding from where we left off. The day was even warmer and sunnier than the previous week with a gentle breeze from the west. Quite a lot of chatting on the way to Sedlescombe and up to the Hasting hill which was inevitable as there was a lot of catching up to do. Surprisingly the chatting subdued on the way up to Hastings. We had a brief pause at the top before starting the second part of the climb to the Fire hills. The Electrical cable replacement roadworks were still in place but on this occasion we got into the traffic light section without incident. The Gasman’s van was still in his drive but he wasn’t in the garden to be waved to. The length of the works is quite long and uphill and I suspect the light phasing is not set up for bicycles so the awaiting cars at the other end had to wait a bit longer than normal. The car second in the queue was clearly more impatient that the first car as he was weaving and creeping before the first car moved. There was actually plenty of room for cars to pass by us safely so the cars set off before we were through the works. The second car deliberately drove closely to us and must have been very close to the second group as Richard shouted at him. Next thing the car had reversed back to remonstrate with the group. He must have been very brave as he was on his own and what is worse he had a bicycle on the back of his car so you would have expected him to be more considerate to fellow cyclists. So, a second incident on Fairlight Road; perhaps we will avoid it for a while. At the comfort stop at the top we reflected on Mr Angry before casting it out of our minds to enjoy the rest of the day. I modified my comment and said, “There are no appreciable hills for the next 12 miles”, and then ended up in an extended discussion as to what appreciable meant (Mark). The view from the picnic stop was even better than the week before as the sky was more clear. You could clearly see the Dover cliffs, Cap Gris Nez and, faintly, Boulogne. This is very unusual. Once again it was hard to move off but BBQ was calling. The hill off the Fire Hills is very steep and long so I warned the group, intending them to take care. Dave and Richard took no heed and proceeded to race down. I am not sure what speed was achieved but I was doing over 40 mph even with my caution. Although we didn’t have such a strong tail wind we were still managing 21 Mph along Winchelsea beach. The nature reserve was a bit more busy this week but not so that it held us up significantly. It is still a lovely ride with views over a very busy Camber Sands at the end. Rye was extremely busy which I guess is good after the quietness of the lockdown but I think I preferred the quietness. We stopped at the Rye Landgate as Richard had a Cyclequest clue to complete. The ride back from Rye was uneventful although we seemed to wind up the pace somewhat on the last 6 miles. It was good to get back and have a refreshing glass of homemade Lemonade. BBQ was exactly the same as the previous week. Desserts were enhanced by some lovely cakes from Liz and Caroline so we were all well fed by the end of it. It was nice sitting in the sun afterwards and as Liz said you could have sat there all evening. We had a good discussion about Mark and Liz’s prospective tandem, it is good that Mark is acknowledging his age and is considering a motor! Another good ride and great day.

Summary

It looks like Covid restrictions are going to be with us for a while yet. This was one way of trying to accommodate a large group but it was very dependant on the weather and we were very lucky. There will be other ways to organise rides but to involve many members we will have to run more than one ride. Perhaps we should consider drawing up a schedule of more frequent rides. It was really good to get together again and I am looking forwards to the next ones.

report by Richard

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event cancelled due to Covid-19

Event Date: Saturday, 22/08/20 to Saturday 29/08/20

Tandem Club International rally at Salviac, France

   for more details see Tandem Club web-site


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Event Date: Sunday, 27/09/19 and/or 3/10/200

Ditton

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance:
   contact: Liz & Mark - 01732 848432 / 07751 453233
   email:

Liz and Mark have got a ride for Sunday 27th September organised. We can only go out as a group of three tandems, so it will be on first come basis. Liz did say that they will be going out on the following Saturday 3rd October, if that suited anyone that could happen too.

Please email Liz (as above) Or ring 01732 848432 or 07751 453233

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Event Date: Sunday, 25/10/20

TBA

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance:
   contact:
   email:

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Event Date: Sunday, 22/11/20

TBA


   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance: 40 miles
   contact: Jim & Kate - 01227 740964
   email:

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Event Date: Sunday,6/12/20

Joint region Christmas Ride and Lunch

   start time: 09:45 for 10:00
   approx. ride distance: about 20 miles
   contact:
   email:

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