TandemEyes gives cyclists with vision loss a way back onto two wheels

Twilight was falling over downtown Peterborough as the first of six tandem bicycles rolled into Millennium Park, marking the end of TandemEyes’ final group ride of the season.

“Almost there… and we’re stopping,” the cyclist seated at the front called out as the pair slowed to a halt in front of the Silver Bean Cafe.

Peter Laurie and Marc Galachiuk dismounted and removed their helmets, chatting about the ride as the remaining cyclists arrived one pair at a time. The gathering grew more boisterous with each arrival, until the quiet waterfront park was filled with jokes and laughter.

“Bicycle riding is not the same as walking,” Galachiuk told Peterborough Currents. “I have been considered visually impaired my whole life… I’ve ridden a bike since I was a child.” He explained that, while he had sufficient vision to ride a bike for most of his life, about five years ago his vision declined further and he thought he wouldn’t be able to get back onto two wheels. Getting involved with TandemEyes allowed him to keep riding.

TandemEyes is a volunteer-run Peterborough cycling group that pairs adults with partial or total vision loss with sighted cyclists on tandem bicycles. The rider in front, called the “captain,” steers, shifts gears, and controls the brakes. The “stoker” sits behind the captain, adding pedalling power and signalling turns.

The group was founded by Anne Wood, a lifelong cyclist who lost most of her vision as an adult because of medical complications from cancer. Wood and her husband bought a tandem bicycle in 2011 so she could continue riding.

As they learned to ride together, Wood began imagining how tandem bicycles could connect other people with vision loss to the outdoors. Inspired in part by Toronto’s Trailblazers Tandem Cycling Club, she reached out to Peterborough’s cycling community, and TandemEyes held its first season in 2012.

The group now operates in partnership with the Peterborough Cycling Club and has a fleet of 13 tandem bicycles stored in a Peterborough Transit garage on Townsend Street. Laurie, TandemEyes’ maintenance coordinator and a captain, rides the bicycles from storage to B!KE: The Community Bike Shop when they need repairs.

A tandem bike is longer and heavier than a standard bicycle, Laurie told Peterborough Currents. Its two sets of pedals move together in “lock-step,” allowing for more forward momentum, and making communication between its riders especially important.

“You need to work together to balance the bicycle and constant communication between the two riders is necessary,” Laurie said, noting that captains warn their stokers about approaching railway tracks, bumps, pedestrians, and other changes along the route. The partners discuss when to shift gears, push harder on a hill, or make any other adjustments for a more comfortable ride. 

“There’s also lots of room in there for a social conversation as well, which is really what makes the rides so joyful,” Laurie added.

TandemEyes’ 2026 rides left the Silver Bean each Wednesday evening from May 27 to August 26. The group follows several regular routes, travelling toward the Peterborough Airport, Hastings, Jackson Park, or Trent University. Once each season, riders make a longer trip to Lakefield for ice cream.

Ride leaders travel at the front, while “sweeps” accompany the tandem bicycles on their own bikes and help the group move through traffic and across intersections safely. Cyclists pass warnings about runners, oncoming bicycles, and other obstacles from one pair to the next.

Each participant attends an annual orientation. New captains first observe an experienced pair, then ride in the rear seat before taking control of a tandem. Rides are cancelled during heavy rain or active thunderstorm warnings.

Those preparations allow cyclists to build the trust required to move as one team. They also make room for people who thought vision loss had closed cycling as an avenue for outdoor activity.

Galachiuk, who chairs the TandemEyes management committee, recalled a new member who lost her sight after a bicycle accident. After her first group ride, she told him, “I never thought I’d ever ride a bike again.”

Another new stoker was 89 years old and had cycled extensively throughout his life before losing his sight. Galachiuk said it was a highlight for him to hear the man’s delight at being back on a bicycle.

Laurie was introduced to TandemEyes by a former Fleming College colleague about 10 years ago. He said it can be difficult to describe taking someone who has never ridden a tandem bike or who has become isolated because of vision loss out on the road.

“It’s just a really great way to help people and help them get out,” he said.

Linda McLean was already a Peterborough Cycling Club member when TandemEyes caught her attention. She observed a ride, fell in love with the group, and began volunteering as a sweep. Last year, she also took over its administrative work.

“I give my time, but I get back more than I give without a doubt,” McLean said. “The group is incredible. It’s so much fun. We laugh together. We joke all the time.”

That sense of connection is built during the hours participants spend pedalling, talking, and taking breaks together. Captains describe the scenery, identify birds, and note landmarks. Ride leader Jean Greig hears the conversations passing among the tandem bikes as she moves along the line.

“There’s just all kinds of crazy stories going on, and people talking about their lives, and talking about dogs, and talking about their bikes, and telling bad jokes,” Greig said. “Providing that joy, providing that freedom, providing that physical exercise… is a really wonderful thing to be able to be a part of.”

TandemEyes relies on donations and in-kind support to maintain and store its bicycles. Riders also pay for membership with the Peterborough Cycling Club and Ontario Cycling Association, which provide insurance coverage. The group will plan its next orientation and training sessions during the winter.

Back at the Silver Bean, the final ride of summer had ended, but nobody seemed eager to bring the evening to a close. Some volunteers needed to return the tandems to storage, yet conversations continued beside the bicycles as darkness settled over the park.

“It’s really hard to get people to leave,” Greig said with a laugh. “Everybody’s talking and having such a nice time socially that it’s actually really hard sometimes to just shut down the experience for the evening.”

Those interested in learning more about TandemEyes can visit the group’s website or contact tandemeyes@gmail.com