That was my season

I would've never thought, that my first active year would be so interesting and full of surprises. Sure, the first oh-experience was finding out i belong to a tandem. Man oh man, my siblings were already jealous, before I went on tour. And it started extraordinaly. While I was - polished to a high shine  - preparing for honored looks, i was sensitively touched by blind and visually impaired tandem bikers. They've already heard a lot of me and desperately tried to make me complete the newly aquirable double seat by my energetic drive ability.

And what should I say; after a tandem-season i claim: I used all my skill to be helpful; after all it was also about inclusion.

After being properly checked, i already heard the first appreciation, that casually came from a blind stoker to his pilot: „Then i can fix an error myself sometime.

It's so easy to take out and build in the back wheel with the R.S. and i mean; there's not much to clean up either. Even rain doesn't seem to bother him“.

The R.S. is me and i am only adressed by my last name - Rohloff. Additionally saying gear shift - o.k.

I could prove my skills in many different places:

First at the tandem-spring in the Spreewald. When there's a group of 15 tandems, people often stop and look. Everyone loved the tandem pilot being able to set his desired gear while standing. And even the tandem pilot heard the quiet click and could pepare for the start. I gave my best, also at the sandy floor.

Actual mountains were around Meiningen and Thuringia. Setting the gear on the mountain was of course no problem for me and for the tandem-team, that biked the first time together, it was a special experience, because right when you're not exactly sure how much your partner can give, I am a sweetheart. And at Tandem-Hilfe e.V. blind and visually impaired co-pilots are often on the way with pilots, that they didn't know before. I am active as a team builder in these cases, which I am very proud of. 

On the baltic sea there was constantly wind coming towards us. Luckily, in the front wheel, colleague engine helped out. We do also harmonise quite well otherwise. Sometimes though, he gets upset, when we get fast in the 14th course and he has to turn off at 25 km/h.

In Gifhorn and around, the team, which I was on the way with, could try out, how simultaneously and therefore harmoniously my gearing ratio could be increased. That obviously makes it go from two people on a tandem to a whole team.

Also in the Senftenberger Seeland I could show off my variability. The tandem pilot only said: „It's now going upwards, seemingly a former spoil heap; 12 percent rise“. The 2nd gear was actaully needed there; the co-pilot had of course just properly felt the mountain when it already became serious. I could help here too.

And named the meeting of the beginners „Tandem-Schnuppern“ (tandem-try out).

Again, it was the first time on a tandem for the pilot and the co-pilot had never ridden a tandem at all - well, try out. And what am I supposed to tell you: this might sound arrogant, but without me, some teams might've taken a little longer to get going. 

Usually I am not really the organization type-of-person, but i feel super comfortable at Tandem-Hilfen e-V. and especially I feel in the right place, because helping, that is is my thing

Meeting an ancestor, had me buzzing even more pleasantly in the free-wheel. There was actually a tandem, that has - equipped with one of my sisters already been on the way for 18 years and during this time it not only got to know Germany, but also Paris, Rome, Athens, St. Petersburg and all the other countries, that were on the way there.

It still doesn't show any signs of aging. Sets gears like always.

(written by:

Thomas Nicolai

www.tandem-hilfen.de