It is not unusual to see tandem bicycles on the Little Miami Scenic Trial, and these bikes and riders may seem perfectly normal. Unless, however, the tandem riders are members of a bicycling group known as Tukandu. Indeed there is something remarkable about these bikers because one cyclist on each of the Tukandu bikes is either blind or visually impaired. These tandem bicyclists ride distances of up to 50 miles along the Little Miami Scenic Trail on a given Saturday morning. Each bike has a sighted front rider designated as the "captain" and a visually impaired back rider designated as the "stoker."  

Ever tried to stand on one foot with your eyes closed? Then imagine the difficulty of maintaining balance while riding a bicycle as a visually impaired or blind person. It is amazing what accomplished riders these visually impaired riders really are. And let's not forget the skilled captains, good to expert riders, who must at all times maintain excellent communication with the stoker by letting them know of upcoming crossings and stops, hikers, bumps in the trail, and any obstacle that would require special handling of the tandem bicycle.

The concept or mission of the group, "to enable visually impaired people to enjoy the camaraderie and physical challenge of cycling while partnering with others on tandem bicycles," was conceived in 1999 by team member and past president Terry Davis. Using an initial grant from the Kroger Company, the group purchased four tandem bicycles and Tukandu was off and riding. Since then, through the purchase of other tandems by the group and by other donations, the fleet has expanded to 16 tandem bicycles and one recumbent bike.

Captains and stokers come from all parts of the greater Cincinnati area including Northern Kentucky. Tukandu captains provide transportation for the visually impaired stokers from their homes to Loveland's Nisbet Park. As with most non-profit groups, Tukandu is in need of volunteers. With a core group of 6 to 10 captains the group could always use more captains to ride the tandem bikes and to provide transportation for the stokers. There is also a need for a volunteer bicycle mechanic to assist in maintaining the fleet of bicycles which are graciously housed in the garage of a nearby business at no charge to the group. If you are interested in joining Tukandu, have questions, or would like to contribute funds, please visit their Web site at www.tukandu.org. They would welcome your interest and any volunteer work you may be willing to offer.

Grant Committee Chairperson:

Lead our grant-seeking effort including research, planning, writing, and program &

financial reporting. Manage and nurture relationships with grantors and identify grant opportunities for our grant writer.