How Allen Balfour achieved his childhood activity dream

Aged 70, Allen Balfour achieved his childhood dream of riding a bike.

Allen (pictured bottom right) scratched a lifelong itch with the help of Visually Impaired Tandem Cycling Edinburgh (VIE Velo), a tandem cycling club for visually impaired people in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“I wanted to cycle as a kid and it was something that came back to me sixty years later,” said Allen. “It was always something I wanted the opportunity to do and it was a dream come true.

“Now, when I go out on a ride, I get a childish sense of excitement. To get into something new at this stage in my life, it’s wonderful.”

Bumpy ride 

The club partner sighted pilots on the front of the tandem with visually impaired riders on the back and organise club rides on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month.

Allen admits to pushing through uncertainty after achieving his dream at an initial session in August 2021.

“It was a real challenge and I didn’t wear the right kit - so it was quite uncomfortable!” he remembers. “I still had a great time and decided to stick with it.”

At VIE Velo, the social aspect is as important as the exercise itself, with rides taking place at a sociable pace and punctuated by a long lunch break.

Allen says: “The other people are just amazing. Every ride is a social event and the people have been incredibly welcoming from the start.

“Those running the club are well prepared and ready to take anyone of any ability on the back of the bike. It’s important to me that I work hard from a fitness perspective."

Allen cites a number of positives for his physical health brought by regular rides and fresh air in the Scottish countryside. But his involvement has also brought manifold mental health benefits.

Allen says: “It’s freedom on the bike, a kind of freedom I hadn’t felt anywhere else in my life.

“You’re putting your trust in the pilot and you’re working together. It’s funny, I don’t get tired, you just feel pure joy.”