Mark McIntosh

...So Yas and I have decided to do the honourable thing and do a charity bike ride, only it would be a little dull to just use regular bikes (no disrespect) so got ourselves a tandem banger and have decided to give the Coast2Coast a bash on that (his name's Oscar if you haven't been properly acquainted).

Since it's not the sort of thing either of us have done before and since we have already had quite a few 'moments' in day 2 of the training regime, thought it only fair to share the wonders of tandem biking with you folk.

Sit back, relax and just imagine all the fun you could have covering 160 miles attached to another human being, powered only by the seemless pedalling of two human beings so in tune with each other the goal seems but a stones throw away...well that's the theory anyway!

* Just a note...although you may amuse yourselves looking at the highs and lows of our ride and our battle to conquer the terrain and maintain rapport with the other rider (Mark - Captain, Yasmin - Stoker...official terms, look it up) just remember its also for a good cause. We will be cycling in aid of Mary's Meals, who set up feeding projects and school lunches for Malawian school children. If you see one picture of Yas falling off Oscar, throwing debris at the captain or having a quiet (or perhaps not so quiet) word, just think "Is that worth a few quid for that charity they're supporting??". I think it probably will be.