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 | Tandem 2026 - UK National RallyAnother visit to the Somerset Levels for a rally at Thorney Lakes as we did in 2015. Plenty of flat rides as well as the challenges of the Mendip and Blackdown Hills 3rd August - 10th August 2026Langport, TA10 0DW |  |
Another visit to the Somerset Levels for a rally at Thorney Lakes as we did in 2015. Plenty of flat rides as well as the challenges of the Mendip Hills
Re Outdooractive, As some users can import ride 1911, maybe this is an Outdooractive App version issue. Has everyone updated to the latest App, is it only on Apple or Android phones (Linda says it works for her and that is on Android) ?
Are there any error messages for those who cannot import ?
Didn't work on Outdooractive Windows. No error messages, just hangs.
Just checked ride 1911's GPX file with a couple of validator programs and no issues were found. I suspect there are issues in that MsWindows Outdooractive program, is it the latest version, maybe you can report that to Outdooractive ?
Just re downloaded 1911 and imported it into Outdooractive and it is ok. Something has changed???
Not from this end (insert smiley)
IMPORTANT, If you've read nothing read this. I have updated and put a synopsis of everything on the rally information at https://tandem-club.org.uk/events/tcn2026/info/info.html This includes timings, what's happening etc. Booking in starts at 14:00 on Monday and everyone including those alread onsite and those 18 off site must register as there are confirmations to be ascertained in regards the meals being provided. Also the badges are rather nice. No more from me now until Monday. See you all from 14:00 at the start, safe travels
There will be a burger van on Tuesday. Not any old burger apparently a farmer from Wells that rears rare breeds and these are pressed beef. ,
TUESDAY The rides all head out together to Yeovil then diverge. Suggest tea stop on the old railway path through Yeovil, outdoor seating. Cafe have been warned. If full there are a few options a kilometre later in a shopping area. Short ride then returns. Medium and Long, basically head for Sherbourne. A pretty Dorset town. The Abbey is good for a picnic, a few cafes at the bottom of the High Street. Going back. Cafe at East Knowle is open according to Facebook. There are cafes in South Peterson. The cafe at Merritt is closed but open on Saturday when routes pass this way again. In the evening burger van at 17:30, sounds yummy. At 19:00, not the quiz, teams of 8 in the marquee, bring your glasses and maybe a torch!! Depends on how long this takes, who knows, could be fast, could be slow đ The bar will be open
South Petherton not South Peterson
Woodstock lane marked âclosedâ at the top is roadworks gang who will help you past the works
Should be Woodhouse Lane on the Family ride. Roadworks gang very helpful getting us past.
Orange bone conduction ear phones now in reception in marquee, found in shower
BURGER VAN caught behind a tractor, heâs coming
As the burger van was an hour late, weâll start the ânot the quiz nightâ at 19:30. Teams of 8-10, just bring yourselves, no pens needed but if you wear glasses donât forget them
RIDES on WEDNESDAY. The short and medium are âsimilarâ Recommend a morning coffee stop at Barrington Court (National Trust) The medium goes to Perrys Cider Farm which has a good cafe. Iâve never known it full but their website recommend to book to avoid disappointment. Not sure how relevant this is, but the link is found if you google Perrys Cider Farm. Both then go via North Curry and then to the Wetlands museum and cafe which is a lovely visit. Return to Langport, my favourite cafe is next to the bridge just after you cross it on the left side. The long takes you to Wellington. Monument worth looking at but views not great as a lot of tree growth. Better from the car park a few hundred metres before the turn to descend steeply to Wellington.
https://www.perryscider.co.uk/cafe The link to book the cafe
WEDNESDAY EVENING At 17:30 tandem games. Head for the marquee and
Wednesday continued. Head to the Marquee and Clem will come up with various games involving tandems. In the marquee from 19:30 Show us you Tandem, how was it built, where have you been, whoâs idea was it, maybe even talk technical. Talking of that if you have anything to sell/ give away then bring it along. Iâll also put out an OS map with the Velocio points so you can plan the next day
To everyone on the Committee: I would like to arrange a quick get-together one evening while we are here to get to know each other and catch up. Not sure what eve yet. Peter
VELOCIO key times. Start 08:00 - 10:00 at the marque. Cafe, Alfredoâs in Somerton 09:30 - 12:00 Time allowed 6.5 hours
VELOCIO 4 components. Main clues are scattered about a 20km radius, map in the marquee, the further way the more points
3 quiz sheets in Martock, Somerton and Langport, great for families and a slower pace. Prizes for these
There is a bridleway through Westcombe, B3153 Somerton to Langport is busy
Lastly, rides the Tandem Club database is your friend. Open the map via any ride. Hit S, select none, then misc/velocio to reveal black icons at the locations of the clues. The target circle below S is a position marker, shows where you are. You could just select Velocio as above, create a marker and the small red circle homes in on the clue, much like the Alien film
Rides markers will be switched just before 08:00
For the Velocio the TC Rides system might help as it will show a list of the Velocio places as a list or on a map with the questions on a mobile phone.
As a list use:
https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=placeList&sel_category=misc%2Fvelocio&sel_mapReference=&sel_postcode=&sel_distance=30&sel_period=&sel_onMap=&sel_title=&sel_personal=0&sel_allZooms=&sel_pager=0&sel_order=%21id&sel_zoom=&postValidate=9cxq341w&select_cmd=Search
Or on a map any of the weeks rides when viewed on the TC website will show them, or use the following link:
https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=navigate
The map will track where you are (if you allow it to access your position). The Velocio Places are shown as a black shield which you can click on to get the questions.
You can use the "S" button to select just the "misc/velocio" places to make it easier to see where they are. The location I con can be toggled to turn off the tracking of your position and the +- buttons can zoom the map.
The place icons can appear a bit later if mobile Internet is slow and a page refresh can help.
Have fun.
If the TC Rides system is showing your location wrong, make sure your location settings for your Web browser (Chome?) is set to precise.
HOG ROAST Green salad with a French dressing and coleslaw, pesto pasta salad
From 18:30 (hopefully) Please bring your own plates, knife and fork to reduce waste. I think the portions should be OK but if you want to supplement with something else please do
Congratulations to Richard and Hilary Abbott who won Velocio. Stuart and Jackie Hibbard along with Eugene and Sally Kertzman came a very creditable second. The walking clues were ruled by the Dutch, well done Jan and Anja
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Note to view Attendees Event information including the rides you need to be logged in with an account and the email address of that account must match the one you used to book.
The site
Thorney Lakes Caravan and Camping Park is a family run campsite on the Somerset Levels. The site is based in a large orchard with level generous pitches. There are 10A electric hook ups so no 3KW rapid boil kettles please. The site boasts four acres of fishing lakes stocked with a selection of coarse fish. The club has exclusive access to the site.
Family Event
Tandems are made for families, they are simply the best way to either carry children or to allow them to cycle with you. For many years the Tandem Club attracted up to 40 families to a National event, the legacy are the many couples attending the event who have 'been there, done that' and are only to happy to offer advice. In 2026 the club are holding a family rally within the national, you don't have to bring a tandem but we are hoping that by the end of the week you may like one. Martin Hook who is our family liaison officer will be camping with his family.
For maximum enjoyment we will be setting up a dedicated area for families in a large field adjacent to the main field giving plenty of room to run about and play games. Through the week, we will offer bespoke rides for families with places to visit, led by Martin, and a few additional events will be laid on, including the famous tandem games. Dedicated family page at Family Tandemimg , more detail at Family Camping
Off Site
You are welcome to join us on the rides and for the evening activities should you wish to stay elsewhere. Riding to the start or picking up one of the routes during the day would be the preferred way to join the rally. There are a limited amount of car parking spaces at the campsite should you wish to bring your car to the start. There is an off site option on the booking form and it is very important that you email Neil at neil@tandem-club.org.uk to let me know how you are arriving each day at the campsite or if you are joining the rides at on route.
Number of places available
The family event is limited to just 11 families.
There are 48 electric sites
There are 100 non electric sites
Electric
Electric and non electric sites are offered. For those with non electric there will be a marquee within which will be charging facilities for mobile phones and GPX devices. There will be a kettle for making hot drinks and probably a small fridge to store small amounts (please be considerate to others)
If you are wishing to attend the family event and wish to have electric, then we can run a long cable from an EHU on the main field. Alternatively if you have a campervan/caravan and wish to come please indicate on the booking form and we will get you as close to the other families as possible.
Marquee
A marquee will be available with a matting floor. This will have seating and tables. For cyclecampers and for anyone else this is the perfect place to have breakfast and to relax after the rides in the company of others.
Toilets and Showers
An additional 4 berth shower unit and additional portaloos have been ordered.
The Area
The nearest village of Muchelney was in the news last winter because of the floods however Thorney Lakes remained dry. Here you will find the remains of Muchelney Abbey, a large Benedictine abbey which once dominated this part of the Levels. Just over a mile away is Kingsbury Episcopi with a convenient community shop and café. Just seven miles away is the rural town of Somerton ' The Ancient Royal Town of Wessex', with its 17th. Century square and Thursday Farmers market.
Although we are on 'The Levels' this part has some pleasant undulating country roads ideal for tandem riding. The area abounds with pubs, cafes and other places of interest.
Evening activities
A full range of activities is planned for the rally including:
Welcome party
Evening Bar
Hog roast/vegetarian option
Velocio trophy (a treasure hunt style ride)
Local food and drink (Cider and Cheese)
Barn Dance
Quiz
Rides
A choice of 4 rides a day will be available, ranging from 25 to 65 miles. These will explore the many sites and cafes in the surrounding area. These will head out the same way each day, allowing you to mix with everyone and to choose on the day if youâd like to extend or shorten a ride. A couple of communal coffee stops will be organised, where a single place will be chosen after about 10-15 miles where coffee/tea and cake will be provided to bring us all together in one place. Rides are offered in a GPX format but also as route sheets which will be checked before the event giving turn by turn instructions and also pointing out the places of interest and places to eat along the way.
What to expect on a ride
For those that have not yet attended a Tandem Club rally, we do not go out as a large group. Instead we tend to set off in small groups, so that we do not swamp the local roads. Each rally attendee is expected to bring their own printed copy of the route instructions and to have downloaded the gpx track files to their device. These will be published to those booked on the rally about 1 month before the start of the rally. The GPX routes, description and detailed information for each ride are available at Rides for the 2026 Easter rally
Surfaces and dangers
The majority of riding will be on tarmac roads. The Parrot Trail is a 2 mile section near Langport that is a track. Major roads will be avoided, but there will be traffic on the roads, but a real effort is made to use quiet roads.
Communal Tea Stops
These are arranged to bring everyone together as after all this is the point of a rally. Coffee/Tea and a piece of cake will be offered that is paid in advance as part of the rally fee. Both the short and medium rides will be taken through the same point. You are welcome to pass through within a window of 2-3 hours. I have done these in the past and they are very popular, they have the advantage of getting to chat to others, have a dedicated indoor space to be served and also remove the pressure on local cafes and will work out cheaper than a cafe. There are anticipated to be two stops provided during the event.
Organisers
Neil Wheadon, ably helped by the West Country Group, will be organising this event. Having organised many nationals, internationals and Easter events in the past,we are very experienced in running these events.
Tandem Club membership
All participants must be members of the Tandem Club. If you have a login for the website then this should appear automatically in the booking form. The exception are families attending the family event. In this case you will be gifted a years free membership, so you do not need to enter any details in the booking form, just please don't forget to tick the box to say you are attending the family event.
Booking Fee
The booking fee covers an awful lot of things from the marquee to the showers, from the welcome drink to the band
For anyone under the age of 19 at the time of the event a booking fee does not apply.
Closing Date
The closing date for this event is the 3rd July 2026
Booking and dates
Please fill in the booking form via the link below. The following may help if you have issues with booking. The Tandem Club uses NOCHEX, occasionally for many reasons, your card may be declined, please check the numbers are correct. If this fails please try another card or use the BACS facility. (The booking will go through and we will contact you for your bank details) The booking form is a bespoke, very secure interface but it does not respond well to folks using the 'back' button. Finally, as happens, you make 2 booking applications, don't worry, just email the organiser and we can invariably sort this out for you.
Cancellations
Please check the terms at the bottom of this page. Cancellations must be made by email to the organiser.
You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.
Please use the button below to book for this event. Preferred payment for UK residents is by on-line credit/debit card payment but the form will present you with other options. If you have a website login account, then please login before using this form as most fields will be filled in for you automatically.
PLEASE NOTE EXTRA NIGHTS STAY BEFORE OR AFTER THE RALLY MUST BE BOOKED WITH THE CAMPSITE
Booking:
You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.
Please use the button below to book for this event. Preferred payment for UK residents is by on-line credit/debit card payment but the form will present you with other options. If you have a website login account, then please login before using this form as most fields will be filled in for you automatically.
Need further information?
- Event attendees detailed information including rides etc.
- E-mail the rally team at: tcn2026@tandem-club.org.uk
Map
Event Information
Attendees Event informationTerms and Conditions.
Booking confirmation:
Your booking is not confirmed until payment has been received in full and cleared which should be before the closing date for bookings. Dishonoured cheques will result in the cancellation of your booking.
Members Only:
This event is open to UK or overseas Tandem Club Members or, in the case of overseas people, members of the following organisations: "Tandem Club of America", "Tandem Club de France", "Tandem Club NL (Netherlands)", "Tandem ClubVlaanderen (Belgium)" and "Tandem-fahren.de (Germany)". You can join the Tandem Club using the forms on the TC website. Joining the TC (About 10 UKP per year).
Disclaimer:
If you participate in any ride or event organised by the Tandem Club you do so entirely at your own risk. The Club, its officers and ride organisers accept no responsibility for loss, damage to property, accident, injury or death, that may occur, however caused, whether by negligence, deliberate act or otherwise.
Cancellations and refunds.
The rally fee will not be refunded after the closing date. Refund of other components will depend on what the Club can recover from the campsite and/or other suppliers. Members may wish to consider taking out Holiday Insurance to cover losses the Club cannot refund.
Photographs taken at the event may be published on the Tandem Club Website, The Tandem Club Facebook pages and The Tandem Club Journal