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Tandem Bicycle Club in Ecuador's Capital Leads Blind Riders to New Adventures
The club has 150 members and recently completed a 1,000 km ride across Ecuador, giving blind riders access to cycling and outdoor freedom.
On Sunday, August 30, 2026, volunteers in Quito, Ecuador, guided visually impaired cyclists on tandem bikes as part of the Ciegocleta initiative, which provides outdoor access for blind riders.
Miguel Ramos, founder, established Ciegocleta 19 years ago in Quito after inviting a blind neighbor to ride when his own child could not join him on a tandem bike.
The group now has 150 members, though only about 30 ride on a typical Sunday; long-time members like 54-year-old psychologist Ximena Lozano and Franklin Ochoa credit the club for newfound independence.
While around 56,000 people in Ecuador are visually impaired, Lozano says the club offers her a reason to be outdoors and "experience freedom" beyond the confines of home.
Ochoa plans to undertake a 1,000 km tandem ride from Ecuador to Mexico, building on adventures he has pursued since losing his eyesight 16 years ago.
By GONZALO SOLANO QUITO (AP) — “What I never met when I saw, now that I’m blind I’m meeting him by bicycle.” The phrase is from Franklin Ochoa, who as part of the group called Ciegocleta enjoys long Sunday walks and demanding departures outside Quito with the help of a guide. The proposal is simple, [...]