Sawtry man helps disadvantaged cyclists enjoy life in the saddle after Lands End to John O'Groats challenge

Cyclist Graham Davies is proof that triumph can prevail over tragedy.

The 61-year-old Sawtry man has spent the past two years creating G-Whizz Inclusive Tandem Bike Rides, a unique, non-profit ‘service’ which allows people who have lost their sight or are no longer fully mobile to continue enjoying their love of cycling.

Since retiring two years ago, Graham has put together a fleet of tandem bikes which he and his fellow volunteer ‘pilots’ use to help deliver cycling experiences for people who are unable to ride a two-wheeled bike on their own.

G-Whizz was established in memory of Graham’s best friend and fellow chorister, Sharyn Rutterford who “loved cycling and singing.”

Sadly, Sharyn, 46, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early 2020 and, within the space of six months of first noticing a lump, found herself unable to sit comfortably on a conventional bike.

“She wanted to cycle again before she died,” Graham remembers, “so I found this special bike that’s got kind of like a bench at the front that she sat on.”

The bike in question was a Circe Morpheus tandem, which features a bench seat, a semi-recumbent sitting position and an independent pedalling system.

“I managed to take her on a local ride on it around here, and I also took her around Derwent Water as she’d never been to the Lake District and wanted to see it.”

While Sharyn was thrilled to finally visit a part of the country she’d always wanted to see, she voiced concerns about Graham’s generosity.

“She wasn’t happy that I’d spent so much money on a bike that had limited use,” Graham recalls, “so I told her that, later, I would put the bike to good use.”

After the passing of Sharyn, Graham paid good on his promise and that’s how G-Whizz was born

‘It’s the only thing that makes me feel normal again’

Graham has since gone on to add six standard tandem bikes to his Circe Morpheus, all of which enable him and his small team of volunteer pilots to help people with a range of disadvantages and disabilities to keep the wheels turning.

Depending on the abilities of the riders, G-Whizz provides local rides from a few miles to treks much further afield including overnight stays.

While getting a good few miles under the belt is important for the visually impaired competitive cyclists (mostly triathletes with degenerative sight) Graham regularly works with, those who come to him because they have been afflicted by debilitating medical conditions tend to get something more fundamental out of the generous – and entirely free – service G-Whizz provides.

To illustrate this Graham speaks about Peter, an active skier and “very capable cyclist” who once cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats. Peter came to Graham after suffering a stroke a few years ago.

“Peter can now cycle again with the group of friends he used to cycle with,” Graham explains, “they all come over here on their solo bikes and we go out on the tandem.”

“Peter can enjoy their company and the banter; he can see the hedgerows that we’re passing and listen to the birds - and enjoy a cake, as we always do.”

Graham shares that Peter once told him that this unique experience “is the only thing that makes me feel kind of normal again.”

‘Going uphill on a tandem is seriously hard work’

Graham has just returned from doing one of the most arduous journeys that can be done on two wheels in Britain - cycling from Lands End to John O’Groats (LEJOG).

The challenging 1,016 miles trip was undertaken on one of G-Whizz’s tandem bikes with Graham in the piloting position and 55-year-old Richard King, who is registered blind, taking up seat two.

So what made the two men take on such a challenging task?

“I had planned to do the LEJOG with Sharyn,” Graham said, “and Richard said he’d always wanted to do it but never thought he’d be able to - he never thought he’d find somebody to do it with.”

The duo were lucky in that it didn’t rain once during their 19 days on the road. However, Graham was quick to explain that the hills on their journey – especially those in Cornwall and Devon – were extremely challenging:

“Going uphill on a tandem is seriously hard work,” he says, grimacing, “much harder than two people cycling up on two solo bikes.”

Pride of Peterborough award-winner Graham notes, unsurprisingly, that he and Richard “definitely didn’t break any speed records.”

“We deliberately wanted to go at a pace at which we could smell the roses and enjoy the experience.”

The former managing director admitted that he experienced a mix of emotions when he and his companion finally reached the famous landmark sign at John O’Groats. “At the end, I had the thrill of completing the ride,” he says, “but also an immense sense of pride that I had enabled Richard to do this.”

Warming to his introspection, Graham summed up: “Everybody needs purpose in their life.”

“And at this stage of my life, this is my purpose.”

While Graham has paid for almost everything needed to get G-Whizz off the ground out of his own pocket, he acknowledges that funding is a concern.

With this in mind, he has set up an online fundraising page to help him pay for the repairs, spare parts and maintenance his bike fleet requires.

Anyone who would like to help G-Whizz continue to offer its unique services can do so by visiting Graham’s JustGiving page