Empty nesters take on 1,900-mile tandem ride

A couple in their 60s have embarked on a 1,900-mile (3,057km) tandem cycle ride in a search for independence after becoming empty nesters.

Chris and Nicky Clarkaim to get to Lisbon in Portugal from their home in Somerset in 65 days - carrying everything they need, including a tent.

It is the latest trip for the pair since their four children became adults, after previous adventures cycling throughout Europe.

Their travels have inspired a memoir, Time to Change Gear, charting their journey "through marriage, midlife and the open road".

The trip, which began on Sunday, will be the Clarks' sixth long distance adventure on their "much-loved" tandem, Edith.

Chris said the book follows the story of a previous ride from their home in Oakhill down the west coast of France and on to Santander in Spain on their search for freedom, fun and adventure.

"At the heart of the memoir is the question many older parents will recognise, 'once your children become independent, how do you become independent of them?'," he told BBC Radio Somerset.

"We've just got to get on and live our own lives again without kids.

"The book's about the people we meet along the way and what they tell us about getting older or how they deal with life.

"I think it's also been really good for our relationship.

"We discovered when we started going cycling off, just the two of us, actually how much we still liked each other," he said.

The tandem was measured and designed to fit Chris at the front and Nicky at the back.

"Chris always goes on the front, but I'm happy with that," said Nicky.

"I actually like it. I can look around; I do all the map reading; he does all the directions, and you know, it's great.

"When we're cycling along, we do personify Edith. She really feels like part of the team," she said.

The national charity Trauma Research UK said parents who become empty nesters when their children leave home often felt feelings of "loss, loneliness or disorientation".

"What's particularly important at this stage is recognising that this transition can also present an opportunity," said operations manager Sarah Floyd.

"As the focus of caregiving changes, it allows space for parents to rediscover their own interests and explore new challenges or passions that may have been set aside.

"Engaging in new activities, whether that's travel, hobbies, volunteering or learning something new entirely, can play a key role in restoring a sense of purpose and identity," she added.

Before their adventures, Chris ran a pub company and real ale brewery in Frome and now shapes wooden surfboards in Oakhill, while Nicky retrained from chartered accountancy in Wincanton and Taunton to become a therapeutic counsellor.

Together, they said, this journey is about "long-term relationships, reinvention and the humour that inevitably comes from being chained together on a tandem".

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