How to ask the big question with the help of a tandem – a true story:
My girlfriend and I spent a year apart when dating as she went off to study in a small town in Italy. The highlight of her year abroad was being able to travel around on a bicycle with not a care in the world for traffic or paying for petrol and parking. She was able to shoot off to the local market for groceries, throw a bottle of wine in her basket and stay fit at the same time!
Upon returning to South Africa, she often day dreamed about whizzing around Italy on her bicycle. When thinking up an idea for an engagement, I had wanted something that would allow us to have a little outdoor adventure. Using the Franschhoek as the setting seemed appropriate as it was there where I had first taken her on a breakfast date and then bashfully proclaimed my love while walking along a dirt road along the side of the vineyards. I had my heart set on hiring a tandem bicycle and merrily riding it between vineyards.
It was a surprise to learn that short of buying a tandem bicycle, they can be very difficult to get hold of for the day. After many fruitless phone calls, I was finally directed to Francois from Manic Cycles, who made my idea a reality. He was immediately on-board and offered to bring the bicycle from Worcester to Franschhoek on any day of my choosing.
Many glasses of wine later and we were cycling along that very first dirt road, when we stopped and I asked her to marry me. She said yes and we happily completed the day with a picnic by the dam, before happily collapsing with exhaustion at a nearby bed & breakfast.
I wish to thank Francois and his family for all their help in making the day a success and forever making the image of a tandem bicycle represent the symbol of unity, as my fiancé and I start our lives together!
Jean-Pierre Zeelie
