A CARRIAGE might be out of reach, but Deb and Nick Tremblin will be looking sweet on a bicycle made for two on their wedding anniversary this weekend.

This Highworth pair are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their marriage with a 26-mile tandem bike ride around Wiltshire on Sunday.

Deb, 57, and 60-year-old Nick are using one of the two organised rides as part of Sky and British Cycling’s autumn series Sky Rides, after taking part in six of the rides held in Swindon over the summer.

“This just seemed like a fitting and fun thing to do to mark being together and keeping things going to reach this big milestone, while burning some calories at the same time,” said Deb, library manager at Highworth Warneford School.

“We’re a great team on the pedalling and we’ll be taking it in turns on the front.

“My son gave us the bike, hoping it would inspire Nick to cycle more and it seems to have done the trick.

“It is also a great way to work on communication skills, which are the foundation for any relationship.”

The mother-of-two and Nick, a mechanic, first met when they were working in Sierra Leone as a teacher and mechanical engineer respectively. They married in Indiana, where Deb is from, on January 1, 1984, and had a blessing later that year at St Michael’s Church in Highworth, where they chose to settle down and start a family.

Deb’s passion for cycling began after she hit 50 and thought shifting gears would also help keep her fit.

“I went on a fitness drive to shed some pounds and strengthen my core,” she said. “I also started spinning, which is brilliant, but being outdoors on your bike is even better.

“My energy levels have sky rocketed and it’s also a really good stress reliever. I cycle to work and also purely for pleasure.

“It has opened up so many beautiful parts of Swindon and the surrounding countryside.

“I cycle so much now that I’ve even loaned my car to my daughter because I use it so little.”

Deb has already taken part in six of the 35 Sky Rides held for the first time in Swindon on Sundays over the summer months.

Nearly 600 cyclists of all abilities took part in the events, funded by Sport England, and organised in partnership with British Cycling and Swindon Council.

British Cycling presented the council with a framed Great Britain cycling jersey.

Coun Keith Williams, cabinet member for corporate and leisure services, said: “I’m delighted that the Sky Ride initiative is proving so popular in Swindon.

“These extra rides are another great opportunity to enjoy the social side of cycling as part of a group.”

For more, visit www.goskyride.com/swindon