Cycle Experience for Drivers

[Milkfloat]

How many cyclists actually agree with what Bikeability teaches would be a better place to start.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hmmm - wonder where my Mum kept my Cycling Proficiency Test certificate from about 1970???

I might just need it

 

[Roseland triker]

Probably be easier to just get run over before taking the driving test than try get millennials to do it....

 

[Alex321]

So - only if they have been forced to re-take??

I was thinking of forcing everyone to take it unless they have a medical reasons saying they cannot ride a bike

and being a daily fail reader wouldn't count

Driving test requirements have never been retrospective.

If you got your licence 40 years ago (as I did), you have never needed to do the separate theory test, for instance.

 

[fossyant]

Hmmm - wonder where my Mum kept my Cycling Proficiency Test certificate from about 1970???

I might just need it

I only just passed mine. i.e marks, scraped through.

 

[Andy_R]

How many cyclists actually agree with what Bikeability teaches would be a better place to start.

So what do you disagree with regarding Bikeability? Or to give it another name "National Standard for Cycle Training"?

 

[Milkfloat]

So what do you disagree with regarding Bikeability? Or to give it another name "National Standard for Cycle Training"?

I have to take some of this back. I was going to sound off on mandatory helmet and high vis, but actually when I check it seems that it is the schools making it mandatory and Bikeability just advising it. Still, I have never seen a Bikeability course run without helmets and Bikeabilty branded high vis, which in my eyes is telling the kids that cycling is a dangerous pursuit.

 

[Alex321]

I have to take some of this back. I was going to sound off on mandatory helmet and high vis, but actually when I check it seems that it is the schools making it mandatory and Bikeability just advising it. Still, I have never seen a Bikeability course run without helmets and Bikeabilty branded high vis, which in my eyes is telling the kids that cycling is a dangerous pursuit.

I can't imagine they would even consider running the courses without helmets.

As you say, they advise the wearing of helmets, that wouldn't look good if they then ran courses in contravention of that advice. Quite apart from any potential liability issues if some kid bashed their head.

 

[Profpointy]

Driving test requirements have never been retrospective.

If you got your licence 40 years ago (as I did), you have never needed to do the separate theory test, for instance.

It was obviously a much harder test back when we did ours as it covered 7.5 ton trucks, minibuses, large trailers etc. The modern test is clearly dumbed down as it only covers cars and small vans

 

[Profpointy]

I have to take some of this back. I was going to sound off on mandatory helmet and high vis, but actually when I check it seems that it is the schools making it mandatory and Bikeability just advising it. Still, I have never seen a Bikeability course run without helmets and Bikeabilty branded high vis, which in my eyes is telling the kids that cycling is a dangerous pursuit.

When I did my cycle course not so long back I was encouraged to wear a helmet and high vis. Not convinced the high vis really made me stand out more

 

[byegad]

Anything that puts people off riding is, almost by definition, surely a bad thing!

 

[Milkfloat]

Anything that puts people off riding is, almost by definition, surely a bad thing!

I assume you were referring to @Profpointy in the post above

 

[Ming the Merciless]

When I did my cycle course not so long back I was encouraged to wear a helmet and high vis. Not convinced the high vis really made me stand out more View attachment 634175

Are you the bloke on the phone?

 

[Andy_R]

I have to take some of this back. I was going to sound off on mandatory helmet and high vis, but actually when I check it seems that it is the schools making it mandatory and Bikeability just advising it. Still, I have never seen a Bikeability course run without helmets and Bikeabilty branded high vis, which in my eyes is telling the kids that cycling is a dangerous pursuit.

Unfortunately, Bikeability is run on behalf of Local Authorities either by teams embedded in the LA, or by private organisations working on behalf of the LA. As I'm sure you are aware, LAs are incredibly risk averse, so they tend to require helmets and high viz. An example of how risk averse they are - when the local school crossing patrol (lollipop) is being trained, or assessed, the assessor/trainer wears high viz, even though they never go into the road. You can't win against that sort of mentality.

 

[Oldhippy]

Unfortunately, Bikeability is run on behalf of Local Authorities either by teams embedded in the LA, or by private organisations working on behalf of the LA. As I'm sure you are aware, LAs are incredibly risk averse, so they tend to require helmets and high viz. An example of how risk averse they are - when the local school crossing patrol (lollipop) is being trained, or assessed, the assessor/trainer wears high viz, even though they never go into the road. You can't win against that sort of mentality.

When daily drivers start wearing fire suits and crash helmets I will dress in day glo and have a polystyrene hat until then I will carry on like I've been doing for over 40 years in regular clothing travelling 1000's of miles yearly on my daily transport cycle.