Cycling Proficiency Test

[Alex321]

The Policeman was actually correct. View attachment 621667

No he wasn't.

Pedal cyclists and horses use the bottom row of signals, the same as motorcyclists do.

 

[winjim]

No he wasn't.

Pedal cyclists and horses use the bottom row of signals, the same as motorcyclists do.

I'd love to see a horse wave its hoof thrice widdershins to signal a left turn though.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When they started running the scheme, my dad was still the secretary of the town's cycling club, so he set it up with the help from the cycling club members. When I did the course, I remember that I could never do the close turns round the bollards in the playground. Still it helped me for doing those dead U turns when I started time trialling.

When I got my badge, it was presented by no less than Harold Wilson, who was our local MP and PM at the time.

Soooooo
you was from round here then!

My Dad always referred to him as "our 'arold"
as does my wife

 

[Sharky]

Yep, born in Whiston and first 19 years in Prescot. Loads of relatives still around the area but more down here in Kent now. Used to visit my uncle several times a year and occasionally ride a 10 on the Rainford bypass.
But alas, the last two visits were for funerals.
But I do miss cycling the roads up there.

 

[HLaB]

I did mine in about 1990. At my school, you were only allowed to ride your bike to school if you'd done the cycling proficiency test

That explains why no one cycled to my school, there was no proficiency test, so no one could have passed it.
In seriousness though no one cycled because there was no where reasonable to leave your bike. There was unsecure wheel benders outside our technical block but it was always used as a football area

 

[DiggyGun]

No he wasn't.

Pedal cyclists and horses use the bottom row of signals, the same as motorcyclists do.

I’ll let the Government know that their information is incorrect.

 

[Alex321]

I’ll let the Government know that their information is incorrect.

In what way is their information incorrect?

 

[DiggyGun]

In what way is their information incorrect?

You advised that the Policeman was incorrect

 

[winjim]

You advised that the Policeman was incorrect

I think you're taking the phrase 'long arm of the law' a bit literally if you think he should be able to reach all the way across the passenger seat and signal out of the left window from the driver's side.

 

[Salad Dodger]

Because my school had a minor road with a really steep hill on one side, and a busy A road on the other side, we took all the practical tests in the playground. Instructor used old fire hoses to mark out "roads", and I think chalk to mark Stop lines.
He didn't manage to construct a roundabout for us to practice on!

By the way, Mrs Salad is emotionally scarred by being the only one in her class to actually fail her cycling proficiency test. She hit the instructor whilst failing to emergency stop!

 

[Alex321]

You advised that the Policeman was incorrect

Which he was.

What does that have to do with your suggestion that I believe the government information to be incorrect?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Harold Wilson must have been delighted to present this badge to you, not just because he was your local MP. I've just unearthed an archived article from 1958 that refers to Harold Wilson. Many years before he became the Prime Minister (1964-1970, then 1974-76) he was the Minister for Transport responsible for introducing the Cycling Proficiency Test. Interesting stuff eh !

Interesting but it's the wrong Harold. The article refers to Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation under a Conservative administration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Watkinson

 

[T4tomo]

I did mine in about 1990. At my school, you were only allowed to ride your bike to school if you'd done the cycling proficiency test

Glad that didn't apply at mine. I rode my bike to school from age of 5, as the youngest I think I was initially made to ride with oldest sister in front and no 2 sister behind - strict no overtaking policy It was a mile and we didn't qualify for free school minibus transport as slightly too close. I don't think we did cycling proficiency until I was 8 or9.

 

[rogerzilla]

They never taught me to do wheelies.

 

[BoldonLad]

Some 50 years ago the UK Government thought it would improve road safety for primary schools to train children how to ride bicycles on the public highway. Our class was trained by the village policeman whose hand signal instruction to turn left was 'Stick your right arm out and turn it anticlockwise 3 times'. The teacher reminded him that was a hand signal for motorists and we needed to use our left arm to signal left and right for right. We also had to learn our bicycle number that was stamped on the frame underneath what I now know as the chainstay. I still remember that number, 85883bf,

Eventually we all passed the test and received a RoSPA Cycling Proficiency Badge, one for our school blazer and the other for the bicycle handlebars. Amazingly it was in the shape of a triangle so the spiked top was a danger. The teachers were in uproar and the triangular badge was replaced with a round one that has the emblem for the aforesaid triangle stamped on it.

Happy days !

I think it must have been more than 50 years ago. I am 74, and, remember doing my Cycling Proficiency Test at. School (we were not allowed to cycle to school, and park bicycle in the cycle-shed, unless we had passed the Cycling Proficiency Test). I was in Junior School when we did the training, then, the test, so, somewhere between 1954 and 1958.

I wonder if I still have my certificate?, I must conduct a search