I'm stressed in my cycling :-(

[Pat "5mph"]

Chivvy @Rickshaw Phil as well for me pat. I have tried to get him to do this sort if thing, as he would simply be brilliant at it. He's tought me a lot about cycling and bikes already, without even really trying. Natural talent in my eyes

Yes, you need to be able to explain stuff clearly, Phil is very good at that on CC.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Results got emailed: did not get the cycle trainer, but got a certificate for "Cycle training assistant" ... it's a step in the right direction

 

[boydj]

I did the same course a couple of years ago - I think the instructor was Chris Johnson from Cycling Scotland. It's an interesting course and well worthwhile if you deal with inexperienced cyclists at all or if you're not sure about your own technique.

I don't think they get too many regular commuter cyclists doing the course as we did have some interesting discussions, for instance on why it's often not a good idea to signal a left turn. Funnily, on the first ride after that particular discussion we got a good example of why that's the case when the lead rider was almost chopped by a right-turner nipping across us when he saw the signal.

 

[Ern1e]

Results got emailed: did not get the cycle trainer, but got a certificate for "Cycle training assistant" ... it's a step in the right direction

Still well done Pat just like you say a step in the right direction and are you framing the certificate lol

 

[Sara_H]

Results got emailed: did not get the cycle trainer, but got a certificate for "Cycle training assistant" ... it's a step in the right direction

Well done, Pat.

May I ask, what are you hoping to do with your skills? Do you have a plan? I rather fancied the idea of running some cycling courses for adolescent girls. I work with vulnerable adolescents quite a lot and it often strikes me that life might feel different for them if they expereienced the joy of the wind in their hair and the satisfaction of transporting themselves independently.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Still well done Pat just like you say a step in the right direction and are you framing the certificate lol

Hi Ernie: nowadays the certificates are on line, one could print them, but for environmental reasons you can just give a web reference number to whoever needs to see it.

 

[guitarpete247]

I did the course in August 2012 through an organisation that has a contract with local schools teaching sports and went into Bikeability. They couldn't give me enough work then stopped from November 2012 until Easter this year. They then only contacted me when they were desperate and gave me one afternoon session. They didn't get me through the post course assessment and the one afternoon they sent me on I was on my own. I'm not fussed about working for them again.
The course was with a guy from British Cycling and was first rate.
I've tried through Leicestershire council to get involved and even offered volunteering. But not even acknowledgement of my e-mails.
I did however enjoy the justification of my insistence of taking primary through pinch points. Something I did here and got sworn at for not allowing an overtake. My brother who I was riding with thought I was wrong and that he would have overtaken a cyclist.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Well done, Pat.

May I ask, what are you hoping to do with your skills? Do you have a plan? I rather fancied the idea of running some cycling courses for adolescent girls. I work with vulnerable adolescents quite a lot and it often strikes me that life might feel different for them if they expereienced the joy of the wind in their hair and the satisfaction of transporting themselves independently.

Well Sara, I wanted to be able to help riders in my ladies group, the Belles on Bikes, to acquire road skills and basic repair skills.
The ones in the group with a bit more knowledge run classes on a voluntary basis, there are over 300 Belles to date in Glasgow and surroundings, some on CC as well, a good percentage of them do not ride the roads because they are scared.
I'm ok with the mechanics, thought I was not bad with the road skills too, have learned I need to improve.
As I stand now, I'm not supposed to teach anybody without a proper trainer present, but I guess I could prepare some basic lessons from the materials given to me, while working on my own skills.
One thing I wanted to do was to teach riding a bike to my friend, she is 60, has never learned.
I will give this a bash with my newly acquired knowledge
Strangely enough, I am qualified to lead a beginner's ride - this was a one day course I've done a few months ago: it does not say I'm meant to use off road cycle paths only

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I did however enjoy the justification of my insistence of taking primary through pinch points. Something I did here and got sworn at for not allowing an overtake. My brother who I was riding with thought I was wrong and that he would have overtaken a cyclist.

According to the book, for your own safety you are right not to allow being overtaken in that stretch of road ... so near a junction too

 

[DCLane]

My youngest was supposed to do Bikeability at school this week.

On Monday they had their bikes checked over - and then cancelled the rest due to rain.
On Tuesday it was cancelled due to rain.
The result = one upset 9yo.

All they did was say his saddle was too high, on a road bike, and put it down far too low. It's now back where it's supposed to be. He was on his bike at least last night on rollers at the kid's training locally.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

All they did was say his saddle was too high, on a road bike, and put it down far too low. It's now back where it's supposed to be. He was on his bike at least last night on rollers at the kid's training locally.

That's one of the things I learned @DCLane beginners should have their saddle lower so that they can touch the ground with their feet.
Mind, at this stage it is supposed they cannot ride a bike: your son should have been asked imo.
When we were doing the balance games in Bikability1 we had to lower our saddle just to practice the teaching.

 

[DCLane]

That's one of the things I learned @DCLane beginners should have their saddle lower so that they can touch the ground with their feet.
Mind, at this stage it is supposed they cannot ride a bike: your son should have been asked imo.
When we were doing the balance games in Bikability1 we had to lower our saddle just to practice the teaching.

I think that was the issue; they assumed all the year 5 children taking part didn't ride.

But he turned up on a road bike (the rest on all sorts), with his teacher knowing he'd just done a 26-mile charity ride the previous weekend and that he was taking part in performance bike training

Ah well, hopefully they'll listen to him next time.

 

[buggi]

"I am left with the slightly sad vision of a future filled with fast skilled road riders, no place for the likes of Pat 5mph."

and this is why all the training in the world will not get everyone from 8 to 80 cycling, without suitable infrastructure in place.

its not suitable infrastructure that's needed, its suitable law and proper punishment for disobeying it. If those two things were in place you wouldn't need designated cycling infrastructure.
Pat, I'm a National Standards Instructor, you'll be fine x

 

[buggi]

Well I've been doing that all wrong for over 30 years.

yep, stops cars hooking around you. Should also take primary passing a side road for same reason

 

[guitarpete247]

The session I took I got the kids to do a "slow race". Some of them could do it others took the word Race and couldn't get the concept of bike control. I'd been given 10 kids from years 4, 5 & 6. Braking was a problem as they couldn't stop without sliding the back wheel out to the side, every-time, almost taking out another rider. I had a TA with me who knew the kids and that helped. The problem was, some of the kids told me, they had paid £5 for the course so, even if I thought they were unsafe (my description of their behaviour), I couldn't stop them taking part.
All the other schools I had been to were great and the kids listened and tried every routine sensibly.