I'm stressed in my cycling :-(

[Pat "5mph"]

Pat, I'm a National Standards Instructor, you'll be fine x

When I grow up I wanna be like you
Anyhow, I made it to "assistant instructor" will try again next year.

@guitarpete247 we were told that if the kids skills are not up to the standard you don't have to give them a pass certificate, just an attendance one.
That means they cannot go onto level 2 yet.

 

[buggi]

well done Pat. Take some time to improve your confidence on road positioning and speeding up where necessary (in primary you need to be at a speed where you're not holding up traffic) and then go back to do your full instructor qualification. Don't be afraid to get out in primary as taught. Remember your students will do what you do, its important to show confidence. Don't let drivers intimidate you. If they are annoyed at least you know they have seen you. Doesn't mean you're wrong, it just means they are knobends

 

[buggi]

When I grow up I wanna be like you
Anyhow, I made it to "assistant instructor" will try again next year.

@guitarpete247 we were told that if the kids skills are not up to the standard you don't have to give them a pass certificate, just an attendance one.
That means they cannot go onto level 2 yet.

thats correct, level 1 is basic skills. It demonstrates to the instructor if the child can handle the bike and you can't take a child to level 2 if they haven't passed level 1 coz level 2 is on the road.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Cheers for the encouragement @buggi will volounteer to assist in the meantime and practice more.
Shame I like to ride my singlespeed, in heavy traffic it just does not cut it at my level of fitness ... might lose a stone or so to compensate

 

[shouldbeinbed]

.........? Don't keep us in suspenders!

how odd. I blame being on a near dead mobile.

....................but I've survived 30 years mainly urban riding on nothing more than a cycling proficiency course when I was 9 in rural Cambridgeshire.

Well done on the course Pat, but ride and trust to your instinct as to what's right for you, take the training as a guide to assist your development and enjoyment rather than a mantra to follow rigidly.

 

[fimm]

I'd like to politely disagree with buggi. Why should Pat, or anyone else, be expected to be able to sprint at 20 mph in order to "not hold up traffic"? I will ride my bike as and where I want, at a speed I am capable of doing, and the traffic can wait until I consider it safe to let it past. What is more important, my safety or 20 seconds of someone else's time? (Note that I am not advocating holding up traffic indefinitely, or for no good reason, but this expectation that cyclists have to be fit and fast to ride on the roads is one of the things that puts people like Pat's "Belles" off cycling. And of course if we had better infrastructure then people wouldn't have to deal with traffic so much anyway).

 

[Frood42]

my safety or 20 seconds of someone else's time?

The person using their horn in an improper manner does not give one hoot about a persons safety, it will be their 3 to 5 seconds they are worried about, or it will be themselves they are worried about if something goes wrong.

Of course a persons safety is priority, and they shouldn't have to sprint at 20mph to negotiate roundabouts, but until the government gets a back bone when it comes to motorists and starts removing these idiots from the road then patches such as seperate infrastructure for bikes is something we need to be pushing.

If Pat wants to do 5mph then Pat can do 5mph, this whole "holding up traffic" thing is silly, safety of all road users on what is a shared asset is what should be priority, not how quickly the idiot who left late wants to go to avoid being late again...

Ok, that was a bit ranty, I should really stop reading CA&D threads

 

[Frood42]

Since when was being passionate about something such a bad thing that it had to be ghettoised and criticised?

There is nothing wrong with being passionate about something, I tend to run on sometimes, and this is in the General Cycling Discussions forum, not the CA&D forum.

The CA&D forum can tend to contain strong views, and I felt that perhaps I was going on a bit strong for something in General Cycling Discussions.

We can have some fun light hearted banter on my life view in the Cafe over tea and cake if you like, you can have the slice of cake on me as well, unless you prefer to go Dutch with the bill (is that what they call it???? ).

People are welcome to be passionate and to have their own views on things, my view is that sometimes CA&D can be a bit strong, but it does not stop me having a nosey in there, and even posting on the odd occasion.

 

[Puddles]

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 you

 

[Puddles]

I'm ok with the mechanics,

Can you do Mrs Doubtfires mechanics with the hub thingy? I am still a sad loss at Bertha's

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Can you do Mrs Doubtfires mechanics with the hub thingy? I am still a sad loss at Bertha's

Never needed to touch a thing on Mrs. D. yet, Puddles: Actually last week I had a crash riding her (wet stones) only had to adjust the brake lever, not even a scratch on her - big bruise on my knee
Might take chain guard off, check the chain, rode through a puddle, water up to the bottom bracket

 

[Puddles]

Never needed to touch a thing on Mrs. D. yet, Puddles: Actually last week I had a crash riding her (wet stones) only had to adjust the brake lever, not even a scratch on her - big bruise on my knee
Might take chain guard off, check the chain, rode through a puddle, water up to the bottom bracket

Bertha is being a cowbag with her gears, Bikey Fixey man is giving her gears a service when he gives Squidge his maintenance lesson next week (poor man I must remember to buy his green tea he likes to drink)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Bertha is being a cowbag with her gears, Bikey Fixey man is giving her gears a service when he gives Squidge his maintenance lesson next week (poor man I must remember to buy his green tea he likes to drink)

Did you know you need to stop pedaling or have be stationary when changing gears on Bertha?
Sorry if you do know already, only was reading a post on here some time ago, one of the more experienced member was saying he forgot to do this after years of riding derally geared bikes, wondering how his hub gears weren't working

 

[Puddles]

Did you know you need to stop pedaling or have be stationary when changing gears on Bertha?
Sorry if you do know already, only was reading a post on here some time ago, one of the more experienced member was saying he forgot to do this after years of riding derally geared bikes, wondering how his hub gears weren't working

Yes I know I have to stop pedaling to change gears, in the easiest gear my little legs are spinning round like billy-yo if I change up to the next gears its like "Oh my heavens to betsy I am not cut out for cycling" as I can barely move the pedals, so he is coming out to have a talking to her. I have noticed Bertha behaves more in the company of other bikes I think she is just a contrary wotsit when she feels like it.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Anyone else get a little rattled when beeped at? The noise nearly always spooks me, as I'm not expecting it.

Nah, I just return their friendly beep with a wave. Being the laconic, laid-back type that I am, I generally limit the wave to just 1 finger .