National Cycling Proficiency

[PeteXXX]

I found my Cycling Proficiency badge lurking at the back of a drawer recently
This accolade was awarded to me in about 1962
Pupils were not allowed to ride a bike to school unless they had passed the test and earned the right to ride!

 

[Sara_H]

Nice badge. We didn't do cycling proficiency at school.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I've got the same badge, and I'm sure I've still got the certificate from 1978. Happy days!

 

[PeteXXX]

Sadly my certificate is lost

 

[ColinJ]

I got mine in about 1965 and had a circular badge to clip onto my handlebars.

I never rode to my junior school because it was only a 6 or 7 minute walk away. I rode to my grammar school for a year or two until some swine nicked my bike from the school bike sheds!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

My memory is very bad but I don't remember anything about my proficiency test apart from a very easy slalom in a local school playground. All I remember is I passed and there was absolutely no element of training beforehand, just the head at the primary school telling us it was a good thing so put your name down and go to..: they just wanted to see if I could distinguish left and right on a small course without falling off.

 

[ColinJ]

My memory is very bad but I don't remember anything about my proficiency test apart from a very easy slalom in a local school playground. All I remember is I passed and there was absolutely no element of training beforehand, just the head at the primary school telling us it was a good thing so put your name down and go to..: they just wanted to see if I could distinguish left and right on a small course without falling off.

We did playground slaloms too but we also were taught hand signals, how to look over the shoulder without wobbling, that kind of thing. We did rides round a quiet local loop (anti-clockswise so we only had to do left turns) with teachers stationed round the course keeping an eye on us.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Anyone remember one of my first signatures??

'I have a terrible confession to make: I failed my cycle proficiency test at school'


They seemed to take it quite seriously at my school and I apparently didn't have the confidence despite the fact that I already rode on the road by that time.

I bet if I did it now I'd pass with flying colours, oh yeah!!

 

[Sandra6]

My brother did cycling proficiency in the early 80's, but they stopped it the year after so I never got to do it. He used to taunt me with his badge.
It's been replaced with bikeability in schools now.

 

[Adam G]

They stopped it for me too but my brother (two years older) did get it. I'm 33 and I assume primary school it would have been done so we're talking 1988-90.

I applied for a job recently to become an instructor here in Nottingham, they wanted self employed people to do it which is perfect for me (since I already am) but I didn't hear anything back. The ad is still up there but I guess the it's all under funded so they take an age to get back to you.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

They stopped it for me too but my brother (two years older) did get it. I'm 33 and I assume primary school it would have been done so we're talking 1988-90.

I applied for a job recently to become an instructor here in Nottingham, they wanted self employed people to do it which is perfect for me (since I already am) but I didn't hear anything back. The ad is still up there but I guess the it's all under funded so they take an age to get back to you.

I did it at school in 1994, and it was the Police.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Anyone remember one of my first signatures??

'I have a terrible confession to make: I failed my cycle proficiency test at school'


....

Can I join the club please? I too failed it...

 

[mcshroom]

I have the cloth badge stiched on my camp blanket after passing in 1992.

 

[PpPete]

I'm not sure when they stopped the National scheme, but Hampshire Road Safety carried on with a very similar scheme. I was one of the last volunteer instructors. Then central government decided it would be sooo much better to replace free labour and community goodwill with a scheme for the benefit of the private sector (Bikeability).

 

[Brains]

I did the course at school about 1973.
I seem to REMEBER it was very through and detailed and I'm sure was run over two full days
(May have. been two half days)