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With more people thinking about riding to work that have never ridden on the road, someone asked me if there's anything like cycle proficiency for adults. ie something to teach them how to stay safe riding on busy streets.
Not answering your question but...
Do they have a driving licence? From my vague memory of CP at school, a large portion was about who gives way, indicate you movement etc.
A competent driver may have a different knowledge gap to an 11 year old.
Bikability is the new cycling proficiency, and they run the courses for adults too, you'll need to contact someone in your local council.
Bike ability teaching you how to behave and communicate with traffic. Well worth it. Goes up to level 3.
Tbh many people who are "experienced" cyclists could do with doing level 3.
Perhaps the next stage after Bikeability, but my cycle club's coaching team did some "group riding training" for our more casual, "social" riders in an attempt to educate them as to how to be safer, more confident riders on the road and get a few hints and tips as to how things should work on a group ride - e.g. signals, position changes, speed management etc. This was requested by the club to give everyone the opportunity to improve their bike skills, rather than just the youth racers who get coached very heavily already. As anyone who's ever done it will know, it's not rocket science, but does require a bit of a change of attitude if you have been riding in a certain way for a long time.
In the end, hardly anyone took us up on it and those that did approached it with an "I've been riding my bike for years, so don't you tell me what to do!" sort of attitude, which meant that the whole experience was pretty miserable for both coaches and students alike. It's a real shame as we have a massive depth of experience in our club, both in formally qualified coaches and riders/section leads who have been club riders since they were kids themselves and have a huge breadth of experience. Sadly some people seem just happy to ride in the gutter in a long line of spaced out riders, and then moan when cars don't give them space on the road 🙁
Bit of a disaster, all in, but I hope to keep chipping away at it and maybe one day we'll get the message across! In the meantime, I'll keep my own focus on the youth riders in the hope that other club members will seen them riding in a tight, confident formation on the road and maybe want to do it themselves one day....
Bikeability.
I got the chance to do Level 3 a couple of years ago. Despite 40 years of riding and thousands of miles a year I found it cured some bad habits and made me more assertive and confident on the road.
A couple of ladies on the course that day seemed totally transformed by it as we all got to grips with busy multi lane junctions and roundabouts. I'd recommend it to anyone.
**** me. The idea that it's the cyclists that need the training beggars belief.
IT ISN'T THE CYCLISTS GOING ROUND KILLING PEOPLE.
Bikability is the new cycling proficiency, and they run the courses for adults too, you’ll need to contact someone in your local council.
Yep, often see them by the Science Park in Cambridge all in matching HiViz....
In the end, hardly anyone took us up on it and those that did approached it with an “I’ve been riding my bike for years, so don’t you tell me what to do!” sort of attitude, which meant that the whole experience was pretty miserable for both coaches and students alike.
Reminds me of our Tri club, used to do their Saturday training ride and it was always entertaining, 40 riders who normally ride alone, head down on tri bars attempting to ride in a group - always had crashes, jackets wrapped round wheels, over the bars into ditches, wiping out in water splashes, interlinked handle bars, riding into the back of a stationary rider.
I think in one month the same person managed to go over the bars three times on consecutive rides, which is quite an achievement (she was an ex-elite level Triathlete). Only one serious concussion, ending in an ambulance trip....
Thanks peeps, that's all useful.
**** me. The idea that it’s the cyclists that need the training beggars belief.IT ISN’T THE CYCLISTS GOING ROUND KILLING PEOPLE.
No, but many people who would like to cycle but are too nervous / afraid etc benefit from some coaching to teach them the basics of riding in traffic.
Anyone (OK, most people) can ride a bike along a traffic free trail or round CenterParcs. Many would like to ride to work or with the kids or something and BikeAbility is very useful for that.
I can ride a mountain bike. Used to race at a reasonably decent level. But I still benefited from skills training back in the day - it genuinely took my racing up a notch. Same with BikeAbility.
Some councils run free cycle training sessions for adults too, worth checking with your local council.
In the end, hardly anyone took us up on it and those that did approached it with an “I’ve been riding my bike for years, so don’t you tell me what to do!” sort of attitude, which meant that the whole experience was pretty miserable for both coaches and students alike.
Oh yeah, the cliquey road club group ride. All it needs is two or three people with a slightly different attitude to calls or etiquette for the whole thing to disintegrate. Done well, a good group ride is amazing; done badly it's an embarrassing collection of cock-ups, irate drivers and pissed off riders.
Most riders don't practice it anywhere near enough to be competent - a couple of hours once a week is just enough to think you know what you're doing while actually being really bad at it!
Oh yeah, the cliquey road club group ride. All it needs is two or three people with a slightly different attitude to calls or etiquette for the whole thing to disintegrate. Done well, a good group ride is amazing; done badly it’s an embarrassing collection of cock-ups, irate drivers and pissed off riders.
We try not to be too cliquey (and probably fail completely!) but if you have one or two riders in a group who can't (or won't!) hold a wheel, can't maintain consistent speed or reach for the brakes every time the rider in front farts, noone will be having fun that day 🙁
Group riding is a real skill, no less than bunny-hopping or trail riding.
40 riders who normally ride alone, head down on tri bars attempting to ride in a group
And that's a "no" from me! If they want to do that, they are welcome to, but they will be a long, long way from me!
**** me. The idea that it’s the cyclists that need the training beggars belief.
IT ISN’T THE CYCLISTS GOING ROUND KILLING PEOPLE.
You've presumably missed the numerous threads on here where people who would consider themselves to be experienced cyclists don't really know how to ride on the road - are scared to ride on the road, don't how to drive in proximity cyclists and are both scared of and surprised by how cyclists use roads.
However I'm happy with the idea that any nutter can jump on a bike and ride it - its only motorists who's use of roads is restricted by the terms of a license. People think a license 'qualifies' as some sort of priority road user when in fact it limits them. For cyclists theres no such limitation - any nutter can grab a bike and ride it - they don't need to be capable, sane or sober. The more nutters there are the more motorists will be wary of nutters - so thats all good. But personally I don't want to be that nutter - I'm happy to be informed and for anyone who wants to be to have the best information and advice available to them.
**** me. The idea that it’s the cyclists that need the training beggars belief.
IT ISN’T THE CYCLISTS GOING ROUND KILLING PEOPLE.
Cos obviously no cyclist has ever inadvertently put themselves, other road users or pedestrians in danger.
Not sure if arrogance or trolling.
Reminds me of our Tri club, used to do their Saturday training ride and it was always entertaining, 40 riders who normally ride alone, head down on tri bars attempting to ride in a group
TBF no worse than a group of mountainbikers in a group ride that need to briefly ride on the road to get between bits of trail.
People who individually I know to be sensible and competent at riding on a road get caught up in complete group ****wittery.
And I probably do so unwittingly myself too.
Common sense should prevail.... The problem is, it's not that common.
done badly it’s an embarrassing collection of cock-ups, irate drivers and pissed off riders.
I go on road club runs far less than I'd like for this reason. The groups are far too large and the standard of riding is frankly ****ing embarrassing. Always ends up as a massive echelon spilling over the centre line on all but the widest roads.
Edit - sorry off topic.
I've lost my rag a couple of times after lines of cars have been held up for a few miles or junctions blocked while waiting to regroup.
Actually my missus did a days adult bikeability session a few years ago just so she'd feel confident riding to work... She hasn't ridden a bike on the road since so that was an epic success...
But Yes CV19 has seen a huge lump of the great unwashed pulling their Apollo's from the shed, liberally dowsing it with WD40 and then setting off out for bicycling adventures and it's great!
Of course 50% decided after the first go that it was a bit much effort, another 25% will probably be fly-tipping that bastard contraption once they're off furlough and able to drive everywhere with impunity again, another 20% will decide to put it away till spring after the first coolish day in September and never touch it again (unless there's another pandemic)…
The remaining 5% might just start using a bicycle regularly for transport and/or leisure. That's still a win in my book, but you'll certainly put a proportion of those off if you start telling them they need to do a bloody "proficiency course" and acquire extra training.
Just let them ride FFS, they'll be fine.
Oh, I've just noticed the OP's username. If you are THAT Sam Underhill, ask your uncle Kevan help you with road riding, but whatever you do, don't let him attempt to fix your bike beforehand.