Its easier and quicker than you think, gets you fit and costs you nothing so why aren’t we all doing it — asks Dilys Gartside, at the start of Bike Week.What that’s you say - The roads aren’t safe? Too many cars - going too fast?
But you wouldn’t drive a car without undergoing training so in the same way cyclists need to learn the even more skilful techniques for riding our busy roads. In 2004 our Government introduced the National Standard for Cycle Training to enable adults and children to receive high quality training from qualified instructors designated Nationally Accredited Instructors. These folk are daily cyclists experienced in all traffic conditions, have undergone instructor training and gained a Certificate of Qualification. National Standard is a comprehensive set of skills which are graded and taught in stages depending on ability, from complete novice to accomplished cyclist, in a group or individually, with instructor riding with trainee (no more warning triangles so expect to meet us anywhere). It is intended that National Standard will replace all other training schemes historically offered by councils or police
Why burn carbon, when you could burn calories?
With a whole generation lost to cycling and few children having a cycling parent able to teach them, this is an excellent chance for children to learn and experience the rules and skills of the road before they venture on them as teenage car drivers, as well as an opportunity for ‘the lost generation’ of adults
In Bristol, where professional training has been available for some time, there is high number of cyclists and a remarkable improvement in road behaviour and tolerance by all road users. The good news is that Southampton has its first professional Instructor operating under the name of CycleWise so what are you waiting for?
June 16-24 is BIKE WEEK - for lots of events and training opportunities look at www.BikeWeek.org.uk or www.SouthamptonCyclingCampaign.org.uk
Dilys Gartside is an accredited instructor. Click here for more information about CycleWise, or email her, or telephone 023 8077 7472.
See also
On yer bike!