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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 13:07 
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Neil Pedoe tested out Bikeability and found that

C+ wrote:

Cyclists of all ages could do with some extra Bikeability


:bow:

Neil attended a Level One session .. the one in the empty car park :hehe: with the instructor telling the trainees when and how to indicate :bow: and to glance back for imaginary juggernauts

Quote:

"What colour was he car which entered the car park?" asks the instructor knowingly. The C+ team are clueless and Neil - feeling like the "calss idiot" asks "WHat car? :shock:


Neil, like me recalls doing this in the school playground - aged abotu 9 years. We never went outside the playground .. but Bikeability takes the trainees straight out to the road .. once they've mastered basic handling/signalling.

As I have already reported - this course is delivered by TRAINED trainers. The old CP? Unqualified volunteers.. which means the old test counts for very little.. and way too many out there may have "experience" but not necessarily expertise :wink:

The good news is that schools are to get funding up to Level Two at least .. but in reality - we need to take all to Level Three long before they reach driving ages.

Level One is designed to take an average 9 year old 9 hours of training. It convers the basics of gear changing. signalling.. observation and so on.

Neil took Ben with him Ben's a novice. Neil .. as we know .. writes some decent pieces for the C+ mag. :bow: (Ironically agreeing with most of what's said on here as regards overall good practices as discussed by all the regulars from the late Paul :bow: to weepej and Abercrombie (who all make many a valid point :wink: and take the debate further onwards)

Now Neil gives the verdict on his Level One:

teacher's notes as reported in C+ Mag March wrote:

Ben the novice: Needs more practice changing up and down the gears according to circumstances and choosing the right one to ride in.

Neil (the seasoned rider of experience): Needs to take longer and better backward glnces. He also gets out of the saddle too much whem manoeuvring and when he's stopping

Verdict: pass for Ben and Neil. :clap:




:scratchchin: I do this . :bunker: at times. Ted does too. Never seen WIldy out of the saddle. Before the pregnancy "knocked her sideways and flat on her face" - she could manage a fairly creditable 20- 25 mph constant stint for a full 50 mile stretch on our charity rides.

For Level Two - Ben and Neil had to ride along quiet roads . the sort kids might use if cycling to school in a residential area and which most of us may use to go to and from work - if we go the long way round and avoid the busier roads, Skills include observation. anticipation.. signalling in GOOD TIME .. road positioning .. (HAH.. COAST then :hehe: Gotta get the plug :bunker: ) .. chaging lanes . dealin with junctions and the HIGHWAY CODE RULES! :bow:

Teacher's notes per C+ wrote:

Ben (the novice): Needs a few more hours to build confdence and roadcraft knowledge and skills. More observatiion needed. Road poisitoning at junctions needs more practice.. as does signalling while staying in control

Neil the seasoned experienced: [i]needs to signal more and more distinctly. He seems to rely too much on communicating his intentions wiht bike and body language, his road position and riding FAST. He also relies too much on listening for traffic behind rather than properly obseving it


Verdict: Ben needs more practice before progressing to Level Three.

Neil: Pass



:scratchchin: I find the comments on Neil quite interesting and I think a lot of cyclists fall into these same errors. I do take the long calm look behind me.. signal and try to get the eye contact as these are serous life savers. :popcorn: The Mad Cats also tend to apply these same skills when out on their bicycles.. but then we are ruddy anoraks who can talk for hours about wheels and nowt else :hehe:

Neil is very honest in his own assessment of the trainer's verdict

Neil Pedoe himself in the March issue of C+ wrote:

It's much more useful than I thought: the procedures for making turns will make my everday riding more positive and SAFER. It's interesting to see how ingrained some of my bad riding habits have become



Perhaps why we should try to encourage all riders and drivers to do this Bikeability course .. especially if we cannot realistically introdude a refresher driving course every say 5 years.


But well done Neil and I hope your article which I am giving air time and a plug on here will encourage more to do this course and get a lot more out of their cycling enjoyment. :bow: :clap: (I think the guy lurks .. he posts to Bike radar etc :wink:)

Finally Level Three which Pedoe did not try out

This final stage really tests you out. I know cos I did it .. with the Mad Cats. It's designed to teach the skills and confidence required to deal with the busiest of rush hours. Youare on all roads.. fast ones. slow ones.. multiple lanes. . roundabouts.. and this is where you are trained to filter safely.. use COAST properly in terms of hazard perception and planning required. :wink:

But it's got to be funded and few have progressed to this level. :banghead:

For more info

www.bikeability.org.uk


If you live in London. www.tfl.gov.uk and go to Road User and then Get Cycling :wink:

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Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.


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