Cycling UK Forum

Mini-me has bikeability level 1 & level 2 (hopefully) sessions booked at his school for the summer holiday.

I can make sure his bike is in order, helmet fits and clothes are suitable. I can tell him to behave, pay attention and listen to the instructor (I can't guarantee that he will).

I've no reason to expect his riding ability, knowledge of the Highway Code, or road sense to be any different from anyone else in the group although he will doubtless be of the belief that he knows it all (I blame his father ).

Any suggestions on how to let him know what to expect or otherwise prepare him for it?

I don't know if it helps, but all of the confident youngsters I didn't give certificates to, probably would have gotten them if they'd payed attention.

But don't make him nervous. Let him have fun.

Skills-wise, if he can ride a bike in a straight line, turn when and where he wants, stop under control, and is able to observe what's going on around him...all of which I'm sure that you have taught him already.....then he will be perfectly capable of passing with flying colours, because, really that's all there is to it.

The rest is just paying attention and doing what he's told. As vorpal say: don't put any pressure on him, let him have fun, and if he does OK in normal lessons then there is no reason why he shouldn't do OK in this.

Thanks a lot. I'll let him get on with it without any fatherly advice.

When I ride down to meet him after the event should I wear a helmet? (No need to answer that one.)

The instructor will be extremely pleased if his tyres are pumped up and the brakes work well.

And if the forks are not back to front

gaz wrote:Thanks a lot. I'll let him get on with it without any fatherly advice.

When I ride down to meet him after the event should I wear a helmet? (No need to answer that one.)

I shall say , answer is NO why should you?

The usual tip of research as thoroughly as possible before starting. What's expected in terms of outcomes for the National Standards is freely downloadable from DfT and provides what is expected and the reasoning behind it, so if you start off knowing what you need to know that can only make it easier. It could be the basic course materials are freely downloadable too (they are in Scotland, but level 3 is not revised to National Standards yet).

The helmet thing: Bikeability/National Standards itself has no helmet requirement, but providers may add one if they see fit (and if they do then I think it should be questioned, because promoting helmets discourages cycling so they're scoring an own-goal). The National Standards outcomes documents have the following to say about helmets, at Level 1:

"Trainees wearing a helmet should understand how to fit and adjust it."

and that seems to be about it. The "should I wear one to collect him" thing is about positive examples and role-modelling. It has been widely assumed by many people that wearing an unnecessary piece of personal protection with no track record of increasing safety for the sort of cycling taught by Bikeability and that has been seen to discourage cycling is a "good example", but as you may have inferred I'm not convinced. I don't wear one to teach because I want to set the example that safety is about skills, knowledge and awareness, not dressing up like the Yellow Power Ranger.

Pete.

Thanks for the advice, he passed Levels 1 & 2 .

Well done to him.
Has he started telling you how to ride yet?

Not yet, but it has sparked a bit of enthusiasm in mini-me for bike riding which will hopefully last for a little while.

P.S.

Thanks to Elaine and Karen who were in charge of his group, not least for their understanding with the exploding tyre incident.

Well done to mini gaz

p.s. Compared to the worst a Bikeability instructor sees, an exploding tyre is relatively easy to deal with