Cycling Proficiency Test
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- Posts: 126
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Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
I almost failed mine.
The weekend before someone broke into the garage and stole my bike - left my dad's much swankier machine alone, so was obviously after a kids' bike for someone else who had their test coming up.
Cue a trip to Halfords (this was in the early 90s, so things weren't that great) and a standard "you'll grow into it" tack. I ended up with a bike that was huuuuge for me.
The weekend before someone broke into the garage and stole my bike - left my dad's much swankier machine alone, so was obviously after a kids' bike for someone else who had their test coming up.
Cue a trip to Halfords (this was in the early 90s, so things weren't that great) and a standard "you'll grow into it" tack. I ended up with a bike that was huuuuge for me.
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- Posts: 1525
- Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
Would it be good to make this mandatory for new riders?
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
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Last edited by Wilhelmus on 25 Nov 2021, 1:42pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
What sort of detection, enforcement and actions would you suggest for breaches?
Thanks
Jonathan
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- Posts: 1525
- Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
Tagging riders and bikes,m'lud
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
Not the CP, no. Whilst it had many merits, it taught an overly defensive style of riding, asking the cyclist to keep out of the way of cars. Understandable given the target age group. But forgot that young cyclists grow up into adult motorists, who then expect cyclists to keep out of the way, whatever the Highway Code may say.
That's one reason why it was replaced by Bikeability.
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Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
I am not arguing with what's in the instructions, but the policeman who taught us spent about half a day going through "how to take the lane on the roundabout" and was very keen on on-road riding.
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
Quite variable perhaps. I've taken young people cycling and had a bizarre experience, with those who'd just passed CP. They'd look carefully at junctions and then proceed regardless - presumably because there was never a lorry coming in the playground, so it wasn't possible to practice the bit where you react to what you see.
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Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
CP training is good, but it and many other things need to be built on a basic ability to assess risk, which our recent risk intolerant culture suppresses.
To put it in simple and more general terms, don't ask your child to hold your hand before crossing the road. Ask your child to tell you when they think it is safe to cross the road, and be ready to help them learn.
To put it in simple and more general terms, don't ask your child to hold your hand before crossing the road. Ask your child to tell you when they think it is safe to cross the road, and be ready to help them learn.
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
Impound the bicycles until the little scalliwags arrive back at the police station with a valid certificate.
I am here. Where are you?
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
I done my cp at primary school at around 7 or 8 years of age -- passed the practical and theory test no bother.
Only thing I can remember about it was the row of little cones you had to slalom your front wheel around to get each cone passing between the front and rear wheels. Think it was to test your level of control. I can still do it 50 years on.
The guy teaching us the theory stuff was drafted in from the private toff school at the other side of town -- far too fat to be able to even sit on a bicycle let alone ride it -- found out many years later he was a self confessed screamin pedo.
Only thing I can remember about it was the row of little cones you had to slalom your front wheel around to get each cone passing between the front and rear wheels. Think it was to test your level of control. I can still do it 50 years on.
The guy teaching us the theory stuff was drafted in from the private toff school at the other side of town -- far too fat to be able to even sit on a bicycle let alone ride it -- found out many years later he was a self confessed screamin pedo.
I am here. Where are you?
Re: Cycling Proficiency Test
I don't think it has been replaced here -- my youngest did it about 5 years ago.drossall wrote: ↑21 Oct 2021, 7:23pmNot the CP, no. Whilst it had many merits, it taught an overly defensive style of riding, asking the cyclist to keep out of the way of cars. Understandable given the target age group. But forgot that young cyclists grow up into adult motorists, who then expect cyclists to keep out of the way, whatever the Highway Code may say.
That's one reason why it was replaced by Bikeability.
I am here. Where are you?