CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: To train or not to train

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: To train or not to train http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: To train or not to train en Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:41:30 +0000 chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82511 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:14:30 +0000 chdot 82511@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ " Is the training shown in that first video to get them well accustomed to Edinburgh's high quality road surfaces? " Pretty much! It was a 'reward' for doing the playground work earlier - it to show that cycling is FUN. Unfortunately it also showed how generally unfit some children are! fimm on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82508 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:07:49 +0000 fimm 82508@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Is the training shown in that first video to get them well accustomed to Edinburgh's high quality road surfaces? ;-) Nelly on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82506 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:57:44 +0000 Nelly 82506@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @chdot Son missed the big ride - holiday - but a lot of his pals on it. we often mess around in the quartermile doing wee circuits - might introduce some of those balance games from the bikeability video!! I have emailed Sciennes about the training of younger kids. Will let you know response. chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82502 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:51:29 +0000 chdot 82502@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Don't know how old the youngest here is. And it's not every day! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vziLxTiL1J8" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vziLxTiL1J8</a> chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82500 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:49:25 +0000 chdot 82500@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ They use this in P5 so that school can assess competence level before doing Bikeability. It can be used for anyone from about 4. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUlx2B6r_4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUlx2B6r_4</a> chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82498 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:47:04 +0000 chdot 82498@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy--Ylv-OBg" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy--Ylv-OBg</a> chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82493 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:40:57 +0000 chdot 82493@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ @Nelly as you will be aware you are 'involved' in one of THE schools for encouraging cycling. Sciennes starts 'formal' training in P5, but is aware that more could/should be done. I'm sure you'll be able to bring this up and encourage it... Nelly on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82488 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:31:21 +0000 Nelly 82488@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ chdot, I saw the cycling schools website come through the Marchmont / Sciennes link and guessed it was your work. I would like my son to get some formal bike training somewhat earlier than P7. He is 6, just into P3, I have had him on the road with me, no real problems - but he is nowhere near ready to cycle on the roads to Sciennes, a journey of less than half a mile. OK, in reality most 6 YO wouldnt be walking unaccompanied to school never mind cycling, but in my mind some proper training would mean he could potentially take to the road earlier and with more confidence. So, to sum up: I will continue to take him out as much as possible - but I dont think its enough. Some kind of early formal training (including awareness sessions, if not actual traffic training) is important. I dont think anything will (or should) be mandatory - but training kids to be road aware and have good bike handling skills must be a minimum aspiration. chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82482 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:53:50 +0000 chdot 82482@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ This is training (but not as some people know it) - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUlx2B6r_4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUlx2B6r_4</a> chdot on "To train or not to train" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8260#post-82481 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:41:03 +0000 chdot 82481@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ that is several questions! There's been an interesting discussion on the <a href="citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8246&page=2&replies=50#post-82447">Share the Road UK thread</a> about the value of cycle training - mostly in relation to children. Some selective extracts - " The requirements for cycling should be nothing more than the ability to stay upright, propel forwards and stop. Once you've done that you can ride a bike and we should encourage people to set off to practice their new liberating skill. " (@Instography) " I also think that by having more people cycling, things will change - in various ways. If 'training' makes people more confident/competent and more likely to cycle/more it will be useful (to some people). " (@chdot) " I've never thought too much about cycle training for children. I train my children to ride bikes in the same way that I train my kids to draw ... ... I guess I think it's a waste of time. " (@Instography) " Your suggestion is that we give up on that and don't offer the kids training? Surely some of them, despite the attitude of the parents, will go on to see cycling as something that fun and cool and want to do more? I would have thought that even just for that effect, to break the cycle instigated by their parents, the training was a good thing? " (@Wilmington's Cow) " I'm not saying we should give up on it. We teach kids (and adults) lots of stuff that is of no use to them in later life. ... ... If the idea is that we should train children to cycle on pretendy roads or even real ones on the off-chance that in some years hence that residual memory will help them to decide that they might be able to safely negotiate the trunk roads of Fife or the Picardy Place roundabout then yeah, we should keep going with the training. It's only a couple of days. It's not reliable enough for me so in the meantime I'm going to adapt my mileage allowance thoughts in the direction of how I might ingrain the habit of riding a bike into an eight year old boy by tapping into his desire for Harry Potter memorabilia. " (@Instography) DECLARE AN INTEREST TIME I have been advocating that all children should get proper cycling training in school time for about 15 years. "Proper" includes real roads - though for obvious (and reasonable) reasons these tend to be ones with fairly low traffic (that's for <a href="http://www.cyclingscotland.org/our-projects/cycle-training/bikeability-scotland-2/level-2/">Bikeability Level 2</a>.) A few schools do <a href="http://www.cyclingscotland.org/our-projects/cycle-training/bikeability-scotland-2/level-3/ ">Level 3</a> - "teaches children how to navigate more complex junctions and plan journeys effectively. It is aimed at Primary 7 pupils and supports them to make independent journeys and plan the quietest and safest route available." DECLARE AN INTEREST TIME (2) I am currently working on a project for CEC looking at the reality of cycle training in Edinburgh - and particularly if there is any chance of the CEC policy of '100% by 2016/2017' being possible with the existing method(s)/resources. In addition we will be looking at the wider issue of encouraging 'cycling' within, and out of, school - especially good things like the <a href="http://http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/bike-it/i-bike-in-scotland">Sustrans I Bike project</a>. We are wanting examples of good (or bad) things - not just Edinburgh - so post here (or PM). The specific question of "why are we doing cycle training" has been raised by one of the people involved. She doesn't think it's a waste of time (neither do I obviously) but we are well aware that it needs to be a lot than a bit of paper and a few boxes ticked. I have also set up (another) web site - not technically part of the project, but it will highlight some examples of 'good practice'. <a href="http://cyclingschools.wordpress.com">cyclingschools.wordpress.com</a>