Although not quite the same as what I remember doing at school, the council do run free cycling courses for anyone who’s interested in improving their cycling skills, or is looking for ways to improving their confidence on the road.
I did the Advanced one a little while ago to help put a check on any bad habits that had crept in over a few years of commuting into central London - it was definitely worth and would recommend to anyone of any experience level.
Yes it is a difficult question. Riding with others is really the only way.
I have helped quite a few people to learn to ride and I don’t mean balance and pedal, I mean learn to ride in London, learn to be assertive and take your position etc…
One person never got on a bike again after our first ride and she is a tough girl - it just wasn’t for her. One guy had never driven or ridden in London and now he rides everywhere (ok maybe not now but…)
Cycling proficiency is all very well in theory and can teach you good habits but you need plenty of real world experience to make you safe on London Roads…
My teeth, ribs and collarbone are testament to that!
Dalmain, and I suspect other schools, do some cycling courses for pupils during term time (only once a year I think). From year 3 up I think, and one of them is on how to cycle in the road. My son was booked for the 2 day course this year but was ill so couldn’t attend.
When my wife decided to start cycling I went out with her and my instruction was command the road! Staying too close to the curb is dangerous.
I’ve always driven and cycled in London but the thing that made me most aware of others was getting my motorbike license.
Ditto on the motorcycle usage, made me much more aware of my surroundings and just how many people were out to have me off it, intentionally or not.
Ha! It was going over a bonnet for me. It was a long straight road through Harston which had lots of traffic islands and insets - calming measures making continual pinch points and nasty to ride. So the footpath had been converted to a combined footpath/cycleway. Unfortunately it had lots of driveways, some with high walls and someone came out of their driveway right across my path, then shouted at me because they didn’t believe it was a cycleway at all (there was a sign right there!) while I was dazed on the floor at his bonnet!
After that I took the road, which must have annoyed some drivers even more, but owning the lane through the narrows was much safer than the ill-conceived cycleway and as a bonus I could cycle much faster (I probably was going too fast on the cycleway when I had the accident too).
I guess as long as you live, you can learn!
I remember the cycling proficiency test. Mr. Cracknell was the instructor. He was quite a character. I can see him now.
Same but it’s mad that you can do a cbt without needing a theory test and be on the road within a day. And they wonder why some learner drivers are such a menace!
Well in my day there was no theory test, for either my car or motorbike license. I think for my car license (which I think allows me to drive all sorts of things as well), it was 2 questions in the car at the end of driving (though in theory if you got them wrong you failed everything), not sure if there was anything for the motorbike (but maybe not as already had my license \ could be my memory).
Haha lucky!
Then get used to it as I doubt anything can be realistically done to prevent unidentifiable cyclists from riding on the pavement, as annoying as it can be.
every day since lockdown I encounter adults cycling on the pavement.
Today on London road I had a cyclist riding towards me and a jogger alongside me I was on the inside of the pavement so couldn’t even step into the road…
The Cyclists (adults) on the pavements are infuriating
People said that about clearing up dog’s mess. Yes there are still people who don’t clear up after their dogs. But for most not clearing up is now considered anti social. Cycling on the pavement needs to be made as socially unacceptable as that.
How was it done with the dog mess campaign? I honestly can’t remember much about it.
It needs to be part of the lockdown because it is difficult to keep away from them. It is also difficult to distance from joggers, but most of them move into the road to give pedestrians space.
Yes - just been out for a ride (on the road) and lots of joggers jumping out into the road directly in front of me! Luckily the roads are fairly car free so there is space to evade them…
I still burn with the injustice of being made to do it again, not because I’d done anything wrong but because the guy who had to jump out of a bush to get you to do the emergency stop
was too busy writing his notes on the previous candidate to see me approaching so he didn’t jump out. I was very aggrieved at the time and I’m
not that much less aggrieved now!
Is that a specific regulation or is the under 10 thing governed by doli incapax?
It is, as far as I am aware, doli incapax. Also seems pretty sensible if in the right place and under control.
Can a Leap Year baby claim Doli incapax? Asking for a friend.
I believe the principle of doli incapax was abolished long ago.
Yes it was abolished more than 20 years ago. Children know the difference between right and wrong.
I do think it ridiculous that a 17 year old is still classed as a child and cannot be named in legal proceedings. Join the Army and lay down your life at 16, yes. But at 17 you can stab a rival drug dealer or innocent and be classed as a “child” and so you’re shielded from being named.
It is illegal to cycle on the pavement. Full stop.