Hey Blog! Today and last Friday, I went out on two rather special cycling rides, so today I’ll tell you about them!
Bikeability is a programme run around the UK, training young people to get on their bike and go cycling. There are three stages, 1, 2, & 3. The programme is often done through schools, but as I have never been to school, this was not an option. Recently, however, Mum proposed and orchestrated communications with the local cycling society CycleDerby, so five of us have done stage 1, and of those, three have done stage 2. Both sessions were led by a cycling instructor who happens to be another parent at my Scout troop, but the second had a co-leader as to cycle on the road, which level two requires, you need two instructors.
Stage one is the basics. Stopping, starting, hands off the handlebars (one at a time!) and looking behind. Riding without traffic is OK after stage 1, as you and your bike should all be ready. As proved today, if you know what you need to do to check your equipment and your bike, you can be ready to jump on your bike in 11 seconds, if no adjustments are needed. If adjustments are needed, it will of course take a little longer. The simple ABCD check will work – Air in the tyres, Brakes working, Chain running smoothly, Direction of the handlebars perpendicular with the front wheel. You should also make yourself ready for cycling by – but if I continue, I’d be putting the business out of a job! We all passed level one with flying colours, and a week later were ready for stage two.
Stage two is much more advanced, and I think is put together like Lego bricks. Instead of doing an entire cycle ride, it’s blocks like cycling on main roads, and passing a parked car, then moving a little further up the road and doing left turn in, left turn out, then right turn out, right turn in, and doing U-turns. There’s no substitute for this. You have to put your bike on the road, pick your timings, and be assertive. I would compare it to doing my level three sailing session, as after that level you can go out on your own in a boat – but you need practice and need to think in advance rather than just set off, and I have now passed that mark with cycling. Now I just need to build more confidence ready for level three!
Stage three is being considered; it was not immediately proposed by Mum when she initiated correspondence, but now we have done the first two levels all three of us want to continue. This level would be a journey, most likely going from one house to another on the bikes. It’s not arranged, but in the meantime, I can go out and cycle in the local area. The one pity is our house is on the side of a hill!