Cycling proficiency & Cycling Courtesy

[Less]

Now that summer seems to be upon us once more, there are lots of children out and about on their bikes and it's good to see them enjoying themselves again, I have just a couple of questions.

Is the cycling proficiency test no longer done in schools these days? I ask this question because quite a large number of them (the children), don't seem to have much road sense and the maintenance of their cycles does appear to be varying from poor to non-existent! I was never allowed out on a bike unfit or unsafe for the roads and nor were my children.

So far as courtesy is concerned, I just wonder, while I will admit that the roads are far busier than they were when I used to enjoy pedalling from here to there then back again and I would rather have a child ride on the pavement than get killed or injured on the roads, can they not be taught to dismount and walk their charges when they are sharing the footpath with other users?

The reason I ask this question is that over the weekend while walking along the pavement on Blackburn Rd with Mick, heading in the opposite direction was a group of children, with one adult supervisor all kitted out with safety helmets etc, their bikes in good condition and yet both Mick, myself a little old lady and a young woman with a pushchair were forced to move out of their way as they rode along in pairs. This is a very busy road and I repeat that I wouldn't want them to get hurt, but the woman with the pushchair had to divert off the pavement into the gutter, (not safe for her or the child!). Therefore under such circumstances could these children not have even for just a short distance, dismounted and ensured the safety of other users of the pavement that should after all have priority over them?

[garinda]

Car drivers must have also passed their driving test, though I don't see much evidence of safe and courteous driving from them.

I've no idea if the cycling proficency test is still around. I'd like to think it is, because without some safety skills being taught a lot of kids will be in danger from other road users.

Interestingly in yesterday's Sunday Observer there is a campaign led by parents to curb dangerous driving by cyclists. Every year there are numerous deaths and accidents by kamikaze cyclists who go where they like, take no heed of traffic signs and frequently mow down pedestrians as they weave around between footpaths and road.

[Less]

Originally Posted by garinda

Car drivers must have also passed their driving test, though I don't see much evidence of safe and courteous driving from them.

Rindy, I was only talking about child cyclists, if you want to discuss car drivers, then please start a different thread (and I will join in), I do agree that they can be unsafe and discourteous but at the moment I am aiming at keeping children and pedestrians, on the footpath safe!
After all I could have made it a blanket accusation that all cyclists are idiots, but the biggest culprits of that are adult cyclists.
If you are in a car following someone on a horse, as unpredictable as a horse is, the rider tries to keep it in check and usually obeys the rules, but an adult cyclist not only appears to think of themselves as invulnerable to harm but have no regard to the laws which apply to them, I would rather follow a horse than a cyclist any day, and I think the only way to cure this stupid behaviour is to clamp down on the adult cyclists and educate the junior cyclists so thay don't grow to repeat out mistakes.

In the mean time lets keep our footpaths safe for all just by thinking of others and to mis-quote a famous statement of the 80's get off your bike! (when there are pedestrians about).

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Less

Rindy, I was only talking about child cyclists, if you want to discuss car drivers, then please start a different thread

I was making what I thought was a valid comparison in 'your' thread.

You asked if the cycling proficency test was still in use. I commented that just because a road user passes a test doesn't mean that they will drive/ride safely once they have passed it, be it child, adult or chimpanze.

I most humbly appologise from spoiling your thread.

[Less]

Originally Posted by garinda

I was making what I thought was a valid comparison in 'your' thread.

You asked if the cycling proficency test was still in use. I commented that just because a road user passes a test doesn't mean that they will drive/ride safely once they have passed it, be it child, adult or chimpanze.

I most humbly appologise from spoiling your thread.

I understood what you where trying to say I was just trying to prevent it becoming another safe car driver, stupid car driver thread, we have plenty of those, Under normal circumstances you are never expected to apologise, please treat this as normal.


At least you took time out to read it.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Less

If you are in a car following someone on a horse, as unpredictable as a horse is, the rider tries to keep it in check and usually obeys the rules

I don't see what this thread has to do with horses Less. If you want to talk Horse or Bull for that matter why not start a new thread?

Maybe you could organise and run cycling proficiency courses in your spare time Less and help out these children.

[Madhatter]

you three remind me of last of the summer wine lol. You do make me smile. perhaps I should enter you into this months photo comp.

I haven't heard of the cycling proficency test for years less. Is there nothing on the internet about it?. Whats about cyclepaths, they encourage youngsters to cycle on the pavement, but they never stick to the cycle side of it, you have to jump out of the way.

[Madhatter]

Can't give you karma rindy :0( ive it'll only let me add twice.

[Len]

You wona see the odd young teenagers come flying down the street that I live on as it has a rather steep incline and they don’t really need to pedal to get some speed up. Problem is, they often chose the pavement rather than the road. I am surprised that there hasn’t been any serious injuries cause by this lunacy. Someone’s only got to step out of their front door onto the pavement and wham.
It doesn’t appear that anybody instructs these kids about safety, it just seem that they’re left to their own devices and a bit of trial and error.
Then again I don’t really know, so perhaps the majority of kids have been told and do have a bit of sense about them and it’s just the odd one who forgets to put brain in gear.

[katex]

All very confusing, isn't it Less? When they are small with their three wheelers we don' expect (and tell them) not to go on the road, however, when they are a little older and obtain 2-wheelers illegal to drive on pavements and should be on the road... double standards. Sure there are lots of mums on here with young children who will tell you if the cycling proficiency test is still going. Will just nip next door.

[Madhatter]

Strange you think that katex cos I was just going to add that I don't think kids should be on our busy roads nowdays. When we were young we always cycled on the pavements if it was a busy road, but the difference is we gave way to pedestrians and go too fast. We had respect, somethink thot more and more kids seem to lack nowdays.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Neil

I don't see what this thread has to do with horses Less. If you want to talk Horse or Bull for that matter why not start a new thread?

Maybe you could organise and run cycling proficiency courses in your spare time Less and help out these children.

Horses,cars,cyclists and pedestrians are all covered in the highway code, bull has free range through out the site as you well know, because although you might not be the greatest creator of it you certainly know how to spread it around!

I don't have any spare time to frighten little children into being good (on or off their bikes), I am always too busy apologising to Rindy.

[talentedbutslow]

got my cycling efficiency..weaving in and out of the old market stalls on my bike....only got injured 4 times crashing into them.........

[Uncle Mick]

For people annoyed by cyclist red light runners
www.stopatred.org

For irate cyclists who have been cut up
www.givecyclistsroom.co.uk

[Col.Kurtz]

The police used to tell us off for riding on the pavement, my brother even got a letter sent to our parents about it...It was going dark and he didn't have any lights (bmx), so thought it safer to go off road.

In fact that is one thing that really gets me mad...cyclists riding at night with no lights - usually dressed head to foot in dark colours as well You'd think they wanted to get run over.

I'm an occasional cyclist, and I go out of my way to be curteous to other road users - well I'm just like that and it makes me angry when I have to contend with lunatics on bikes who think that in a colision with 3/4 of a ton of steel they would come off better

Only the other day I was driving through Rishton and some little prick on a bike casually rode from a side street right in front of me Luckily, I was keeping a bit of distance between me and some old geezer in a midget in front who didn't seem to be fully in control of his vehicle, so I had a bit of time to brake. I sounded my horn, but the cyclist didn't seem too concerned...ah well, maybe I'll be watching my speedo next time