Cycle Experience for Drivers

[fossyant]

When daily drivers start wearing fire suits and crash helmets I will dress in day glo and have a polystyrene hat until then I will carry on like I've been doing for over 40 years in regular clothing travelling 1000's of miles yearly on my daily transport cycle.

You don't like cycling clip cloppy shoes then, or walking like you are on sheet ice !

 

[Oldhippy]

You don't like cycling clip cloppy shoes then, or walking like you are on sheet ice !

Nope!

 

[boydj]

Unfortunately, Bikeability is run on behalf of Local Authorities either by teams embedded in the LA, or by private organisations working on behalf of the LA. As I'm sure you are aware, LAs are incredibly risk averse, so they tend to require helmets and high viz. An example of how risk averse they are - when the local school crossing patrol (lollipop) is being trained, or assessed, the assessor/trainer wears high viz, even though they never go into the road. You can't win against that sort of mentality.

As a qualified Bikeability trainer, I went along to a local authority (Glasgow) course which would allow trainers to work in schools. After a brief classroom session we went out onto the grass in a local park to practise low speed manoeuvres. They insisted that helmets be worn for this session. After a brief discussion on risk assessment I had to walk out. There was no sensible risk assessment, just a rule that helmets had to be worn at all times when cycling. These rules are clearly made by people with no experience or knowledge of cycling.

 

[Phil Fouracre]

As a qualified Bikeability trainer, I went along to a local authority (Glasgow) course which would allow trainers to work in schools. After a brief classroom session we went out onto the grass in a local park to practise low speed manoeuvres. They insisted that helmets be worn for this session. After a brief discussion on risk assessment I had to walk out. There was no sensible risk assessment, just a rule that helmets had to be worn at all times when cycling. These rules are clearly made by people with no experience or knowledge of cycling.

Very sad to hear☹️ I had a ‘similar experience’ with British Cycling a few years ago. Did a ride leader course and was then told that I would have to wear a helmet when I took rides out, ‘to set a good example’! Couldn’t really be bothered to argue, thanked them for the jacket and we went our separate ways!

 

[Alex321]

Very sad to hear☹️ I had a ‘similar experience’ with British Cycling a few years ago. Did a ride leader course and was then told that I would have to wear a helmet when I took rides out, ‘to set a good example’! Couldn’t really be bothered to argue, thanked them for the jacket and we went our separate ways!

I have to say here, I really can't see how they could do anything else.

They recommend we all wear helmets - not mandatory, but anybody doing anything as their representative is going to be expected to follow their recommendations or it rather makes a mockery of them.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

On the point of Bikeability - I have heard of school where the school not only insists on kids using a helmet and hi-vis to do the course

but if they ride to school - even with an adult - not wearing these things then they are not allowed into the school and have to go home

I can see where they are coming from but is this really better than being driven to school and adding to the chaos outside school at dropping off and picking up time???

 

[Oldhippy]

Every little thing these days is stupidly risk averse to the point of lunacy.

 

[Profpointy]

On the point of Bikeability - I have heard of school where the school not only insists on kids using a helmet and hi-vis to do the course

but if they ride to school - even with an adult - not wearing these things then they are not allowed into the school and have to go home

I can see where they are coming from but is this really better than being driven to school and adding to the chaos outside school at dropping off and picking up time???

The worst thing is that insisting that only kids wearing helmets (which poorer kids might bot have) are allowed to do the course is that they are withholding safety training which might actually save a child's life in order to push an agenda. Or to put in another way the inescapable if absurd implication, not that they have realised this, is that they are willing to sacrifice children's lives for this agenda

 

[Ming the Merciless]

On the point of Bikeability - I have heard of school where the school not only insists on kids using a helmet and hi-vis to do the course

but if they ride to school - even with an adult - not wearing these things then they are not allowed into the school and have to go home

I can see where they are coming from but is this really better than being driven to school and adding to the chaos outside school at dropping off and picking up time???

Pretty sure that’s beyond the school’s remit. Love to see that get challenged.

 

[Oldhippy]

Helmets and day glo are not law they are choice. As said before challenge it and it won't stand up. Risk averse gone mad!

 

[mjr]

I have to say here, I really can't see how they could do anything else.

They recommend we all wear helmets - not mandatory, but anybody doing anything as their representative is going to be expected to follow their recommendations or it rather makes a mockery of them.

Clearly they could do something else: not recommend helmets willy-nilly without actually looking at the evidence and thinking it through.

The recommendation deserves mockery.

but if they ride to school - even with an adult - not wearing these things then they are not allowed into the school and have to go home

I can see where they are coming from but is this really better than being driven to school and adding to the chaos outside school at dropping off and picking up time???

No. And refusing them entry to the school and making them do a second ride home and possibly a third ride back to school again with a helmet (if they own one) seems like it's exposing them to roughly 3x the risk of just letting them in when they arrive. I'd love to see them try to justify that flawed decision.

 

[Phil Fouracre]

I have to say here, I really can't see how they could do anything else.

They recommend we all wear helmets - not mandatory, but anybody doing anything as their representative is going to be expected to follow their recommendations or it rather makes a mockery of them.

Reluctantly have to agree, but, it’s the same old argument going round and round, yes, they ‘recommend’ helmets, fine, but it’s not a legal requirement. It’s the assumption that ‘I think this’, so I have an immediate right to enforce it, no discussion.
As you‘ve probably guessed I am anti helmet wearing, not rabidly, or aggressively, just because it does appear to put people off cycling because it exaggerates the risks, which is a shame.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Getting kids to wear a helmet when they are young if fine

Once they become a teenager I can;t see you having much success without putting them of bikes so probably not worth the effort at that point
They will either not do it because it doesn;t look cool or because it mess up their hair (no - not just girls either)

I have read that young children are especially vulnerable - not sure how true that is or when they become normally vulnerable

 

[Oldhippy]

How many of us grew up charging about on bitsa bikes in the 70's no helmets or day glo? I fell off, crashed, folded wheels on home made jumps cut myself, bruises and just carried on. Forty years later still alive using a cycle as transport no special equipment needed! Teach road savvy and common sense, that will serve better than hundreds of 'safety' products.

 

[Andy in Germany]

but if they ride to school - even with an adult - not wearing these things then they are not allowed into the school and have to go home

Am I the only one who sees the potential for days off school here?