Experience or training?

[Matthew_T]

Which way did you learn how to ride on the roads? Did you just pick it up with experience or go on an advanced cycling course?

I had a bicycle proficiensey test in my high school, but learned advanced road riding from local training groups and experience.

 

[DTD]

Did a cycling proficiency test at school about 35 years ago.
When I started cycling again last year I did have a session with CycleRight, which was free through the council. Enjoyed it and it gave me a few good tips, but have learnt a lot through experience and pushing myself further.

 

[Theseus]

Cycling proficiency mumbly mumble years ago ... still have the little triangle badge.

After the too cool to cycle gap, came back and started again with no additional training. It's like learning to ride a bike ...

 

[Globalti]

I went from cycling to motorbiking for 12 years so I feel completely confident on the roads.

 

[CopperCyclist]

Gaz's youtube channel.

 

[2Loose]

I went from cycling to motorbiking for 12 years so I feel completely confident on the roads.

Same.

Cycle Proficiency years ago when the roads were less busy and plenty of miles racked up, followed by proper motorcycle training with plenty of mileage.

Then minor riding adjustments due to reading Cyclecraft and tips from this forum when I returned to cycling.

I think both training and experience have a big part in my confidence on the roads.

 

[XmisterIS]

When I was about 14, I used to ride my bike back to school from Reading, along the A4 dual-carriageway, with my mates, all of us too pissed to stand up, so cycling was the only option!

 

[gavroche]

Experience fo me. In my days when I learned to ride a pushbike ( in the 50's) there was no such thing as training.
Experience comes with time and beats training anytime.
When training, you only learn the basics and it doesn't prepare you for ALL situations. Experience does.

 

[numbnuts]

Experience for me too, but I’m still learning

 

[Dora]

When I was at school only 14 students from each year got to do Cycling proficiency. The other 46 had to sit in class and pretend not to be watching.
I was one of the 46.
My Dad taught me some, but the rest came from experience. I'm probably still doing it wrong.
(I do wonder though, of the chosen 14, how many ever rode a bike again. I suspect the answer is..."oh the irony")

 

[Bicycle]

I was put through Cycling Proficiency at eight in the 70s by my mother, who was a trainer.

I recall of that time only careful instruction on right turns and a quiet rant from her about how many parents were sending their children along on ill-maintained and inherently unstable Raleigh Choppers.

I was allowed to cycle on local suburban roads at seven or eight, but not initially allowed to turn right without an older sibling present. Times have changed. My children didn't ride alone until they were ten or eleven.

Learning to drive helped.

Learning to ride a motorcycle helped.

Learning later to drive an HGV helped.

Never getting complacent may help too, but I've had way too many crashes to pretend to be skilled.

 

[HLaB]

Experience for me, I grew up during the teachers strike and all school based activities were cancelled including cycle training.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Which way did you learn how to ride on the roads? Did you just pick it up with experience or go on an advanced cycling course?

I had a bicycle proficiensey test in my high school, but learned advanced road riding from local training groups and experience.

Even as a cycle instructor I would say both. Level 3 training equips you with the skills needed to handle busy and complex road systems but only experience will re-enforce this behaviour.

Experience on its own may be worthless if you are a 20 year gutter riding veteran just as passing a test does not mean you are a perfect rider.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Deckitout]

Advanced Motorcyle training and test, the best thing I ever did

 

[Black Sheep]

I learnt to drive at 17, never stopped cycling tho, so experience, just learnt what other road users were doing