Experiences of Cycle Training

Sorry you didn't have such a good experience from your training session with CTUK Veevee. Did you give CTUK any feedback after the session?

I have PM'd you with my contact details and would like to offer you another session at a time and place that suits you. I will also investigate whaty happened during that session with the instructor.

This from Vee Vee

I found it a bit so so. When I contacted cycle training uk I told them that I had done cycle training almost 2 years ago and have been riding in London for two years. The training started with the basics like emergency braking, always using the two brakes at the same time, looking behind and indicating etc.. Then we went along very quiet roads where we spent a lot of time talking about positioning, turning left and right. We eventually went on the road, I had to ride less than 10k an hour as she was struggling to keep up. I got a little stern "you are going quite fast so you couldn't hear me when I told you to go left". I had been going very slowly.

Anyway at the end we went from Stockwell until after the Oval and back again. There is a stretch on the A3 just before the Oval where cars tend to undertake so I told her that I wanted to go through there. So we did, I looked back a few times as we went along. About 4 cars undertook us. Then I continued, I looked back and couldn't see her, slowed down, looked back, looked back. I stopped eventually and she arrives, pretty pissed off "you never looked back! I told you to turn left, you don't look behind, if you had you would have noticed that I wasn't there. The same on that stretch of road, people undertook you because you don't look behind, I looked behind all the time. It's after 1200, I need to go somewhere!". I apologised (although pointed out that cars still undertook us even when she looked back) and let her get on with the telling off.. . She relaxed a bit, gave me my sheet. I looked at the time it was 1205. But basically I don't feel more confident if anything probably less confident and a bit useless! :) Apart from the end she was quite nice and I learnt new things but it felt like training for grannies maybe also my fault as I should have been more clear on what I wanted to learn but she should also have been more clear on when to stop and where we were going.

I tried to practice looking back on my way home, she told me to look back every 3-4 parked cars. I found this a bit difficult and confusing as I normally spend a lot of time scanning for obstacles ahead obviously depending on what is going on and where I'm heading to. So any tips welcome.

Thanks SkyBreaker and thanks for your pm. Yes I gave feedback and someone got back to me but never heard anything back. I should have been clearer on my expectations rather than "this is me, I've been riding in London for two years, had cycle training a while ago and want to check that I haven't developed bad habits, please sort it out". I didn't even know where I wanted to ride.

I have to say that I look much more behind than I used to do specially when I know that cars should allow more space and it definitely makes them slow down or give a wider berth. I also always look over my left hand shoulder when I am at the lights or when I think a "Mr or Mrs Fast" might try to undertake.

@Chocky, what a brilliant account!

I was discussing with a friend developing a class to help people travel in a more peaceful and relaxed way (car drivers, cyclists, tube users etc..). I need to sort myself out first though!

I was discussing with a friend developing a class to help people travel in a more peaceful and relaxed way (car drivers, cyclists, tube users etc..). I need to sort myself out first though!

Impatient folk, who travel aggressively (97.83% of London's famous Londoners) would never have the time for such a class. The remaining 2.17% are either locked up, comotose or so totally chilled so as not to need such tuition

I had cycle training a few weeks ago with Catherine from cycletraining.co.uk (organised via Ealing Council), it was absolutely brilliant. I'd been commuting a few days a week during the fortnight beforehand and am fairly confident on the road but somewhat inexperienced.

We started off with a bike check and some drills on a tennis court: indicating and turning, emergency stopping, swerving, looking backwards, etc. Then went out on the road and rode half of my commute - from Gunnersbury Park through Acton to the Uxbridge Rd, over Shepards Bush and half way up to Notting Hill. We stopped in lots of places to discuss junctions and how to approach and cross them, all the time she was calling advice and instruction while we were on the move, and also checking that I was ok. On the way back we stopped and walked halfway round Shephards Bush roundabout to watch the flow of traffic and work out a strategy of safely crossing to put you in the right lane for Shephards Bush Green to get back up to the Uxbridge Rd. We finished off with a sprint down Little Ealing Lane, which has I think 7 road narrowings - as fast as we could, cars unable to overtake. Very exhilarating. She'd also spent a good 30mins more than the 2hr lesson with me which was much appreciated.

What have I taken away from it -
The 'Long View' - taking time to look over your shoulder and get a good look at what is coming up behind. I have been working on this, and getting more confident with knowing that I can keep the bike in a straight line and not veer one way or another while checking backwards.

'Taking the lane' - riding much more central in a bus lane, and moving towards the centre of the lane where road narrowings occur so that cars cannot dangerously overtake. I've felt that taking this position has made me more confident on the road. Also, keeping a straight line rather than ducking towards the kerb in between parked cars where there is a smaller gap - especially if there is a side junction which is likely to have a car poking its nose out.

Working out complex junctions - by using SheBu roundabout as an example, this was a really useful 15 minutes where I understood how to deal with multiple lane junctions.

Overall, the experience was absolutely brilliant, completely tailored to what I wanted to do, and more. If anyone knows Catherine please pass on my thanks.

I'm due to have cycle training with David Showell this week, hoping to focus on dealing with the roads at the other end of my commute - Hyde Park and central London, will update afterwards!

^^so speaks London's most pathological RLJer.

I rode into work without jumping a single red light today. Clearly Will's training is paying off.

^good work*.

*too knackered from the ToW to sprint across junctions ;)

Correct ;o)

Long and Winding: thanks for that, really glad to hear you had such a good experience.

Will
You have probably a number of trainees under your belt now but how many have been real 'novices' ? Would training for said 'novices' include how to cycle with other cyclists ?

That sounds great, Julia. Impressive that you managed to proceed to covering Shepherd's Bush within one lesson, and excellent that you're taking another lesson so soon.

Will
You have probably a number of trainees under your belt now but how many have been real 'novices' ? Would training for said 'novices' include how to cycle with other cyclists ?

Good question,
Adult cycle training dealt with so far has been Level 3 of National Standards.
The syllabus concentrates on junctions, techniques for road use.
There isnt a specific section dealing with other riders, the training includes positioning yourself as a vehicle, so would be applicable in that way.
This could be something that needs addressing in future updates, as now london has so many riders it is a significant consideration.

Will
You have probably a number of trainees under your belt now but how many have been real 'novices' ? Would training for said 'novices' include how to cycle with other cyclists ?

Some have been novices and as MF says there isn't much specific training as regards dealing with other cyclists though the subject does crop up; particularly with regard to being undertaken. I think VeeVee has mentioned this quite a lot. Looking over your left shoulder before turning left or pulling in to the kerb is mostly a safeguard against other cyclists. And not relying on your ears is also very important with regard to cyclists - or 'the silent menace' as I recently called them in my highly regarded Daily Mail column.
I was recently slapped in the face by a cyclist suddenly indicating a right turn as I over took him. He had not looked behind first. I have recreated this experience with a few trainees to emphasise both the need to look behind and to remember to think about other cyclists.
So in general other cyclists presence is dealt with much like the presence of other road users but I think MF is right in that there is a discussion to be had about people's experiences of this and any refinements to training that can be made in this regard.

As Mf said the area needs developing '...

though the beauty of NS cycle training is that trainees learn basic principles which can be applied to any road situation

Poistioning to maximise visibility, constant awareness and communication, anticipation (no surprises), means that you could be aware at all times what is on your right and left (as vee vee noted) and ensure that riders/drivers on your left and right have seen you... thats a lot of looking back, using our most powerful tool, our face.

And i suppose a lesson from Will from his encounter with the right signalling cyclists is to pass a fellow rider an arms-width away `(like passing parked cars)

I was recently slapped in the face by a cyclist suddenly indicating a right turn as I over took him.

Are you sure he wasn't challenging you to a duel?

@Skydancer Ha! I knew I'd get that. He had very long arms and it was his finger tips that just brushed against my cheek.

his finger tips .... just brushed against my cheek.

awww

im so glad that so many people had taken this thread and the training seriously.

i used to teach bikeability for south glos council down here in bristol and most people's reaction was that it was unnecessary and a killjoy to cycling fun. which is crazy, because when i look at the general standard of cyclists here and when i visit london it worries me. some real bad practise going on. there are some people i know that i dont like to ride with at all, bad positioning, pulling into bus stops and out again, crossing the give way lines when riding past a T junction etc. and to be honest, i find that a lot of people dont want to hear it if you try to mention it to them. which is a real shame. for a long time i have felt that everyone who is on a bike is an abassador for everyone on a bike, and it can only benifit cyclists if they get some training.

i only taught primary age kids as unfortunately there was no scope for teaching adults with my employer at the time. btu the changes in the ability and confidence in those kids was massive. the best bits were asking the questions so that the kids had to think about the hazards and dangers and work them out to answer the questions, thus understanding them.. you could really see the realization in their faces sometimes when they made connections of safety and reason for specific techniques.

even now i find myself making the odd mistake here and there, especially if i havent ridden in a while. everyone can improve, even the teachers. so yeah, im glad noone gives them a hard time on here. nice one everyone.

Im getting jealous here, have had stones thrown at me during playground training,
had 2 guys jump out of a car and front up to me for taking the lane with 3 kids in Luton,
never stroked by another rider though, sorry to digress,
back on subject.

and my most powerful tool is my charm. So powerful that no one, pedestrian, cyclist or car driver *ever *wants to come anywhere near me.

@what friends,
you mention elicting answers from children,
this is what makes the training dynamic, and real, Im trying to get a couple of others who have just become trainers to step up and post here,
because as a trainer this is what makes the job so rewarding.
and yes, whenever you go somewhere new the skills get used there too, so we are constantly learning as we adapt to new situations.

any current info on Bristol would be all good in the mix.

It's great when you get to a junction that you want to use teach road positioning (level 2 stuff) and before you begin a vehicle comes along and does what what you were going to highlight with the trainee in theory. That really hammers home any point you wanna raise.

I find this to be the case especially with door zones (DZ): You bang on and on about staying out of DZ but when trainees see how quickly and how far that they can open it's taken rather more seriously.

does everyone know they're probably entitled to at least 2 hours free training? Most of the London borough councils offer everyone who lives/ works on their patch at least 2 hours one-to-one with an accredited instructor, and some councils offer basic maintenance and another hour training- all for FREE!!
would be great if people took them up on this offer so that a. more people are riding more safely, b. the scheme is continued, c. us poor cycle instructors stay in work!
so spread the word people!

^sorry for London-centric posting!

Hi Katie; this thread does list the councils that provide free or subsidised training http://www.lfgss.com/thread43905.html but it is useful to have more attention drawn to it. If there are any councils or organisations missing from the list please add them.