Experiences of Cycle Training

Had a lesson earlier today with Festus / Multi Grooves.

Started out with how to check the bike for road worthiness, including pointing out my saddle was too low and raising it for me (it's much better now - thanks!)

Moved on to some basic techniques such as emergency stop, swerving, holding a straight line while signalling and looking behind; all very useful for me as I've only recently restarted cycling. Then we discussed good road position (typical story, I thought I was quite far out but really still too close to the curb), signalling technique and dealing with junctions.

A lot of emphasis on making eye-contact with drivers to make sure they understand your intentions. This is something I had in the back of my mind was important but I wasn't really doing it, now I've seen what a difference it makes I think it's going to make me a lot more confident (and safer) on the roads.

After going through the various drills we rode the route I'll be taking on my commute with Festus observing and letting me know if I was doing anything wrong.

Festus was a great teacher, he gave good instructions and explanations, and picked up on the areas I needed to work on. I'd definitely recommend the training to others, I'm a relative beginner but even for more advanced cyclists I think there is a lot to learn about anticipating situations, communicating with other road users etc.

I think I'll ride in a much more switched-on, observent manner after the training, so cheers Festus!

Cool, I'll get that cheque in the post.

Nice one Festus

I had cycle training this morning with Will. I arrived a bit early to Victoria Park and had to guess who Will was when he approached; it was a bit difficult as he didn't look quite as much like a Victorian racehorse as I was led to believe.

He started the training with a bike check and I was a bit embarrassed to find my rear tyre had been skidded through further than I realised in a few places. I think the crud mudguards I put on have kept me from really checking it as often as I should.

The training went well and I was pleased to hear that I was doing things the right way. I did learn quite a few useful tips and how to apply them. I think the filtering technique and the emphasis on always having a plan B was great. I filter a lot and have been guilty of not thinking ahead enough to have a backup plan.

I have been looking over my shoulders a lot more lately, and I really do believe that helps moderate drivers' behaviour as well as keeping surprises to a minimum. I learned to not just do glances as I have been, but to give a few long looks down the road and concentrate on what cars are behind and what spaces and gaps exist.

I have never driven in the UK so I learned a few things about the traffic markings that I hadn't realised. Another helpful tip was to do a bit of 'profiling' of cars/drivers. Obviously certain drivers should raise a bit of a warning flag to pay more attention which did come into play when a learning driver with instructor started to enter the roundabout as we were going around.

On the ride home I was following through on what I was shown and making more eye contact with drivers. I never really looked behind me whilst stopped at a light and I found that acknowledging the driver(s) behind me had the result of a pleasant ride along the next stretch where they weren't trying to overtake at pinch points.

I really think I got a lot of value out of the training. Will is a great instructor, a pleasant cycling companion and an all around nice guy. I heartily recommend this for everyone and after talking to my wife, she is keen to undergo it as well.

Thanks Dale. It was a very pleasant surprise to have someone from the forum who I only knew by their avatar turn up for training. I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson and took some useful stuff away from it. You are a very, very competent cyclist and proof that there are a lot of people on here who do not meet the stereotype of reckless fixie skidder and are also down to earth enough to think that there might be a few small hints and tips that they can pick up from training. Cheers.

I never really looked behind me whilst stopped at a light and I found that acknowledging the driver(s) behind me had the result of a pleasant ride along the next stretch where they weren't trying to overtake at pinch points.

I tend to look around a lot when riding, but thinking about it now, I never look around at other road users when stopped at lights. I suppose I'm used to just concentrating on my position and the sequence of the traffic lights at the time (for a quick getaway). I'll keep this in mind from now on.

I was cycling home tonight and an older bloke was following me from Theobalds and caught up with me at a light at Spitalfields. He said he was intrigued and asked if I was being pursued, as I kept looking behind me.

I told him about cycle training and what I learned and how important eye contact and looking around was. He said it made sense and he'd start give it a try and I gave him the website address.

I took it as I was doing the looking around right when a random stranger feels compelled to ask about it. ;^)

Excellent. The 'wanted fugitive' look, that's what we are aiming for. Nicely done DG
I was teaching junction turns recently, going on about looking behind as you approach, taking a central position in the lane, waiting behind if there is a car at the give-way line, yadda yadda. Just then a kid, no more than 12, came through and did it all perfectly. I am certain he had had cycle training. Sadly, most of the time when you are training you use the behaviour of other cyclists as examples of what not to do. It was a sweet moment.

When I was on Kennington Park Road, I looked back more often than usual due to motorcyclists on bus lane and the speed of traffic.

There's a lady behind me cycling closely, and by the 10th time I looked back, she screamed "WHAT?!?!"

ironically that made me jumped.

Pointless random rearward checks is bad advice. You should look behind only when you are preparing/negotiating a lateral move. You have only so much eyes in your head, only so much focus in your mind. If your eyes and mind are focused rearward, then they are not focused forward. Forward is the event horizon where the stuff happens. Stare pointlessly rearward for a half a sec and miss that child darting in front of you from behind a parked van, pothole coming after your front wheel, driver entering the roadway etc etc.

The beauty of good positioning is that you can have your focus forward for a larger share of time. If you position only half-good like left tire track (damn I hate your non-drive-side driving) then you have to be constantly merging to more central position and that means wasting your attention rearward.

Other than that maximum respect to your NS. I'm constantly in awe that a society can produce something that non-clueless about cycling. Really best thing happening to cycling since the invention of the freewheel. Gives hope to those of us in the nations without standards.

I'm of the opinion that none of my rearward checks are pointless. I honestly have much better rides and no surprises from scooters or drivers experiencing aggro when I do them.

Admittedly, no child has darted in front of me whilst doing so yet. But to be honest, there aren't that many children on the hipster highway that I have to cycle. Unless you count the ones in skinny jeans with a childlike wonder about neon, of course.

Obligatory: Have you considered cycle training?

Trainees do sometimes worry about this - that they will hit something in front when they are looking behind. It's all about the dynamic road situation and adapting your rear/forward view to the circumstance. And adapting your speed.
I suspect Chainwhip is pretty well informed about Training.

Pointless random rearward checks is bad advice. You should look behind only when you are preparing/negotiating a lateral move.

I'd like to ask you a question chainwhip if you don't mind, how would you know if a cyclists is approaching from behind?

My point, flippant as it may be, was that pointless rearward checks were not part of the training, nor would they be good advice. I used to only look over the shoulder when negotiating lateral moves and would often, perhaps due to my bad hearing, be surprised by a scooter or cyclist or even a black cab buzzing by.

I think looking over one's shoulder does not preclude looking ahead for potholes, children, stray dogs etc. I have two eyes only and whilst on the road I must use them to be fully aware of what is ahead, aside and behind me.

Pointless random rearward checks is bad advice.
...
Other than that maximum respect to your NS..

Trainees do sometimes worry about this - that they will hit something in front when they are looking behind. It's all about the dynamic road situation and adapting your rear/forward view to the circumstance. And adapting your speed.

It does take some people a while to get it and as Will hints, timing is crucial and comes with experience. The beauty of 'our' National Standard (as opposed to cycling proficiency) is that it isn't proscriptive. This means that cycle trainers communicate principles: instead of saying glance back every 5 seconds or hold a signal for 3 seconds, we teach people that a glance back will ensure the rider isn't surprised and will make a driver aware of the rider causeing the driver to give more space and pass at slower speeds or hang back till there's more room to pass. A glance can be really quick unless a stare is required to hold the driver at bay. We teach scanning ahead constantly and judging when to look back doing so when it prudent.

(In fact the only fixed-rule measurable guidance we teach is riding a** car doors width** away from parked cars and even that is dynamic when the road narrows and there is an oncoming driver)

I have noticed that some people do find it hard initially to extrapolate behaviour from principles since such a lot of other learning people are exposed to is so proscriptive.

"I have noticed that some people do find it hard initially to extrapolate behaviour from principles since such a lot of other learning people are exposed to is so proscriptive."

good point^

with looks, In traffic I use them like operating the brake of the vehicle behind me, example
approaching a road narrowing, Im moving position towards the centre of the lane (dont want to be squashed) a swift turn of the head just at the point before moving usually makes the driver see my intention and they back off, do this whenever moving position.

I'm of the opinion that none of my rearward checks are pointless.

Good for you! Essential rearward checks are of course essential. My point was that the Bikability material I've seen on the web often has statements like "You should frequently check behind for no reason just to no what's happening behind" and I think you should check behind only if you have a reason to do so.

Obligatory: Have you considered cycle training?
I'd love to attend your National Standards Cycle Training, if I visit Britain some day. I have been John Franklin's number one fan for a decade and I think it's sooo cool that your official program is based on "Cyclecraft". I live in Finland and I' m afraid that I'm the one who should be giving training here, but the problem is that when cycling culture reaches certain depth, the cyclists don't recognize that cycling training could offer something to them, so there is no market and 40 years of segregational policy has made proper cycling largely illegal.

My hope is that you London kids make proper cycling so cool that kids here want to be like them. So, could you please try to be very cool, I mean dressing like a person in a creative profession, ridin classic track bikes with shiny chrome, maybe some north road + wine crate vibe too and definetily some brown Brooks tape, yeah lots of brown Brooks tape you gotta have.

I'd like to ask you a question chainwhip if you don't mind, how would you know if a cyclists is approaching from behind?

Why should I know there is a cyclists (or car, lorry etc.) approaching from behind, if i'm holding my lateral position?
If I'm moving sideways within a lane, I of course look behind and yield to traffic in the new line of travel.

Here's a scenario, a cyclist is going to undertake you, how do you know if he's going to make that attempt?

Because 90% of cyclists do.

What a vile slander. You can take a girl out of the banlieues but you can't take the banlieue out of the girl.

I am the banlieue.

There was a man in Battersea Park today doing some sort of cycle training with some primary kids, some without helmets (is that allowed?) they were doing hand signals then moved on to a game of bike sumo by the looks of it.

He would have been better served going onto queenstown road and beating the adult commuters into shape, such abysmally dangerous riding I have not seen.

Helmets are not compulsory at CTUK sessions, I know that. There are consent forms to be filled in so basically it is the parents' decision.

There was a man in Battersea Park today doing some sort of cycle training with some primary kids, some without helmets (is that allowed?) .

Yes if the parents says it's okay.