Cycle Training

job advert just gone live, applications invited:-
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-sustrans/work-for-us/bike-it-officer-dorset

J, there is a "jobs" thread knocking about somewhere too, might be worth sticking it in there?

This thread in fact;

http://www.lfgss.com/thread10643.html

cheers guys, I only found Nes' MCR jobs thread before.

I need to get an observed training session under my belt so I am offering a 2hr lesson for free. The only condition is that the trainee doesn't mind having another trainer there observing me. It can be for anyone at any level of experience but ideally someone who is less experienced and confident than your average forum member; maybe a friend or workmate that you know who might be interested in free training. That said I have trained people on here who felt they got a lot out of it so if you are interested yourself just let me know.
It would be a weekend most likely though I need to co ordinate with the observer. Looking to get this done in the next two or three weeks. First come first served so PM me if you are interested. Thanks.

i am interested, if only to make you fail.

Now, now. I am not yet qualified to teach people with special needs.
(do I need to keep adding smileys so you don't take it the wrong way?)
:)

no no smileys are not necessary. on a more serious note, i may actually have found someone for you, by chance was chatting to a mate who said he was thinking of cycle training, he is as novice as they come, only been riding a bike for 1.5 years, when did you want to do it? as his bike is currently not with him.

I've been threatening this for while now but the latest rider down posts have forced me. If anyone out there wants/ needs some tips on assertive cycling and general road awareness PM me. I will get back to you on my return to the UK on the 4 May.

Stay safe.

I would support Festus' offer.

Cycle training will teach people to position themselves in the safest part of the road.

If you have any concerns about your riding, your safety or how to handle particular junctions or bits of road then please apply for cycle training asap.

It's a couple of hours that may well save your life.

bump

lesson booked this Sunday at Streatham Vale park :)

Another recommendation to do cycle training.
Having ridden in the London's famous London for 5 years, I was skeptical but am happy to have spent 2 hours doing this.

As many councils offer this free, there is absolutely NO reason not take some training. I learned a couple of little things (like positioning at junctions, and general road position and even emergency stops) which immediately helped.

My trainer was lovely lfgss member ShannonBall so there are even "people like us" who did this and if you pay council tax, start getting your money's worth - check your bill to find out your local council

Links to local councils that offer this:
Westminster
City of London
Camden; and for the fashionable amongst us
Tower Hamlets

Did they mention anything about your pink bartape arvs?

Thanks for your kind words, Arvy.

Barnet and Islington also offer two (free) two-hour cycle training sessions, as do Kensington and Chelsea.

Suck it up peeps!

just to say, Im based miles and miles away from London, but seeing as its now more like LUKFGSS on here now,
I be fully accredited (since 07) in Poole Bournemouth and surrounding areas, and really happy to offer level 2/3 training for friends off here.jason

... and if you pay council tax, start getting your money's worth - check your bill to find out your local council

Links to local councils that offer this:
Westminster
City of London
Camden; and for the fashionable amongst us
Tower Hamlets

I think Southwark also offer free training, which I shall be sure to abuse in the next month or two...

I've just had a cycle training season with the Victorian Racehorse, a.k.a wiganwill last saturday in the scaling heat.

Everything went textbook perfect, it pretty much confrim what i already know on how to work with the traffic.

However this isn't to said that the season wasn't a waste of time, far from it. For instance like mounting the bike and joining the traffic from behind a parked car, what I didn't notice that the likeihood of getting notice that I'm about to pull away from behind a parked car is that they couldn't see the bike, solution? mount further onto the road where my presence is more noticable.
The other thing is learning some useful trick, such as what to do with a bus behind you and a bus stop in front of you, usually my way of proceeding is to drop back a little bit to allow the bus ample room and speed to overtake me safety and arrive at the bus stop if required (which is fine if the gap between you and the bus stop is fairly large), however Will taught me a better way to deal with it is to take the lane a bit more not letting the bus overtake you if it given the chance while near a bus stop.

£40 isn't wasted at all, in fact it made me feel a bit happier knowing that the manoeuvre I've made is defintely the correct manoeurve to work with the traffic. Not only that it also made me feel more reassured on teaching the missus how to ride a bicycle a year and a half ago, even though I'm 100% confident that she'll be fine riding on the road on her own nowadays, regardless of what route she took.

Will taught me a better way to deal with it is to take the lane a bit more not letting the bus overtake you if it given the chance while near a bus stop.

definitely agree with this. One of the most annoying things is to have a bus overtake you only to stop right in front of you again.

Last time that happen to me, I went alongside and ask the drivers (politely I must add) what cause him to make such sharp manoeuvre, his respond was because sometime the idiotic passenger pressing the stop button very late within second of approaching the bus stop, which leave him little time and room to manoeuvre.

Fair enough I guess.

what a legend. when I confronted a taxi driver who'd flown past me within an inch of my bars as to why he would do that* (I had taken the lane 100m from some lights), he said he wanted to get the greens, as this would save his 'fare' 30 seconds, and that I should rather ride in the gutter.

*sanitised version

buses can often be the source of great irritation to dynamic riders.
One thing that an ex bus driver told me is that they are all on a timetable, so when we are out happily choosing the route we want all the way, the bus driver will often be trying desperately to keep to his timetable, which with all the usual road nonsense can be pretty hard. Thats why they boot it between stops even if it seems pointless to us.

I think Southwark also offer free training, which I shall be sure to abuse in the next month or two...

Also Croydon, sorry it is not a live link but the Southwark link will lead you to Cycle Instructor who is the service provider...

buses can often be the source of great irritation to dynamic riders.
One thing that an ex bus driver told me is that they are all on a timetable, so when we are out happily choosing the route we want all the way, the bus driver will often be trying desperately to keep to his timetable, which with all the usual road nonsense can be pretty hard. Thats why they boot it between stops even if it seems pointless to us.

What are static riders MF?

Isn't everyone in London's famous London in a hurry? I know I am.

buses can often be the source of great irritation to dynamic riders.
One thing that an ex bus driver told me is that they are all on a timetable, so when we are out happily choosing the route we want all the way, the bus driver will often be trying desperately to keep to his timetable, which with all the usual road nonsense can be pretty hard. Thats why they boot it between stops even if it seems pointless to us.