How can we get more people to take up cycle training?

Just saw this;

Today I was talking to a chap from Denmark, cycling is formally taught as part of the curriculum there, he was amazed that most cyclists in the UK have little or no training.

I'm speaking specifically about Copenhagen but I'm more surprised by that compare to the quality of riding in the city (which is usually quite poor and crowded in rush hour).

I do believe that if any able bodied person taking a driving test had to complete cycle training it would help change some of the culture in the UK.

^^ this is a strong simple idea that should be pushed very hard to the Parliamentary Inquiry. Even politicians and the media can understand the idea that on road cycle training for teenagers will help them be safer, better drivers.
It should be branded 'Bikeability' so that high schools will be queuing up to provide Bikeability 3 and expecting the primary schools to deliver kids with Bikeability 1 & 2

Yes I said this as part of my oral evidence to the inquiry though it wasn't received with much enthusiasm.

Thanks all for contributions. I will be putting together the document tomorrow and will include these ideas:

Stronger links to the school curriculum
Link CT to driving test
Increased engagement with the whole school community
Level 1 only courses funded for younger pupils
Targeting head and governors and the development of school champion packs
Active discouraging of the school run through parking bans etc around schools and fines
Access to bikes for bike-less families (Like cycle to work scheme)
Grants to schools for pool bikes and cycle parking
Better outcomes for fewer pupils in smaller groups
embedded cycle training all year round (like in some hackney schools)
Revisiting branding and funding for teenager and adult training
DfT to press LA to up their promotion and spend on training
Grants to non LA orgs offering training (Like the London Community grant scheme)
and some notes about Bikeability schemes putting out own house in order -something for TABS conference to discuss

There clearly need to be a huge step change to get us up to the next level, and an acceptance of the value of skilling people up (including the young 8 year old and the granny who people think would never ride until we turn the uk into holland).

I will post the report on TABS website and link on this thread

Given the focus on achieving outcomes in schools training there is less time for games/fun activities. Finishing a session with things like slow bike races/pizza delivery boy drills often leaves the kids very excited and happy.

Today I was talking to a chap from Denmark, cycling is formally taught as part of the curriculum there, he was amazed that most cyclists in the UK have little or no training.

Training in NL and Denmark is not very far removed from Cycling Proficiency, I'm afraid, so don't get too excited about it.

David: sounds like a decent, and ambitious, list.
I was not joking about the MPs; if they have not taken up Cycle Training, then why not?
The most basic point to be made is that if people do not know Cycle Training exists they will not take it up. Even here, among bike enthusiasts, knowledge of it is low. Less low than it would be without a CT sub forum and a bit of word-of-mouth but still low.
As for promoting training, it would be so much better if we could send schools a DVD about it, something to show in class, something to educate the teachers with. I genuinely think, with the expertise and goodwill of this forum, we could make one - or two, one for schools and one for adults. CTUK could do this on its own if no one else is willing, at almost no expense. Why wait for someone else to do it? A 10 or 15 minute film that shows training as it really is, that could be put on the web, distributed for free. I am certain that it would repay the investment, certainly compared to handing out flyers and postcards.

Here are the recommendations TABS submitted which includes many of the ideas mentioned on this thread. I will post a link to the full submission when we upload it to the website.
Thanks for the great ideas!

Recommendations to increase the take up of Bikeability/National Standard cycle training

Vision 1:
Secure the funding on a long term basis and extend the range of people able to access the grant to all ages and to Bikeability schemes

Effect:
This would encourage any remaining Local Authorities and schools still resisting Bikeability to engage and commit so enable them to plan and grow the percentage uptake in school.

Grant funding should be also accessible to registered schemes (who are now within the Quality Assurance system) which will increase the reach of training to community groups beyond Local Authorities.

Specific Recommendations:

• Include Bikeability within the school curriculum (like swimming)
• Fund level 1 courses to younger pupils who may not have the initial skills to take part in training
• Extend funding to for cycle purchase to schools and to families with no access to bikes
• DfT to strongly encourage LAs to promote and spend on training 

Vision 2:
Raise awareness of training to enable people to understand its value in getting people riding on road effectively with minimum risk

Effect:
This doesn't necessarily mean lots of money, but increasing the active promotion of training and its value to anyone as way of overcoming their fear of cycling

Specific Recommendations:

• Active promotion of training to Head teachers and school Governors  
• Active promotion of training in the press and media 
• Develop a branding for Bikeability which would attract teenagers and adults (Urban riding skills training?)

Vision 3:
Offer support, leadership and vision across government departments highlighting the benefits of training both to the nation’s health and to the education sector (as well as transport who currently do provide great support)

Effect:
This would help remove some of the stigma around training and cycling and embed training within the NHS and education in addition to its value in improving the road environment.

Specific Recommendations

• Top politicians publicly getting Bikeability training (Who has not yet been training in the APPCG?)
• Link Bikeability to the driving test for most people
• Ongoing support in public statements for Bikeability

Here is a link to TABS document on google drive.

Sausage sizzle. Job done.

you mean snags, too long away....

No. Snag is the item, sausage sizzle the event.

On a more useful note, what about getting onto building managers? They know where bike racks are and could the word out to office based commuters.
I know we have some bike maintenance guys operate from our building too so they might be worth getting hold of for passing the word to workers.

That's interesting way to access commuters.
The building managers of the office blocks are a good way to inform people about the possibility of training and other bike info if they were informed.
#makinginfopackforbuildingmanagers

Just to push he financial incentive one more time. I bet that experienced, trained cyclists are much less likely to be involved in collisions with other cyclists when they themselves are driving. Shouldn't this result in lower motoring insurance premiums, similar to the advanced motoring test?

Do you think the third party risk to drivers from, at fault, collisions with cyclists is a high enough percentage of the premium to be an incentive? Don't think much has been paid out to cyclists so I expect it to be a v.small proportion.

Here is a link to TABS document on google drive.

I'm a TABS member and I haven't been asked for my ideas. Is this the way TABS is going to work, you set it up to claim you have a mandate from cycle training organisations, and then everything is decided by you and your chums on a cycle forum? How difficult is it to send an email to members? What is my money being used for?

Casens you make a good point.

This particular document was put together in haste. Consultation was limited largely to TABS board, this forum and some ITO's forums. The thrust of our point in that evidence document is that we need to secure future funding for Bikeability and extend the range of people who are aware of and can access training.

There clearly does need to be a mechanism for consultation of members on TABS views and policy and TABS will be setting up a forum for this shortly and will feature at TABS conference on 16th May. Members will shortly receive an update on TABS work to date.

Regarding TABS money: Members were charged a (low) membership fee and we received a DfT grant to set up this TABS and become a viable organisation that the government will talk and listen to.

The money has been spent on:
TABS website, last years conference, TABS administrator and book keeper, the Electoral reform society for TABS elections (About to launch early April), board meetings (Some board members organisations are claiming a small amount for their time and some are not), Expert group meetings for developing the QA system (We didn't have a mechanism for the Government Remunerating TABS for this work).

Apologies if you feel you have not yet had value for your membership fee. We will work to improve engagement with members. If you'd like to discuss this further PM me and I'll give you a call

Do you think the third party risk to drivers from, at fault, collisions with cyclists is a high enough percentage of the premium to be an incentive? Don't think much has been paid out to cyclists so I expect it to be a v.small proportion.

Probably not. I suspect that significant insurance payouts to cyclists from motorists' insurance are quite small, but there is the additional cost of repairs to the motorist's own car.

Very small.

A driver accept liability for a SMIDSY collision, her insurance company call up, and basically quite happy paying out for the damage to the bike and clothes.

When asked why they were quite nonchalant about this incident, the person on the phone said that those collison with a push bike no matter how severe always cost a lots less than a minor collison with another motorised vehicles.

That's it, I'm commuting on my custom Zipps from now on.

Very small.

A driver accept liability for a SMIDSY collision, her insurance company call up, and basically quite happy paying out for the damage to the bike and clothes.

When asked why they were quite nonchalant about this incident, the person on the phone said that those collison with a push bike no matter how severe always cost a lots less than a minor collison with another motorised vehicles.

What if they have to pay out for injuries, loss of earnings etc?

funnily enough someone asked me the question of the O.P., for people in workplaces that say theyre all that on a bike,
Sending this quick quiz to them so if you want a go P.M me your answers and Ill send you the answers.

Quiz yourself- are you the rider you think you are?

1. You can do an emergency stop, what brake do you use?-
   
2. You are passing a side road, whereabouts would cycle training now advise you pass?
   
3. Where’s the chain on the easiest gear combination of your multi-geared bike
   a) Front cog-smallest/ rear cog- biggest or b) front cog-biggest/ rear cog- smallest?
   
4. On your journey there are 10 junction turns you make- how many times do you indicate?
   
5. What turn is unusual for vehicles but easy and common for bikes?
   
6. There is a best place to ride in queuing traffic- where is it?
   
7. What 3 reasons is this best place to ride?
   
8. Youre turning left of a main road- wheres your hands?
   
9. Of the 2 positions to ride on the road, which is the dominant one that sounds like your first school?
   
10. And which submissive one matches the name of the most mature school?
    
11. What 2 bike care actions keep you rolling better than anything else?
    
12. Where do you want to avoid going into whilst on the road?
    
13. Which green box isn’t always the answer to a better journey?
    
14. What might happen to most of the urban cycle lanes you come across?
    
15. Which famous tube station instruction would we be best advised to take?
    jmf ‘Being the rider drivers wish they could be’
    

1. You can do an emergency stop, what brake do you use?-
   
   

The pedestrian that caused the braking requirement.

1. You are passing a side road, whereabouts would cycle training now advise you pass?
   
   

Whichever is quickest

1. Where’s the chain on the easiest gear combination of your multi-geared bike
   
   

I never use 'easy' gears. Go away.

a) Front cog-smallest/ rear cog- biggest or b) front cog-biggest/ rear cog- smallest?

1. On your journey there are 10 junction turns you make- how many times do you indicate?
   
   

I flip off at least 13 drivers and 4 pedestrians.

1. What turn is unusual for vehicles but easy and common for bikes?
   
   

Sudden U-turn to altercation.

1. There is a best place to ride in queuing traffic- where is it?
   
   

Over their roofs

1. What 3 reasons is this best place to ride?
   
   

Does not English speak fourteen.

1. Youre turning left of a main road- wheres your hands?
   
   

One on my cock, one on my Glock

1. Of the 2 positions to ride on the road, which is the dominant one that sounds like your first school?
   
   

Borstal?

1. And which submissive one matches the name of the most mature school?
   
   

Prison?

1. What 2 bike care actions keep you rolling better than anything else?
   
   

Ceramic bearings, sex lube

1. Where do you want to avoid going into whilst on the road?
   
   

Hospital

1. Which green box isn’t always the answer to a better journey?
   
   

Eeew greeen box???!!?!!!

1. What might happen to most of the urban cycle lanes you come across?
   
   

Napalming?

1. Which famous tube station instruction would we be best advised to take?
   
   

None, they are all full of diseased zombies.

Do I win a prize?

yeah for typing fast, bitch

actually Im laughing so hard you can have a prize- send you a slapband immediately.
you got number 5 correct, only.

actually , think I need to rewrite q12.....