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Patrick Field, the grandfather of London cycle training through the London School of Cycling, stands up to a panel of drivers arguing for the luxury of riding a bike and the madness of driving. He's funny too...
'How's my driving' BBC R4 earlier today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p93sw

Oh dear. New element on the CTUK course; using the search:

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread34779.html

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread34741.html#post1110665

David is a very nice man; please be gentle with him

Thanks Will

a quick learner I hope

apols all

need a boost?

Try the copenhagen wheel

What does it do?
How does it work?

I got an "oi you're in the f**kin' way' followed by a bag of cold chips which hit me on the back of the neck while cycling down st john street. (Chips were ok when heated up at least)

apologies all for 3 posts... something about database access denied
...can I delete them?

....obviously from a trainers perspective each individual bit of infrastructure needs considering on its own merits, but it seems that my view of the wider picture there was a bit one-dimensional, perhaps because of the daily fatigue I experience from hearing repeatedly 'I would cycle but theres no cycle lanes' whilst at work...

What is also interesting about how infrastructure is viewed within the framework of National Standard cycle training is that there is an inbuilt (and perverse) recognition by the government that there are many parts of cycle infrastructure that would put a rider at higher risk were she to use them so one outcome for trainees is to consider is "whether a cycle lane would help them with their journey or not".

This discussion takes place towards the end of level 2 after trainees are clear about riding position so should be able to agree witht he instructor that riding in cycle lanes passing close to parked cars (Such as the lane on Highbury New Park) or using feeder lanes to ASLs is riskier than not using them.

More here...
http://www.lcc.org.uk/documents/Bike%20lanes%201.pdf

Good post.

This is something I notice people doing needlessly. Just because you can get to the front does not mean it's always the best thing to do, this is especially true on big fast flowing roads where people at the front race off.

Agree with Tommy, often it is a good idea to wait in the queue in the space of a car and move through the lights in the traffic stream (overtaking those riders stuck near the kerb in the wrong gear)

or to head toward the front overtaking the traffic queue then waiting behind the first driver pulling into the traffic stream as it moves off when the lights change.

(good post Katiep)

This seems a better way of creating hasid-hipster-harmony
Give the hasids a bike and some free cycle training

**http://tinyurl.com/yet5rmx

**

Hi Oliver that's my first time spotted... I must get out more:-))
yes I was training a guy from Newham young Carers who is looking to set up a cycle training scheme for young people who look after their parents in Newham. He would like to set up a community cycle training and maintenance scheme like the Bikeworks model... He's seeking funding and I told him about the LCC/TfL community grant fund...

This morning at 9:15

Impressed by bloke on burgandy FG bike full of stickers and spoke cards. Wearing green BMX crash hat. Couldn't ID bike coz of stickers on bike.

You were riding down St John Street, smithfield, towards st pauls trackstanding patiently at every traffic light. I was trackstanding behind you on a black surly steamroller near old baily

What bike were you riding?

Right David; like that is it? :)
Ok, I am now offering free dinner and dancing with every cycle training session.

Seriously though this is a very generous offer from CTUK and hopefully will encourage more people to get some training.
You will be able to find me from now on outside Whitchapel Tesco dancing for small change.

Sorry Will,
We felt that our offer would help people suffering from the postcode lottery that is a result of the piecemeal funding of cycle training in London. Having worked with you and observed you teaching I would highly recommend you to anyone on the forum wishing to get trained. Let's hope that there's enough people wishing to be trained for all of us!

(and if you dance as well as you teach you'll make a mint dancing outside Whitechapel Tesco)

...It has got me thinking that I wouldn't mind being a cycling instructor. To anyone who is one (wiganwill?), how much does it cost to get qualified, and do you work through CTUK, or freelance for councils, or independently?

For information about training to be a cycling instructor check out CTUK website for costs and an explanation of the process
(http://www.cycletraining.co.uk/training/instructor_training.php.)

(Other orgs accross the country who are also Instructor training Providors run similar courses to CTUK's)

Bursaries of £300 are available from the department for transport, info here... http://www.bikeability.org.uk/professionals/instructor_bursaries.php

Work independently, for local authorites or independent organisations.
This is a new and growing sector and now is a good time to get involved...

Call / email Maresha Ahmad 020 7232 4382 maresha@cycletraining.co.uk from CTUK for more information (or PM me)

my tag is sky1111dance

I'm playing halo, wolfenstein, COD4, GoW and recently borderlands co-op mode.(and am currently immerssed in medievel venice in assassins creed single player.)

Can't decide whether coop or deathmatch is more fun... anyone played left4dead 2 yet?

People's livelihoods aren't actually going to be affected by the passing whims of the students, are they?

No don't worry plurabelle, CTUK instructors are fully contracted and will not be affected by how generous forum folk are. Jan-March is a quietish time for cycle trainers and we like to keep our skills up during the winter months.

CTUK is a worker's cooperative and the cooperative will bear the brunt of any shortfall. (Though who knows? Some forum trainees may value the benefits of the 2-hour training and be able to afford to and be happy to pay handsomely)

I applied for some of this cycle training - arranged a date this afternoon on the phone from work (EC1V) - excellent !
I've got a message on the home phone saying sorry this postcode is actually Islington and so instead of the £8 (for the City of London) it will be £60 for Islington.
Bastard unjoined up London Boroughs -nothing has changed :(
Start again ...

With a view to offering Cycle Training to anyone who wishes to hone their riding skills wherever they live in London, Cycle Training UK (CTUK)is offering a "Pay what you wish" deal for LFGSS forum members. This offer is available for lessons booked on weekdays between January and March 2010.

Call CTUK 020 7231 6005 to book a lesson and quote PWYW. You can either pay a cheque to the instructor AFTER the lesson or call CTUK to pay by card (or take no action and pay nothing).

Beer, with a side order of UTFS.

just utfs to understand utfs

porrange-porridge mixed with orange juice uncooked great way to start and end the day... Slow release carbs, fruit and it expands in your stomach making you less hungry as the morning wears on

signed + tweeted

So sad...

Condolences to her family and friends and peace to us all on the roads

my bike still gets lost in south london (after all these years)

Got toe overlap on my surly steamroller. Went for slightly shorter crank yet still had some overlap...after 2 weeks got used to it and now compensate instinctively.

White no-name saddle 'made in italy' £5

Agree Nurseh

Here's a couple of websites giving info about cycle training to forward in any dealings with the press
www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/9065.aspx
www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=175

and www.cycletraining.co.uk

Kids are being taught to ride assertively according to John Franklins Cycle craft. This is happening in most primary schools across London under the Bikeability Scheme http://www.bikeability.org.uk/

It has 3 levels

At level 1 they are taught how to control their bike

level 2 is about basic road positioning and communication and an understanding of priority
level 3 is using  multi lane road and roundabouts etc.

The same stuff is taught to adults across London.

Fred said

1. educate cyclists - road skills (yes, it's tactical)
   
2. educate other road users - speed, sharing the road,
   
3. lobby government - strict liability, road planning, vehicle design
   
   

I think fred is right here.

1. Educate cyclists- TfL and some london boroughs are spending £££ to promote cycling with ads on bus stops and billboards accross london encouraging people to cycle. Some of this promotion money should be spent on messages about how to cycle (using positive language Do rather than don't)such as...
   "Take as much room as you need to be safe"
   "Pass queues of cars on the right to get to the front"
   "Keep checking behind"
   "get some bike skills training -it 's subsidised or free!"
   "Ride in the traffic stream when you can match it's speed or you need to to be safe"
   "Ensure (HGV) drivers have seen you if you plan to pass them"
   "Ride a car door's width away from all parked cars"
   (Copy writers commenting in the press about the cycling boom should also be encouraged to pass on these messages)
   And such messages need not only come from TfL and govornment. LCC could talk about this stuff more in its campaigns. This forum can give out cakes. etc

2. Educate other road users - this is beginning. Some work is being done in Lambeth training their HGV drivers on bikes. This is being taken up in ealing and now 3 other boroughs are considering doing this. (Check out latest London Cyclist for info here). Also ACPO are being lobbied by Cycling England about training police drivers. I think some simple messages to all drivers raining awareness (Like the Think Bike! campaign for motorcyclie awareness should be developed)

3. Lobby govornment- Some little changes around speed (20mph as standard in urban areas) Driver liability, enforcement of current law (Mobiles, speed )

....erm I mean my 50th!