CTUK News

Goodbye ‘cul-de-sac kid’, hello confident cyclist

Last year Cycling England conducted a survey of 9-11 years to coincide with Bike to School week. It showed that while many children wanted their parents to allow them to cycle to school, a fair percentage of parents (38%) thought it was too dangerous to let them do so.

There is now a phenomenon of ‘cul-de-sac kids’, children that are restricted to cycling in their own road and neighbouring streets. It’s refreshing therefore to meet parents that believe that cycling is an important skill and one that needs to be taught in a safe way yet in a realistic environment (i.e. not swerving around pieces of plastic in a quiet park all day).

Ealing resident Louise Chippendale booked cycle lessons for her son Ben with us.

Ben, already on Bikeability Level 2, responded well in difficult traffic situations, and under the watchful eye of instructor Shakera Jinnah, was more than a match for the Uxbridge Road during rush hour.

‘Ben was really on the ball, changing lanes and filtering or waiting at traffic lights,’ said Shakera. ‘He was mature and confident, a great trainee. I was especially impressed when he changed into the right lane for a right turn on Uxbridge road, made eye contact, thanked the driver who let him in and confidently cycled off.’

Ben's mum Louise is now more confident about his cycling, "With summer holidays here, I'm delighted he has the ability to cycle to cricket and tennis. I feel more confident about Ben being on a bike and I know I wouldn't have had that confidence without the training."

After successfully completing Bikeability Level 3, what did Ben think?
"I didn't feel confident on road till I had the training. Now I can go basically wherever I want" (Mum was quick to add, with her approval!)

Ealing subsidises cycle lessons for anybody that works, lives or studies in the Borough.

Ben completes Level 3 Bikeability training with flying colours