The thread about roundabouts has brought up the subject of cycle training, 
and I thought it would make it neater to have this as a separate thread.  I 
noticed recently that there's an organisation in Nottingham called 
"Ridewise" that offers Bikeability training for free to private individuals 
and then offers cycle training courses to corporate customers.  I'm not sure 
where their funding is from if they're not charging the private individuals, 
and yet they are paying their instructors.  Is this very much a "one-off" or 
are there organisations in the rest of the UK that offer Bikeability 
training for free?  It definitely seems a good place to be able to direct 
enquiries from less experienced riders on questions such as, eg, roundabouts 
as they are able to go along to an instruction session without having to 
part with any cash.  Ridewise even offer their own bikes for sessions if you 
don't feel you have one that is in good eough condition.

Note, I have no connection with Ridewise - I just think it's a good idea.  I 
may even do the accreditation programme myself to be able to work as an 
instructor for them.

http://www.ridewise.org.uk/

Colin

Colin Reed wrote:
> The thread about roundabouts has brought up the subject of cycle training, 
> and I thought it would make it neater to have this as a separate thread.  I 
> noticed recently that there's an organisation in Nottingham called 
> "Ridewise" that offers Bikeability training for free to private individuals 
> and then offers cycle training courses to corporate customers.  I'm not sure 
> where their funding is from if they're not charging the private individuals, 
> and yet they are paying their instructors.  Is this very much a "one-off" or 
> are there organisations in the rest of the UK that offer Bikeability 
> training for free? 

In London, some boroughs have funding from Transport for London to do 
individual cycle training. Most of them offer 'Bikeability', though 
their interpretations of this vary. Most of the ones I know of, which 
use Cycle Training UK to deliver the training, charge £5 or £8 for 
individual sessions (free if unwaged), to discourage missed appointments.

The CTUK training is well worth doing. I can't speak for the others. I 
am connected with CTUK.

> http://www.ridewise.org.uk/

 From their website, they look OK, apart from the front page image. I 
imagine Nottingham Council fund them.

Colin McKenzie


-- 
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the 
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

"Colin McKenzie"  wrote in message 
news:O_adndp2-c80CjPVnZ2dnUVZ8srinZ2d@posted.plusnet...
> Colin Reed wrote:
>> The thread about roundabouts has brought up the subject of cycle 
>> training, and I thought it would make it neater to have this as a 
>> separate thread.  I noticed recently that there's an organisation in 
>> Nottingham called "Ridewise" that offers Bikeability training for free to 
>> private individuals and then offers cycle training courses to corporate 
>> customers.  I'm not sure where their funding is from if they're not 
>> charging the private individuals, and yet they are paying their 
>> instructors.  Is this very much a "one-off" or are there organisations in 
>> the rest of the UK that offer Bikeability training for free?
>
> In London, some boroughs have funding from Transport for London to do 
> individual cycle training. Most of them offer 'Bikeability', though their 
> interpretations of this vary. Most of the ones I know of, which use Cycle 
> Training UK to deliver the training, charge £5 or £8 for individual 
> sessions (free if unwaged), to discourage missed appointments.
>
> The CTUK training is well worth doing. I can't speak for the others. I am 
> connected with CTUK.
>
>> http://www.ridewise.org.uk/
>
> From their website, they look OK, apart from the front page image. I 
> imagine Nottingham Council fund them.
>
> Colin McKenzie


Apart from the image being a bit goofy I don't really see anything wrong 
with it.  If the helmet is a problem then you'll see that the image at the 
bottom of the page of the tandem riders has them lid-less - in fact the 
images on the site seem fairly balanced in terms of helmet wearing.  As is 
their comment on the training page

"Your Clothes

Wear what you feel comfortable and safe in - there is no uniform. Whether 
you wear a helmet is up to you. We do not require you to wear one."

Seems fair enough to me.

Colin R