I love my job!

EKE_38BPM

rjsterry wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

... as we cycled along this road. ...

What the hell is that loft conversion? All that's missing is the machine gun, the search light and some barbed wire.

For you, Mr Sterry, the ride is over.

veronese68

rjsterry wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

... as we cycled along this road. ...

What the hell is that loft conversion? All that's missing is the machine gun, the search light and some barbed wire.

That one is bad. There are some truly awful ones round our way, nice old Victorian house with a ruddy great big black box stuck on the top. Some are not so bad, it depends on which way the pitch of the roof goes and how sympathetic the architect is.

Roastie

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I am now a Bikeability Cycle Training Instructor, teaching people how to ride (sometimes from scratch) up to riding out on the road in traffic.

EKE, that is ace.

EKE_38BPM

I saw OddJob earlier this week as I was riding through the other RP and said 'hi'. A bit random.
Then I saw him again today and had a chat. The randomness has increased.

Back to work.
Have a very mixed bunch this week. A couple of them are some of the best ten year olds I've ever seen but a couple are some of the worst.
One has no sense of self-preservation. I see him being the sort of person who gets hit by a train on a level crossing.

Oddjob62

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I saw OddJob earlier this week as I was riding through the other RP and said 'hi'. A bit random.
Then I saw him again today and had a chat. The randomness has increased.

Was a good catchup mate... and yes, very strange to suddenly bump into you twice in a week.

(1st post in over a year :shock:)

EKE_38BPM

Easily the worst school I've ever been in this week.

Around 20 kids booked in for this week's course, which is a bit lower than the maximum, but not hugely unusual.
On day one, only 9 kids.
On day two, down to 7.
Day three, 2 kids.
Day four, 5 kids in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
Day five, well, I'm sitting on my sofa as no-one turned up.

Terrible discipline in the school, the kids run the place, the adults do not set good examples (I saw teachers and TAs littering the playground during playtime) and the school just doesn't seem to care about cycle training but put in for it so that (I think) a box on a form is ticked.

I must love my job if a paid day off is winding me up.

jimmypippa

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Easily the worst school I've ever been in this week.

Around 20 kids booked in for this week's course, which is a bit lower than the maximum, but not hugely unusual.
On day one, only 9 kids.
On day two, down to 7.
Day three, 2 kids.
Day four, 5 kids in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
Day five, well, I'm sitting on my sofa as no-one turned up.

Terrible discipline in the school, the kids run the place, the adults do not set good examples (I saw teachers and TAs littering the playground during playtime) and the school just doesn't seem to care about cycle training but put in for it so that (I think) a box on a form is ticked.

I must love my job if a paid day off is winding me up.

WTF?

That is a step below simply not paying attention to poor behaviour.

EKE_38BPM

One kid, obviously the school bully, decided he didn't want to be in class so ran out of class and started riding his bike around the playground. A teacher followed him but just watched and didn't say a word. There was a SEN kid in the playground doing what SEN kids do with his TA, but when he saw this the bully stopped and the SEN kid jumped onto the bully's stunt pegs and they bombed around the playground together. The bully's teacher then went inside and left them to it!!

We, my colleague and I, had to stop the bully and you could see he wasn't used to being told to stop being a dick.
I saw bully have a fight and there were no consequences for him. Other kid had a nosebleed, bully carried on playing football despite lots of staff seeing it.

I might look into their latest OFSTED report.
edit: Just had a look at their OFSTED and it is a good school apparently. I guess that means that they prepare well because the behaiviour I've seen over the last four days has been unsatisfactory.

rjsterry

That's pretty depressing stuff. Don't know how old the Ofsted report is, but they can be a few years old, and consequently give a misleadingly good or bad impression of a school. Not for a moment suggesting that it's your responsibility, but it might be worth dropping the school governors a line. You can also complain direct Ofsted

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/schools/for-parents-and-carers/how-complain

EKE_38BPM

I've got a change of pace coming up. I've done a lot of schools now and also quite a few individual sessions but on Monday I'll be doing something completely new to me; I'll be out on the road with HGV drivers doing Bikeability Level 2 training. Most people I train want to be there, but with this I imagine a load of fat Yorkie eaters, with ketchup stains on their beer bellies and no love for other road users, who are doing this because they have to, rather than because they want to.

Would it be wrong for me to up the speed of the ride to make them sweat?

In all seriousness, I'm really looking forward to this. I want to hear what the HGV drivers have to say about infrastructure, how they approach cyclists etc. I hope (and the reason that the course is being run) that the HGV drivers realise how vunerable cyclists are and that they treat us with the respect & space that we deserve and need.

PBo

Maybe you can take the wind out of their sails if they seem a bit refusenik, by saying that you'd like to take a ride with one of them in their HGV to get a better understanding of what it's like for them....

EKE_38BPM

PBo wrote:

Maybe you can take the wind out of their sails if they seem a bit refusenik, by saying that you'd like to take a ride with one of them in their HGV to get a better understanding of what it's like for them....

But I know what its like to eat pies and watch pron?!...

walkingbootweather

PBo wrote:

Maybe you can take the wind out of their sails if they seem a bit refusenik, by singing that you like trucking....

FTFY

EKE_38BPM

That was fun.
The first group had their H&S manager in it and were much more subdued and open. A couple of motorbikers in the group too so they were generally more receptive.

The afternoon group were your full on Yorkie bar eating, prostitute murdering truckers. Lots of bravado about how much they hate cycling & cyclist and how they haven't been on a bike for (in some cases) 40 years, but once they got on a bike all of the old skills came out. Track standing, riding no hands, bunny hops etc. One of the biggest moaners was also the best cyclist and after an hour or so out on the road with our tuition his (and the group's attitude in general) changed.
He said when he shouts at cyclists now, it will be to tell them to stop riding in the gutter.

Progress, I suppose.

Initialised

Wow, progress indeed, these courses really need to be a pre-requisite for all non-motability adapted driving tests with a refresher course (as an alternative to 6 points, a £300 fine, medical costs and bike repair bill) for any driver involved in a collision with a cyclist. That'd put cycling front and centre.

With instructors as good as you appear to be you might see a fair few drop out and stick to the bike.

EKE_38BPM

What a week!
After a day with the lorry drivers on Monday which went really well I have just been in a school with a great bunch of kids.
They all progressed very well, were well behaved and attentive. The school were really supportive which means everything flows better and makes my job easier. My assistant instructor was really easy to get on and work with. The weather was good (a bit chilly this morning but otherwise fine).
Even the traffic was trying to be helpful. I say trying to be helpful rather than actually helpful as I would prefer if they didn't stop and flash their lights/wave the kids on when the kids don't have priority because it isn't realistic, but better trying to help than swearing at them and/or mowing them down.

Once again, I have to say the kids were a joy to work with. They were kids, not robots, and so much fun.
I'm now back home, in the garden doing work related admin in the sun.

I really do love my job.

EKE_38BPM

I repaid a moral debt yesterday by teaching a woman in her mid 60s to ride. She had never been on a bike before and was very scared but very determined. After three lessons of about 30-45 minutes, she was successfully riding unaided.
She was a very happy lady. Big hugs and smiles. Literally jumping for joy.
We're having another lesson today (hopefully on paths in a park) and then tomorrow she has promised to buy me a drink at her retirement party.

It is good to see that more mature people get the same sense of achievement as little kids do, maybe more.

Now some bad news: I think my mum can't ride a bike!
I'm not sure as she seems a little cagey about it, but she does seem to want lessons, so I will happily oblige. She is in danger of become an OAP triantelope as she learnt to swim in her 60s and (hopefully) will learn to ride in her 70s so is on course to take up running in her 80s!

EKE_38BPM

I haven't posted on here for a while, so I thought I'd fill you guys in.

One of the companies I work for was inspected by the company which runs Bikeability for the Department of Transport this week and, as well as looking at company procedures, two inspectors went out to two different schools to see the training in action. One of the schools they went to was a school where I was running the course.

Gulp!
Its a bit like a school having an OFSTED inspection, and on top of that, my assistant instructor is very newly qualified so the day the inspectors came was only his third day on the job. Usually the two instructors share the instructing duties, one will talk whilst the other demonstrates and vice versa, but newbie wasn't up to that yet (the day before the inspection I asked him to talk the kids through a drill and he just froze!), so I had to lead for the whole day. Hard for me, boring for him.

I think the inspection went OK. I have to admit that I feel a little proud that out of all of the company's courses and trainers, I was chosen to be inspected. I guess someone feels that I'm a 'safe pair of hands'.

Next stop is to become an instructor trainer, so I'll be teaching the instructors how to instruct. When is that training course?...

Mikey23

Thanks for your posts. Inspiring and uplifting. Missus is a primary teacher and has supervisions at least once a year and ofsteds so I know how frightening that can be. I've not asked her about cycling proficiency but I've often seen them around and supervised by teaching staff. Would be interesting to see if it could be contracted out...

I love my job too. Both the guys I support in the community I encourage to cycle and last week we did a couple of laps around burrator reservoir in the pouring rain which was excellent. I'm thinking about a cycling holiday or a low key event when the weather improves.The other has good balance but scoots along on his little MTB using his feet on the ground. He can also use a tricycle with half pedals and can go for several miles as long as it's flat! Nerve wracking or what...

How on earth you teach a guy with extreme learning difficulties how to cycle properly... I wish I knew but it's tremendous fun and I get paid for it!

EKE_38BPM

Today is a bit of a sad day for me.
A guy I know has a daughter who turned 4 today and he bought his daughter a pink BSO for her birthday. No suspension or gears, but HEAVY and the brake levers are too big for a small four year old's hands. Despite knowing what I do for a living and me offering purchasing advice, the BSO was bought.

It gets worse.
I've spoken to him about the best way to teach a kid to ride a bike but he has ignored my advice and put stabilisers on. I've offered to teach his daughter how to ride FOC, but he says he wants to do it himself (fair enough). The problem is I know him, and that basically means we'll all be living on the Moon before he starts teaching her how to ride and when he does, the lessons won't be fun. Even when she can (eventually) ride, I bet she won't be allowed to ride much.

I may have to kidnap his daughter for a few days, bring the bike, teach her how to ride properly and make it fun!

rjsterry

I have a strong suspicion that parents aren't the best at teaching their children to ride. Of me and my two brothers, the one who learnt to ride quickest (in an afternoon) was taught by his best friend's mum. Not sure what the key ingredient is, though.

Anonymous

Take the stabilisers off and push them down a gravel track. Works wonders. Until all my teeth got smashed out

bigmat

I'm not very good at teaching my kids things, but I have managed to teach my son to ride a bike! Did the balance bike thing then bought him an Isla bike (14" wheel one) for Christmas which he took to straight away. Having another little one to look after and various other things have meant I haven't been able to devote enough one to one time as I would like, but he managed to do a couple of laps of Crystal Palace crit circuit last weekend which put the biggest smile on my face. Apologies if the link doesn't work, I'm terrible with IT...

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v ... =2&theater

Just need to keep up the momentum now and get him some skillz!

sleeches

Eke - some advice requested - 4 1/2 year old graduating from balance bike need first "proper" bike. Was in Decathlon at the weekend for some cheap ski kit and was amazed at the sheer weight of their kids BSOs. Evans seem to be pointing me at their tiny 12" bikes for this age but they feel too small to be of any real use for long. Happy to pay for quality.

Many thanks

secretsam

Teaching kids: one just "got it" (was zooming round on a 2 wheel scooter so had the whole balance thing sussed). T'other didn't, and I've not patience, so that was a bad combo. So in the end we paid to have someone in your line of work to teach her.

Money well spent.

slowbike

It's much easier for a non-parent to help.... Despite my brother being a coach, we got our niece riding without stabilisers by taking her, her brother and both bikes to the park - my brother had tried getting her to ride her own bike and almost got the point where she wouldn't ride it even with stabilisers on ... so, distracting her brother we "did some maintenance" on his stabilisers (aka removed them!) - whilst we were doing the maintenance our niece got on and with a little assistance started riding - logic was (I think) that it wasn't her bike so she could go back to the comfort of her bike (with stabilisers) as soon as she liked.
Didn't take long for her to ditch her stabilisers and her brother to follow suit.
A couple of years later (6yo) and she rode 10 miles from a coffee shop back to our home on her Isla bike - not behind me, but alongside - loved it - I did too

Agent57

Coaching at my club started up again after the winter break this morning. 80 kids down at the circuit. Happy days.

EKE_38BPM

sleeches wrote:

Eke - some advice requested - 4 1/2 year old graduating from balance bike need first "proper" bike. Was in Decathlon at the weekend for some cheap ski kit and was amazed at the sheer weight of their kids BSOs. Evans seem to be pointing me at their tiny 12" bikes for this age but they feel too small to be of any real use for long. Happy to pay for quality.

Many thanks

I'll use 16" bikes to compare prices so that we're comparing apples with apples.
I think it is universally agreed that Islabikes are the best kids bikes available. Nice and light and they have obviously thought about how small kids are and use kids size components rather than adult components. They ain't cheap, but the hold their value really well.
A new Islabike costs £200.
A used Islabike on ebay is selling for £180 inc postage.
So only £20 depreciation (or 10%) in, I guess, two years.

I've had a look at Frog Bikes in a shop and they look really good. They are a little heavier than the Islabikes and maybe a little less 'slick' but from what I've seen, I rate them.
The Frog 48 is £185.
Frog are a new brand and I can't find any on ebay so no idea about resale value.

I see quite a few Ridgeback bikes and they are acceptable to me. They are not as light as the Islabike (steel fork rather than aluminium) and I don't like that they are 'boys bikes' and 'girls bikes'. If you have a boy and a girl and want to hand it down, the colour scheme may be an issue.
New £150
Used £31!!!

The usual big brands (Giant, Spesh etc) do decent enough kids bikes but from what I've seen they don't give it their full attention, so they are heavier, usually steel framed, and the components are not optimised for kids.

As you've found out for yourself, the BSOs are heavy and horrible.

Steer clear of ANY kids bikes with suspension and double or triple chainrings. Trigger shifters are much easier for kids to use than twist/grip shifters, but this isn't really an issue with 16" bikes.
I understand not wanting to spend big money on a) a kids bike but a light bike is easier to ride than a heavier bike and that applies to kids bikes more than it does to adults bikes,
and b) a bike which will be too small in a couple of years (or less) but its not a good idea to buy a bike for little'un to grow into, that just means it is too big now and junior won't want to ride it until fits properly.

From what I've linked, the £31 Ridgeback is the winner, but if money was no object, I'd get the Islabike.

sleeches

Eke - thanks for the advice - much appreciated. It's hard not to go for the Islabike, expecially as there are a few cousins who will get some use out of it when he grows out of it.

Cheers

EKE_38BPM

sleeches wrote:

Eke - thanks for the advice - much appreciated. It's hard not to go for the Islabike, expecially as there are a few cousins who will get some use out of it when he grows out of it.

Cheers

You're welcome.
The family hand-me-down Islabike sounds like a great idea. Take pictures of everyone who learns to ride on it and it will be a great family memory in years to come.