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LennoxR

I've always thought that if schools were to encourage competitive cycling the way to do it would be to revive the old grass track racing that we used to have back in mid 20th century.

Short, fast, competitive and relatively risk free. Could be hosted on a playing pitch. Kids could bring their own bikes, you could easily have a school league or something in the summer term. Doubtless it's more complicated in reality, but I've always wondered about this possibility.

Chuchote

Not to mention bicycle polo, invented by RJ Mecredy of this parish in the 1890s.

Harrybelafonte

LennoxR wrote: »

I've always thought that if schools were to encourage competitive cycling the way to do it would be to revive the old grass track racing that we used to have back in mid 20th century.

Short, fast, competitive and relatively risk free. Could be hosted on a playing pitch. Kids could bring their own bikes, you could easily have a school league or something in the summer term. Doubtless it's more complicated in reality, but I've always wondered about this possibility.

Grass track racing is still fixed gear and is still alive as it is how Eoin Mullen got into track racing. So children having their own bikes is unlikely.

How many pages in are we at this stage and the answer has already been proffered. There are opportunities to race on bicycles for children in a safe environment. Schools can avail of these opportunities, or not, and usually for valid reasons.

As experience in these situations seems to missing form most posts, particularly the OP, let me point out that I approached my son's secondary school to suggest attending a session/booking a session in Sundrive. Despite a positive reaction and knowing that the school is very active in encouraging sports, this idea went no further.

Reasons involved other parents' unwillingness to give permission due to levels of danger. Children are rarely knocked unconscious or break collarbones at GAA games or soccer games. That's the world most of these people live in, so what we regard as relatively safe may not seem to others.

On top of that, the same school was approached regarding establishing a basketball team. Also didn't work, simply because the kids prefer to play GAA or soccer. Both girls and boys.

Time and financial costs are not worth the investment to propose a possibly short-lived new sport when the stalwarts can be relied upon with as little fuss as possible.

And, on top of all that, kids are fickle. They don't always stick with sports, especially if it's not a sport their friends play. My own has been accredited at Sundrive since he was maybe 8 or 9. That's over 5 years ago I think now. He has consistently come down and supported me or helped and volunteered at events, but has no interest in competing. Additionally, he has now given up basketball after playing for almost 8 years.

Kids change and they move on to different things, not all of them obviously, but from a school's perspective it makes investing substantial time and finances less attractive, especially if the majority of the parents understand little about the sport and prefer to support the staples.

As with many of the current posts on this forum that seem to be some kind of intellectual "what if" exercises, if you really feel something needs to change, go out and get involved and change it. Otherwise it's just self-gratification.

ILIKEFOOD

dragratchet wrote: »

i met a group from black-rock college out on the road one day.. big gang with a teacher leading. weren't involved in racing per say but getting k's in ahead of a cycling trip to France i think.

that's the willow wheelers, started in 1989.

although I went to the school my parents couldn't afford a bike for me, so the glaring answer to this question IMO is the sheer cost involved in getting kitted out to join a school club. Even the wheelers were seen as off-curriculum. So the option was there, but it wasn't like togging out to play a game of rugby on a Wednesday (mandatory!)

LennoxR

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Grass track racing is still fixed gear and is still alive as it is how Eoin Mullen got into track racing. So children having their own bikes is unlikely.

I don't see why it would have to be fixed gear to be honest. There's a some form of on-grass racing at the community games where the kids just bring their own bikes.

But anyway it was just a suggestion. I don't get the hostility.

Harrybelafonte

LennoxR wrote: »

I don't get the hostility.

I don't get where you're getting the hostility.

You referred to grass track racing, that's a fixed gear event. My reference to Eoin may have been off, as the community games seem to call it "cycling on grass" and as you say allow road bikes. It's a different event then, but as you say, a pitch somewhere could be used for it.