Boys on bikes!

Tombo2001

cletus wrote: »

I teach in a relatively large school, we have about 100 Sheffield stands. Pre-Covid, there was never more than 3 or 4 bikes locked up out there. Did a quick count this morning on the way in, and there's around 25 bikes there. While still not a huge percentage (we've about a thousand students), a 6 fold increase is positive.

Still very low though, my kids primary has about 40 bikes each day, for about 240 students.

cletus

Im in a secondary school, so I'd expect numbers to be a bit lower. We're also located outside the town, so a lot of our studebnts travel by bus.

From what I can tell, its exclusively boys cycling in (we're a mixed school), so all round, there's obviously huge improvements that can be made, but at least its moving in the right direction

daragh_

My daughters BF (16) and a few of his mates picked up bikes over Covid. Mixed bag of Fixies, MTBs and eBikes. Started local but are now regularly heading off on longer and longer spins. Not a water bottle, spare tube or any lycra to be seen. They've just discovered the roads up around the Leadmines. I fully expect to meet them in Laragh by the middle of the summer.

ED E

cletus wrote: »

Im in a secondary school, so I'd expect numbers to be a bit lower. We're also located outside the town, so a lot of our studebnts travel by bus.

From what I can tell, its exclusively boys cycling in (we're a mixed school), so all round, there's obviously huge improvements that can be made, but at least its moving in the right direction

Same is repeated nationwide. Unfortunately it's still not cool for girls to cycle.

magicbastarder

my 16 y.o. niece and a bunch of her friends recently cycled from carpenterstown to blackrock and back, none having previously been more than a couple of kilometres from the house on bikes. one of them had to borrow a bike, she'd not cycled one in five or ten years. they loved it.

ARX

daragh_ wrote: »

My daughters BF (16) and a few of his mates picked up bikes over Covid. Mixed bag of Fixies, MTBs and eBikes. Started local but are now regularly heading off on longer and longer spins. Not a water bottle, spare tube or any lycra to be seen. They've just discovered the roads up around the Leadmines. I fully expect to meet them in Laragh by the middle of the summer.

It's going to be a summer of humiliation for us mamils!

DirkVoodoo

Bit of a mix around us. Very close to Ticknock, so I see a lot of kids on mountain bikes.

Right next to us we have "Knocklyon Dirt Jumps", a local group of kids that are building their own trails and jumps. Really amazing to see. All very positive and they teach each other and (hopefully) learning something about construction and hard work

On the other hand, see a lot of gangs of young lads on those 16" FIIDO ebikes. They just seem to treat them as unlicensed mopeds, normally whizzing past on the footpaths.

Tombo2001

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Bit of a mix around us. Very close to Ticknock, so I see a lot of kids on mountain bikes.

Right next to us we have "Knocklyon Dirt Jumps", a local group of kids that are building their own trails and jumps. Really amazing to see. All very positive and they teach each other and (hopefully) learning something about construction and hard work

On the other hand, see a lot of gangs of young lads on those 16" FIIDO ebikes. They just seem to treat them as unlicensed mopeds, normally whizzing past on the footpaths.

Agreed - I wouldnt like to diss fellow cyclists, but you are right they are quasi mopeds and used a bit irresponsibly.

No one under 18 should be going around on an electric bike.

Tenzor07

Noticed on the C2S cycleway there's an increase in male youths cycling along there, wobbling around with hands off the bars... Very dangerous to try pass them as they weave all over the place and are cycling at a lower speed, add in people out walking and I think it's safer to take my chances out on the main road....

Seems to be zero education on cycling etiquette in schools these days, a bicycle is just a toy, in particular those annoying tiny wheeled electric ones...

mloc123

sy_flembeck wrote: »

I brought my bike to the LBS for a repair yesterday and he told me he had 60 bikes in front of me. There were bikes of all colour and creed everywhere. He only took mine in at all because I'm a regular customer. Great to see

I was in Wheelworx today for the first time in 2 years... I had stopped going, as any time I went in the past it felt like a shop on it's last legs... It was buzzing today, lots of customers... people working there and actual stock :eek: Nice to see

Gloucester

Same - was in Wheelworx last week and the place was jammers with deliveries of new bikes - mainly Trek. And yep, middle of Monday afternoon and plenty of customers in and out of the store and plenty of staff to deal with my really basic mundane newbie questions and requests. Great to see!!!:)

cletus

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Noticed on the C2S cycleway there's an increase in male youths cycling along there, wobbling around with hands off the bars... Very dangerous to try pass them as they weave all over the place and are cycling at a lower speed, add in people out walking and I think it's safer to take my chances out on the main road....

Seems to be zero education on cycling etiquette in schools these days, a bicycle is just a toy, in particular those annoying tiny wheeled electric ones...

Why would schools teach how to ride a bike?

I'd say 80% of my cycling as a teenager was done with my hands in my pockets

this.lad

cletus wrote: »

Why would schools teach how to ride a bike?

I'd say 80% of my cycling as a teenager was done with my hands in my pockets

Schools should fix everything, surely 🙄

eeeee

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Noticed on the C2S cycleway there's an increase in male youths cycling along there, wobbling around with hands off the bars... Very dangerous to try pass them as they weave all over the place and are cycling at a lower speed, add in people out walking and I think it's safer to take my chances out on the main road....

Seems to be zero education on cycling etiquette in schools these days, a bicycle is just a toy, in particular those annoying tiny wheeled electric ones...

I just say 'excuse me' as I come up behind them and they bunch in and let you by.

I fully support their bike handling skills. I really wish I could do wheelies too

It's great to see young people out on bikes. Seeing more mixed groups and the odd group of young women too, it's fantastic. It's brilliant that so many young people are discovering the freedom a bike can bring, and using it as a social tool. It'll always be there for them. Plus they'll have skillz :pac:

There is also a programme that is done in schools called Cycle Right, I am not sure how schools do it or how it works but it's out there.

magicbastarder

cletus wrote: »

Why would schools teach how to ride a bike?

is there any school for teaching me how to wheelie impressively?

eeeee

magicbastarder wrote: »

is there any school for teaching me how to wheelie impressively?

Finally someone asking real questions about our education system :pac:

Flinty997

magicbastarder wrote: »

is there any school for teaching me how to wheelie impressively?

Buy a Raleigh Chopper and a helmet.