British Cycling Activities for Schools

My school is aiming to expand the range of physical activities offered to
pupils and I have been persuaded to investigate the opportunities that
cycling might offer. I've found the British Cycling web site and have found
two possible activities that could be introduced. They are outlined on the
web page:

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web...or_schools.asp

Does anyone in this newsgroup have any experience of British Cycling's
activities in schools? Any opinions on the merits of getting involved?

Thanks

Vernon

On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 20:16:52 +0100, "vernon"
wrote:

My school is aiming to expand the range of physical activities offered to
pupils and I have been persuaded to investigate the opportunities that
cycling might offer. I've found the British Cycling web site and have found
two possible activities that could be introduced. They are outlined on the
web page:

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web...or_schools.asp

Does anyone in this newsgroup have any experience of British Cycling's
activities in schools? Any opinions on the merits of getting involved?

A couple of pix of children involved in go-ride activities:
http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/ph..._skills_04.jpg
http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/ph..._skills_05.jpg
http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/ph..._skills_06.jpg

Go for it Vernon. Go-Ride is an excellent scheme run by the cycling
professionals. And you get loads of useful free equipment and
helmets.

"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
...

Go for it Vernon. Go-Ride is an excellent scheme run by the cycling
professionals. And you get loads of useful free equipment and
helmets.

Free helmets. That'll be useful then, teaching kids that cycling is
dangerous. No matter how many times it's been said, it's worth repeating
again: cycling is safe, helmets provide no protection. Feel free to
disagree as much as you like, but please post some respected, peer-reviewed
evidence when you do.

Vernon, as I understand it, British Cycling is about competive cycling, so
if that's what you think will attract the kids, then fine.

"burtthebike" wrote in message
...

"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
...

Go for it Vernon. Go-Ride is an excellent scheme run by the cycling
professionals. And you get loads of useful free equipment and
helmets.

Free helmets. That'll be useful then, teaching kids that cycling is
dangerous. No matter how many times it's been said, it's worth repeating
again: cycling is safe, helmets provide no protection. Feel free to
disagree as much as you like, but please post some respected,
peer-reviewed evidence when you do.

Vernon, as I understand it, British Cycling is about competive cycling, so
if that's what you think will attract the kids, then fine.
And the Army is about killing people and being killed - still attracts kids
to the Army cadets ;-)

In all seriousness though. I am aware that British Cycling is ultimately
about winning medals. Where else is it going to recruit new blood if not
through youth activities? Youngsters rarely spontaneously decide that they
are going to become top flight sportmen and sportswomen. I'm looking at
providing opportunities for kids to:
Get more out of cycling
Take some regular exercise
See cycling in a context other than a mode of transport
Be competitive
Possibly migrate to a local cycling club
Have fun

Discovering future cycling stars is not my primary aim, having fun is my
target. If the future British champion emerges then that would be nice.

As for helmets, if British Cycling insist on kids wearing them then the kids
will have to wear them. I will not be proffering an opinion on the worth of
wearing helmets as I am undecided on the issue. In competitive cycling,
helmet wearing tends to be compulsory - something that I can live with. Kids
at my school can infer what they like from my non-wearing of a helmet when
I'm on my bike. Another thing to consider is the risk assessments that have
to be carried out when taking kids off the school site. I'll be seeking
advice from the LEA on their stance on helmets because if some mishap
happens, LEAs tend to stand back, watch the feaces hit the fan, wring their
hands in contrition and watch the teacher in charge get charged with
whatever criminal charges the HSE can throw at him/her without offering a
crumb of support. I'm brave/mad enough to want to take kids out and about
but I also want to be protected by proxy by the kids wearing helmets if it
is decreed that that is the preferred state of affairs. Education is now a
very risk averse environment - ask the science teachers who can't do bangs
flashes and smells anymore. I gave up the teaching the subject because my
pyromaniacal urges would have curtailed my liberty or brought an early end
to my career a quite a while ago.

I really do miss the concussive blasts from igniting stoichometric mixes of
hydrogen and oxygen.....but there you go....

vernon wrote:
My school is aiming to expand the range of physical activities offered to
pupils and I have been persuaded to investigate the opportunities that
cycling might offer. I've found the British Cycling web site and have found
two possible activities that could be introduced. They are outlined on the
web page:

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web...or_schools.asp

Does anyone in this newsgroup have any experience of British Cycling's
activities in schools? Any opinions on the merits of getting involved?
This is all off-road stuff starting with games and getting to sport. ie. PE on bikes.
If you want cycling for everyday use, for example how to cycle to school and cycle skills
for life, then this will be utterly useless. The key words you need for that are
"National Standards" possibly branded as "Bikeability".

Tell us where you are located and you may get some live bod to show you how things are
done locally.

--
Peter Fox
Beer, dancing, cycling and lots more at www.eminent.demon.co.uk

vernon wrote:

I really do miss the concussive blasts from igniting stoichometric mixes of
hydrogen and oxygen.....but there you go....

My favorite one was mixing Chlorine & Hydrogen over a Platinum catalyst.
Of the 3 chemistry teachers we had, one refused to do it.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

The media finally figured out that their "paying customers"
(i.e. advertisers) don't WANT an intelligent, thoughtful
audience. And they no longer have one." (Rich Tietjens)

"Don Whybrow" wrote in message
...
vernon wrote:

I really do miss the concussive blasts from igniting stoichometric mixes
of hydrogen and oxygen.....but there you go....

My favorite one was mixing Chlorine & Hydrogen over a Platinum catalyst.
Of the 3 chemistry teachers we had, one refused to do it.



strokes chin
mmmmmm........
/strokes chin

"Peter Fox" wrote in message
...
vernon wrote:
My school is aiming to expand the range of physical activities offered to
pupils and I have been persuaded to investigate the opportunities that
cycling might offer. I've found the British Cycling web site and have
found two possible activities that could be introduced. They are
outlined on the web page:

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web...or_schools.asp

Does anyone in this newsgroup have any experience of British Cycling's
activities in schools? Any opinions on the merits of getting involved?
This is all off-road stuff starting with games and getting to sport. ie.
PE on bikes.
If you want cycling for everyday use, for example how to cycle to school
and cycle skills for life, then this will be utterly useless. The key
words you need for that are "National Standards" possibly branded as
"Bikeability".

Tell us where you are located and you may get some live bod to show you
how things are done locally.

I teach in Bradford. It's the sporting aspect that I'm interested in as the
overall aim is to increase the the range of opportunities for the kids in
the school to participate in a physical activity that they enjoy. I might
look at Bikeability later.

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 21:54:21 GMT, "burtthebike"
wrote:


"Tom Crispin" wrote in message
.. .

Go for it Vernon. Go-Ride is an excellent scheme run by the cycling
professionals. And you get loads of useful free equipment and
helmets.

Free helmets. That'll be useful then, teaching kids that cycling is
dangerous. No matter how many times it's been said, it's worth repeating
again: cycling is safe, helmets provide no protection. Feel free to
disagree as much as you like, but please post some respected, peer-reviewed
evidence when you do.

You didn't read what I said.

Here it is again.

"And you'll get loads of useful free equipment and helemts."

I deliberately distinguished between "useful free equipment" and
"helmets", making no judgement on their usefullness or otherwise.

Vernon, as I understand it, British Cycling is about competive cycling, so
if that's what you think will attract the kids, then fine.

While it is true that BC received the funding for Go Ride! (partly) to
be able to identify possible competitors for the 2012 Olympics, an
offshoot of this is to train more children in cycling skills.
Currently the Go Ride! scheme is entirely off-road, but there are
plans to extend it and fully embrace Cycling England's Bikeability
Levels 1, 2 and 3.

The activities Go Ride! offers are huge fun for children, and will
certainly attract them.

Tom Crispin wrote in
:

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 21:54:21 GMT, "burtthebike"
wrote:


You didn't read what I said.

Here it is again.

"And you'll get loads of useful free equipment and helemts."

I deliberately distinguished between "useful free equipment" and
"helmets", making no judgement on their usefullness or otherwise.


You need to modify your grammar then to say "loads of free useful equipment
and helmets" because as I read what you have written the adjective useful
also modifies 'helemts'"


--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell