Finding decent training?

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mjr
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Finding decent training?

Post by mjr »

Maybe someone can help me spot what I'm missing. In another topic, someone said "CTC has a whole section of its website devoted to all of the different types of training that it offers" so I start at www.ctc.org.uk - click "Ride". Nothing on training there? Then I try "What we do" as a second guess. Succees. I click "Cycle courses & training". I try "Register to book..." which is the first link. Nothing on that form for when, where and how much. I try "Course calendar" and the list of courses seems to be only trail leading and maintenance, so I pick "Commuter Tutor" as course type (which seems the most relevant - why are there no Bikeability options?) and click search and get "There are no results for your selection". Before I burn lots of time again, how can I find road training courses running in East Anglia?

(Just to cover the main non-CTC alternatives: I know about http://bikeability.dft.gov.uk but I get even less far with that. I click "find a provider" and get a page that says "Please choose a local authority from the left to find out if Bikeability training is offered near you" which currently shows me no local authorities on the left. I think I made it work somehow once (different non-Mozilla browser, perhaps) and it just gave me a list of email addresses to laboriously ask each one in turn. I tried the most likely-looking ones and got a mix of non-responses and replies saying they're not running any relevant/open courses just now. The only provider I know runs courses here is Norfolk County Council and their training manual that says stuff like "Stop at the junction using both brakes, with the left foot on the verge or kerb" when turning left out of a minor road, so hopefully you can see why I'm not keen on them.)
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Vorpal
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by Vorpal »

http://www.ctc.org.uk/courses-and-train ... nstructors might be what you're after? There still isn't much on the calendar. Not many Bikeability courses run during winter.

http://www.ctc-maps.org.uk/training/cou ... om/norfolk are the instructors who cover Norfolk. Most of them operate from neighboring counties because of NCC's approach to cycle training. :roll:
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Si
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by Si »

Answer copied from other thread:
I did What We Do -> Courses for Instructors -> National Standard Instructor , and found a section that gives email and phone number to use to find courses near you. It's my understanding that they do not put these courses on on a (for example) regular monthly basis, thus you need check with them when the next one near you will be. If a number of people check with them from the same area then they may put one on for those people.

Anyway, that's my understanding - I didn't do mine with the CTC so it worked differently for me.


This assumes that you are looking for some kind of instructor course.
If you are just looking to brush up on your cycling skills then I refer you back to my original concern re grass roots provided training......and then I'd suggest you talk to your local council cycling officer.
Vorpal
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by Vorpal »

Si wrote:and then I'd suggest you talk to your local council cycling officer.

Norfolk county council don't have a Cycling officer. Thye have a 'Cycling and Walking officer'. Who does hand-out-leaflets-about-helmets-and-hiviz approach to road safety.

They don't accept Bikeability, but have their own training course 'based' upon National Standards. Only it isn't. It's basically old-style cycling proficiency, with waiting on the left to turn right and f'godsakesgettingoutofthewayofthetraffic.

There have been a couple of previous threads about the lack of National Standards training in Norfolk...
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=70217&p=708900
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=68338&p=588195
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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mjr
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by mjr »

Vorpal wrote:http://www.ctc.org.uk/courses-and-training/bikeability-cycling-instructors might be what you're after? There still isn't much on the calendar. Not many Bikeability courses run during winter.

http://www.ctc-maps.org.uk/training/cou ... om/norfolk are the instructors who cover Norfolk. Most of them operate from neighboring counties because of NCC's approach to cycle training. :roll:

I don't even see a calendar on the first link besides a link to the trails and maintenance once I found in the opening post?

Seeing as people spent time replying, I've spent my time going through the CTC list. Sixteen providers, of which: one helmet+hi-vis rule (no thank you Smart Cycle Training - I'm surprised CTC list them), 4 broken websites (Suffolk Cycle Training, The Cycle Training People, Cambs Cycling Instructor; and special mention for the squatter on the Cycling Divas site), 7 without websites and the other 4 aren't actually working in Norfolk AFAICS (Outspoken offer to find someone who is, though).

Maybe training is especially grim in Norfolk thanks to NCC's awful approach. When I find time, I'll see if other riders locally would like refresher training and try to arrange either importing instructor(s) or group outing(s) to somewhere saner (Cambridge seems most likely) depending how many there are.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Si
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by Si »

Job opportunity for someone then :wink:
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by Vorpal »

mjr wrote:Maybe training is especially grim in Norfolk thanks to NCC's awful approach. When I find time, I'll see if other riders locally would like refresher training and try to arrange either importing instructor(s) or group outing(s) to somewhere saner (Cambridge seems most likely) depending how many there are.

Training is especially grim in Norfolk :( But whatever the page I linked above says, some of the instructors in Suffolk have also done training in Norfolk.

I might know someone who can work in Norfolk & will ask when I have the chance...
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
stork
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Re: Finding decent training?

Post by stork »

Active Norfolk should be aware of Bikeability instructors who are currently providing training in Norfolk with School Sports Partnership funding. Our local school (in Norfolk) now offers Bikeability, having dropped the Norfolk County Council 'training' a couple of years ago, and I believe that there are others who have taken this approach.

Although why you wouldn't take training from someone who doesn't ride a bike and declares that they would never ride because it's too dangerous (as has been said of a County Council 'volunteer' cycle trainer), I can't imagine!

By the way, I don't think that Norfolk CC even has a 'cycling and walking' officer. I have heard it said (by someone with management responsibility at that organisation) that a cycling officer for Norfolk (with a population of over 800,000, an area of 2000 square miles, and over 6000 miles of highway) would definitely not justify there being a full-time post for this.
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