FEATURE: The Pedal Club Lunch (August)

The Pedal Club’s speaker for August was Emily Cherry, the CEO of Bikeability and her organisation was the subject of her talk. By Chris Lovibond

FEATURE: The Pedal Club Lunch (August) by Chris Lovibond — The Pedal Club’s speaker for August was Emily Cherry, the CEO of Bikeability and her organisation was the subject of her talk.

Photo: Emily Cherry has just received her Pedal Club Badge from President John Wheatley.

Bikeability’s primary aim is to enable children to learn to ride; this does not just mean being able to balance, but includes the whole range of knowledge necessary to survive when riding on the road in traffic. This is a vital skill for life because, although it cannot be denied that road cycling does involve some risk, the dangers of a lifetime of car dependency are far greater.

Over the past eighteen years of its existence Bikeability has trained six million children (including five hundred thousand in the past year) and states that after their course there is a fivefold increase in bike use. The organisation is seen as an important part of the government’s ‘Active Travel’ policy and receives public funding for its work.

So far, so good, but Emily told us that there are some problems:

1. Schools are sometimes reluctant to allow Bikeability work with them on the ground that ‘cycling is not on the curriculum’.
2. There is a need for more instructors. Bikeability will train suitable candidates (the criteria for suitability are not very demanding).
3.Parents: in the spirit of our times some parents can be over protective, seeing only dangers without appreciating the health benefits
4. Access to bikes: it appears that 40% of six to ten year olds have no access to a bike.
5. The mainstream media always seems reluctant to report any good news about cycling.

In addition to the above Bikeability could do more if it had increased funding, but some would say that there is an inevitable conflict between encouraging active travel and the government’s mantra about economic growth.

None of the first four problems mentioned above are insuperable and it was clear from Emily Cherry’s talk that she is an able and effective advocate for her cause. The Pedal Club wishes her every success, not least because so many members rode to school themselves; they know that most sporting cyclists started as utility riders.

The meeting attracted thirty eight members and guests and was held at the Civil Service Club in Whitehall.

 

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