As well as working for Cyclox as a coordinator I also run a Bikeability Scheme in West Oxfordshire. Bikeability replaced the old Cycling Proficiency and is about gaining practical skills and learning how to cycle safely on todays roads. For most of the county the only cycle training programme available is the Oxfordshire Cycle Training Scheme, run by volunteers or teaching staff in schools and promoted and supported by Oxfordshire County Council.

So, what’s the argument for Bikeability in Oxfordshire? I accept that the volunteer-led training is commendable for engaging with parents and other people in the community, getting out there in all weathers and teaching children how to ride on the road. But really, that is where is ends for me. Bikeability offers so much more.

Bikeability offers a progression through 3 stages of training, from basic riding skills, to negotiating quieter roads, and finally cycling confidently in town and city centres. Consequently, Bikeability is primarily about cycling rather than safety per se. We want to encourage young people to cycle, not scare the living daylights out of them. In our scheme we steer clear of discussions about accidents or collisions, head injuries or falling off. We talk about being confident and skilled cyclists, understanding and communicating with other road users, adopting the correct road position, and that P word – Priority; or as we put it ‘Who goes first?’.

Bikeability is a really practical course; children learn by watching and doing. We get feet on pedals early, and keep them turning as much as possible! We cycle with the children, taking them around their communities and teaching them how to negotiate the roads where they live. We model best practice through demonstration and give ride directly with children who are nervous until they feel confident enough to ride alone. Much of this is not possible within the Oxfordshire County Council scheme because tutors are not covered by insurance to ride their own bikes. Because we spend time with each group we are able to assess them without an external test.

You may ask: “Why pay for Bikeability, when people helping with the council scheme are doing it for free?” Well, I am paid to take your children out on the roads, I take pride in it, and take it very seriously. The more I do it, the better I become, developing strategies for dealing with the different challenges that each group of children presents. I have learned to adapt to the constantly changing teaching environment – the roads. It is also highly rewarding. As a Bikeability instructor you help young people gain the freedom to travel confidently on two wheels.

Since its inception in 2007, 1.5 million children in the UK have received Bikeability training. Setting up a proper Bikeability scheme in Oxfordshire would benefit our children and benefit cycling more generally across the county. Finally, and this is a rare thing to hear these days, once it is up and running, national government funding means it wouldn’t cost a penny of the council’s cash.