Cycle Training

London Cyclist - December 2000/January 2001

Tulse Hill girls get on their bikes for Car-Free Day

Among the biggest fans of the Car-Free Day celebrations held on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton were a group of Year 8 pupils from St Martin in the Fiedls school in Tulse Hill. Their English teacher Julia Parry … arranged for the class to walk to Coldharbour Lane and have a cycle lesson. Julia was lucky that two other teachers at the school who cycle to work were willing to help and that Brixton Cycles and Cycle Training were able to donate their time and skills. Here is what some of the St Martin's girls thought of their class trip.

I knew how to ride so I wasn't taught that but I learnt how to turn and ride a bike in a small space with loads of other bikes.
Laurelle Jones
I thought at first that cycling was a manly activity, but I learnt that girls could also take part.
Janelle Kusi
I was so happy when I learnt how to ride a bike in around four or five minutes and there were quite a lot of people who were riding bikes and that just encouraged me to work harder. When I first saw my teacher riding a bike [to school] I was surprised and shocked. I quite admired her courage, thinking about what people would say.
Rachelle Sabih

I hope that something like this will happen again. I think that girls' attitude to cycling is it's cool. They think it's cool when they are riding out of school, but when they are riding in school they think it's uncool.
Pauletta Johnson
I learned how to ride a bike in five minutes. It was very fun and interesting. I was kind of showing off a bit but I just loved the moment.
Senanu Asante

Car-Free Day was the most unusual event I have ever taken part in. What I enjoyed most was the bike cart. What I found amazing was that they blocked off Coldharbour Lane for this event.
Saphire Morris

I thought Car-Free Day was brilliant because we got to ride bikes and the best part of the day was when we had races in the go carts. It was a different experience because I have always thought that riding bikes was very masculine.
Rukayat Ajose.