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MENDIP TIMES
Easy as riding a bike
Ed Miliband, politician, and former leader of the Labour Party recently revealed that he only mastered the art of riding a bike aged 50. CYCLING admitting that he had with EDMUND LODITE been a “very, very nervous rider” as a child he had considered using an adult tricycle when lockdown started but was worried about the stigma and photos by the paparazzi. it wasn’t until he hired an electric bike on holiday in France that he “had an epiphany” and realised bikes were fun. Back in London he started venturing out on local journeys – even cycling to work and now says he has “the zeal of a
Channel swim success
Sian andrews, a children’s nanny from Long ashton, has succeeded in swimming the English Channel as part of a relay team to raise money for aspire, a charity which helps people with spinal injuries. Lockdown hampered her preparations so much she was using a family’s ten-metre backyard pool for her preparations, instead of swimming in the Bristol Channel. She said: “i was the third swimmer, so my first swim was at 2am. Water temp was 15c. The first 20 minutes of swimming i was excited that my dream had become a reality. i'd trained hard for this and now was my time to shine.” www.justgiving.com/fundraising/s ian-andrews15
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convert”. Such candour from a politician is refreshing and will strike a chime with many who can relate to the emotions he expressed. With that in mind i’ve been pondering whether the saying “it’s as easy as riding a bike” is really true? i don’t remember the exact steps my parents went through with me on my first bike. There is no set approach, a lot depends on giving the child confidence. The best age to teach a child is between four and six years and the process should take about 45 minutes. The recommended first step is not to use the pedals. By removing them and lowering the saddle slightly it allows the child to push themselves along, learning how to balance and turn the bike. Then with pedals returned and saddle height re-set the adult holds the child (not the bike) from behind to provide stability while the child learns how the bike reacts as they pedal. Hopefully, it then isn’t too long before the child is released to take their first few pedal turns towards freedom and adventure. For adults returning to cycling or learning to ride later in life the challenges can be different. The physical process of
balancing and pedalling is more straightforward, but now the mind starts to throw in unfounded doubts over safety, risk, traffic etc. Confidence is the key – the best approach is to start simple and be proud of every ride no matter how far. Little and often is the best way to increase strength and confidence. Traffic-free paths like the Strawberry Line and Colliers Way are a good place to build confidence. We are also lucky that Mendip is criss-crossed by country lanes with low levels of traffic. Positioning on the road is important. a common misconception is that cyclists should ride as close to the kerb as possible, but this is wrong. Vehicles may try and squeeze past when there’s not enough room, so it’s best to assume a wider position on the road, about 1m from the kerb. This makes the rider more visible and allows some flexibility for manoeuvring. i know a few people that have returned to cycling later in life. Like Ed Miliband any concerns quickly disappeared and after a few rides a new world had opened. Young or old, cycling is the same – pleasurable, healthy, an environmentally friendly way to travel – and it’s easy!
AUGUST CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1. Gobi 3. Blood money 9. Exam 10. Corpuscles 11. notated 13. Rhizome 15. Referendums 19. number plate 21. Lineman 22. Shipham 23. Extinction 24. Ulna 25. Easy Street 26. ache. DOWN: 1. Green Ore 2. Blast off 4. Lloyd 5. Opportune 6. Mississipi 7. nelson 8. Yes-men 12. Tyrone Mings 15. nominator 16. Catholic 17. Teammate 19. Cleeve 20. Unites 22. Stoke
