Ickford School Children Get On Their Bikes

CHILDREN at Ickford School went back there for the first week of the summer holidays for two cycling courses ? Biking Basics and Introduction to Road Cycling.
Younger children enjoyed fun and games on their bikes in the playground while the older ones practised their on-the-roadskills.
The courses followed levels 1 and 2 of the National Cycling Standards under the expert guidance of cycling instructor, Cathy Gaulter-Carter.

Cathy said:”It’s great to have cycling courses in a small village like Ickford, especially at the beginning of the holidays, as it will encourage families to get out on their bikes for the rest of the break and hopefully cycle to school in the autumn.
“The children can all use their new skills to become much safer cyclists with good control and, for the older children, good road sense.
“We had great fun in spite of the soaring temperatures. The younger children had lots of practice taking a hand off the handlebars to collect a water bottle or signal and we even had a bicycle limbo game! I took the older children on rides to Shabbington and Thame (thanks to the new cycle path) and we rounded off the week with a beautiful circular route to Waterperry.
“Cycling is such healthy exercise and good for the environment too. The more people who take up cycling, the less traffic we should see at school times.”

National standards have been adopted to replace the outdated ‘cycling proficiency’ and the general aim is to get more people cycling more often and more safely. The three levels are for adults and children from beginner to advanced levels.