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Cycling to School
CYCLING TO SCHOOL – HANDY TIPS
Cycling to school is a great way to start your day and get your kids ready to learn. It also makes exercise a daily part of your life.
We wanted to share a few tips to keep you and your kids safe.
Be prepared
Mornings are a busy time for parents and it can be overwhelming getting the kids ready to cycle on top of all the things that need to be done before setting off. However, with a little preparation, cycling can be the best way to travel to school. Pack bags the night before and leave helmets by the front door, so in the morning you can just get up and go.
Choose an easy route
Take a smooth, flat route so that it’s suitable for younger cyclists. You’ll be surprised by how many quiet roads or back streets there are in your area that lead to school.
Make it fun
Ease in with small trips to the park and build up to the journey to school. Keep younger children entertained by talking about what you see throughout the journey. This will help them to get to know their local area and feel part of it, while also making the ride more fun.
Mix it up
For busy families, different ways of journeying to school will work for different days. Walking, scooting, cycling and park and stride are all good options, so do what works best for you.
Be safe
The biggest concern for adults when it comes to children cycling to school is danger from traffic. This fear has driven children into the backseat to be ferried around, with 42% of primary pupils now being driven to school. For those concerned about safety, ride in a line with children in the middle of adults for maximum protection and visibility. If there’s only one adult, take up a position at the back to ensure all children are in plain view.
Take part in cycle training
Courses like Bikeability are great and have come on a long way since cycling proficiency began. Cycle training teaches valuable skills, such as good road positioning, signalling and visibility and can help parents and children feel at ease on busy streets.
Choose the right bike or scooter
Try to purchase a bike that is the right size and avoid the temptation to buy one which is too big, so that they can ‘grow into it’. This is important because a large bike will be more difficult to control and can put young children off cycling.
Try using a cargo bike
Parents with very young children are often put off cycling to school as space on a single bike is limited. Think again. Gone are the days when the only way to take a passenger on your bike was to ‘give them a backie’ – there’s now a vast choice of safe and stylish ways to transport your children. Cargo bikes, in particular the box-bike style, are ideal for transporting young children around. Depending on the type (and the size and age of your children) it can be possible to transport up to four with space for other cargo as well.
Purchase or hire the correct bike accessories
Carrying heavy books and equipment is often seen as a barrier to cycling or scooting to school. However, panniers fitted to a rack on a bike are the best solution, although a small backpack may also be sufficient. And, for the winter months, a white front light and red rear light (constant or flashing) and reflectors are legal requirements when cycling in the dark.
Protect your bike
WATCH OUT,
THIEVES ARE ABOUT
Cycling is more popular than ever, and bike theft is becoming a bigger problem every day. Almost every couple of days we are hearing of our clients having a bike stolen.
Bikes are becoming more and more expensive and harder to get with the demand so high. We have a few tips on how to protect your bike and keep it with you, not in the hands of a thief:-
Get a decent lock
Bike thieves need to operate quickly to reduce the chance of being caught, so a decent bike lock is literally worth its weight in gold.
A heavy-duty bike lock can make a thief’s job more difficult, with the result that they abandon attempts to steal your bike or move onto a bike with a less secure lock. We have a range of Secure locks.
A heavy-duty bike lock can make a thief’s job more difficult, with the result that they abandon attempts to steal your bike or move onto a bike with a less secure lock. We have a range of Secure locks.
Keep a note of your bike’s serial number
Keep a note of your bike’s serial number, every bike has its own serial number and it is worth knowing it. At CRANQ we log every bike’s serial number and in our fight against bike theft we check and if we think a bike might be stolen we will let you know.
Make your mark
Marking your bike with a unique code ensures that Police will be able to trace your bike back to you if it is stolen and recovered.
BikeRegister is a Police-approved marking scheme and the BikeRegister kit is the Metropolitan Police Service’s preferred bike marking product.
As part of their move to improve cycle security in London, the Metropolitan Police Force’s Cycle Task Force regularly set up engagement stalls offering security marking and registration onto BikeRegister. For more information about Cycle Task Force security marking email cycletaskforce@met.police.uk.
In other parts of the UK, local police forces mark bikes at special events which are usually advertised on their websites. You can also contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team to find out when their next marking event is taking place.
However, if you are marking your bike yourself:
- Ensure the security mark is clearly visible. This in itself will act as a deterrent to bike thieves.
- Apply a tamper-proof sticker to the frame, warning that the bike has been marked.
- Make sure you register the bike online at BikeRegister and download a registration log book, proving ownership.
Insure it
You may have invested a significant amount of money into your bike, so be sure you’re covered for theft.
It’s worth considering specialist cycle insurance, especially if your bike is valuable, as some home insurance providers often have a value limit on your bike. Other considerations with your home insurance is to check that it covers you for theft away from your home.
Be safe when you are out
Bike thefts can occur at any time – day or night. A growing trend is that thieves are stealing certain makes and models to order.
- Park your bike in a well-lit area, where it can be easily seen by passers-by.
- Lock both wheels and the frame of your bike to a cycle stand or other immoveable object. Use designated parking areas where possible.
- Make sure the locks go through the bike frame as well as both wheels and the post you are securing it to. Otherwise, a thief may steal the bike and leave the wheels behind. Also, make sure it isn’t possible to cut through the post, or for the bike to be lifted up over the top of it.
- Ensure your lock doesn’t touch the ground, otherwise it is easy for a thief to sledgehammer it off.
- Take any removable items with you such as wheels, lights, baskets and saddle.
- Don’t park in the same place every day. If bike thieves are stealing to order, they are more likely to target you if they know where you will be.
Be safe at home
More than half of bikes are stolen from home. Reduce the chances of this happening by:
- Storing your bike in a locked shed or garage
- Keeping it out of view
- Securing it to an immovable object.
We are open
CRANQ CYCLES
OPENING
We will be opening our doors on Friday 18 June, pop along and see our workshop in action and enjoy a coffee and cake.
Phone
Address
6 Churchfield Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2TF
Opening Times
Mon – Fri: 09:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 08:00 – 17:00
Sunday: Closed