Every year at this time in Bournemouth the International students arrive to start their courses mainly based at the Talbot campus. Every year I see them riding cheap bicycles bought locally on the roads. Every year people from countries where they drive on the right make that mistake here and can be seen riding against the traffic (or Salmoning) around the University area. Bournemouth Councils contract to provide free Adult Cycle Training via Lifecycle has another 80 riders to train before its expiry. I considered this situation of unskilled riders on the roads around where I live and thought up a Win-Win-Win solution for this September. I wrote before about the year of Lifecycle training Ive delivered here, as part of the same workstream on Monday I’ll be attending the International Students Freshers Fair to sign up those new arrivals for training, those who intend to be making active travel journeys whilst studying in Bournemouth. With luck I’ll get a good block of paid work, benefitting me, the new arrivals, Lifecycle and the Council providing the service. Colleagues from the University also work with the excellent Hope2Cycle social Enterprise in Winton who provide loan bikes for active travellers in the area so we do have plenty of opportunities for new arrivals to start off on the right track. Routes through Meyrick park and the Bourne Valley from University to town are just starting to take on the Autumn colours which is always beautiful ride, never been a better time to get down there. If you should have any contacts arriving at Talbot Campus they can register for this FREE training here, for anyone with BH postcode BH1-BH11, or drop into K101 and K103, Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus between 11-3 on Monday 21st to find out all about it. Next week will be my Ten Year Celebration of becoming a road cycling instructor delivering the National Standards for Cycle Training and I’ll be inviting you all to a celebration get together for that soon. Enjoy your Autumn riding.
