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MCC News, Issue 42, Aug-Sept 2006

Progress on MCC's Cycle Training

As the instructor involved, I am happy to report a good response from the public to Merton Cycling Campaign's new training scheme.  This is available, without additional cost, to members of the London Cycling Campaign.  To assist in joining, half the fees are remitted for Merton residents, workers or students.

It is therefore not surprising that the scheme has proved to be popular and more and more members of the public are seriously considering (rather than simply toying with the idea) of becoming regular cyclists.

Some have done so already by purchasing brand new bikes from local well-known and respected cycle shops such as Action Bikes and Smith Bros. Before taking a new trainee (irrespective of perceived or real experience) out on the public highway I go through the requirements of a full safety bike check including how well the bike is suited.

The bikes supplied by the two mentioned bike shops were accurately set up to suit the individual owners of the gleaming new bikes. This is a credit to them and it confirms the generally held view that specialist bike shops offer excellent service. Clearly, this level of attention needs to be matched by the ‘multiples’.

The range of ages of the trainees varies greatly and is as wide as the variety of bikes that they cycle to the training session.

Each session lasts for about 2hrs and 20 minutes as, following the training session, each trainee receives a written report and a two-way verbal feedback. Once the trainee returns home he/she can to complete a written feedback form which can be anonymous and which is posted directly to MCC’s Treasurer so they can be as frank as they wish with their comments on my instruction.

I am very proud to say that all the written reports received to date matched the generous comments they made to me following the training session or sent to me by e-mail and I have every intention of maintaining my very high standards of tuition and customer satisfaction as I believe that is nothing less than the trainees deserve.

As one would expect trainees come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and ages and abilities but the determination and willingness to learn how to ride a bike properly is truly humbling to witness, and to be perfectly frank I learn as much from them as they do from me.

If you are reading this and have yourself, or someone you know, been considering taking up the training please don’t hesitate any longer. Just go for it and you will be very pleased with yourself that you did make the effort. I have absolutely no doubt of that.

Godwin Calafato

Interested?

Contact MCC Cycle Instructor Godwin Calafato for further information and to book your first lesson:

Phone: 020 8543 3442

E-mail: godwincalafato@tiscali.co.uk

Godwin Calafato's relevant qualifications:

CTUK Cycle Instructor Temporary Accreditation

Current Royal Borough of Kingston Cycle Instructor

Bicycle Maintenance Course Certificate

Currently qualified First Aider Certificate holder

BMF Blue Ribband Advanced Motorcycle Riding Award

Institute of Advanced Motorists (car and motorcycle)

Ex IAM Senior Motorcycle Observer.

RoSPA Advanced Motorcycle Gold pass (car and motorcycle)

545,000 kilometres, 210 countries, 44 years & continue...

On Friday 23rd June, in the evening rush hour, as I left Wimbledon railway station for home, I was delighted to see and meet the internationally recognised German cyclist - Heinz Stüke, who has famously cycled around the world ‘non-stop’ since 1962.

That evening he was displaying his bike outside Tesco Metro in the Wimbledon town centre, and was attracting lots of people to this as he talked about his experiences on travelling around the world on his bicycle. He still uses the original bike since 1962. He was also selling his booklet ‘Around the World by Bicycle’ like hot cakes! Hardly anyone who chatted to him left without buying a copy.

During a quiet moment he pointed out to me the locations of the worldwide map which he has been to on his bicycle. I was astonished to see he has been to virtually every country in the world and to many remote islands such as Easter Island and countless islands all over the globe.

Incredible!

I bought a copy of his booklet which details his history of cycling around the world and contains many photos of him ever with his personal signature! He told me about couple of plans to go cycle again after this event in Wimbledon.

At the end of his session in Wimbledon centre he almost sold out his booklets - only a couple were left from the hundreds he arrived with.

He told me of his cycling plans after leaving Wimbledon.  He flew out to Iceland at the end of June and planned to visit Greenland in July.

It was certainly a privilege to have met such an interesting and enterprising man, Heinz Stücke who so expressly freely cycled on the Earth that has cost nothing to us. Earth is free, was created by God yet by today standard, despite that Earth is free, we seems have to replied on money to survive ourselves yet Heinz is cycle away around the world so freely. (Of course he had to pay for transport to get him to countries!)

Other MCC members recollect his earlier visits - one of them 16 years ago!

Duncan Harper

MCC member Ceri Davies remembers seeing him several years ago in London when he was not so well known, and had the opportunity to chat to him for a while as he was not surrounded by people questioning him.

Ceri Davies

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