Marylene's story

"You don’t have to hang around for long on some of the quieter roads around Dulwich in the morning or afternoon to see bike riders of all ages pedalling their way to school, often with a parent trying to keep up! There seem to be an increasing number of families in Dulwich using bikes to get around and I wanted to learn more from someone who regularly rides to school with children in tow. 

I spoke to Marylène, a parent of two who started cycling with her family last year when her children were 8 and 10.  After swapping stories about family bike rides in France and the joys of being a big family unit pedalling through the countryside, this was obviously a family who knew a thing or two about being out on their bikes. When their children got to Years 3 & 5 it was time to start using pedal power to get to school. 

I normally hear about parents being pestered into riding to school with children, so it was interesting to hear that it was Marylène who instigated the change, partly because as she has to do the journey twice it reduces the time it takes her to get to and from school by a third. 

Jumping on bikes to get to school wasn’t something the family did without thinking about it and it was very useful to hear about what steps they had taken to make the journey scenic and safe. 

Marylene’s family live a bit less than the UK average of 1.5miles from school. When they walk it takes 15 minutes along the busy Half Moon Lane.  After a bit of investigation and scoping out the local area, they have found a much quieter route and although it adds around a third of a mile to their journey, it has the benefit of taking in a quiet cul-de-sac and an off road cycle path. 

When they first started cycling a year ago they took to the pavement whilst building up confidence. Both children have been riding bikes at the Herne Hill Velodrome as well as on holiday for several years, but the school run was their first real taste of cycling on UK roads. They have left the pavement behind and progressed on to the road now, with mum leading the way and the two children following, getting invaluable experience and learning how to be safe on the roads under the watchful eye of someone who has been cycling for longer. They aren’t overly dogmatic about using their bikes – why bother when it’s pouring down with rain?" 

This is the second in a series of guest blogs by Tim Warin, the Sustrans Bike It Plus Officer who is keen to help more parents and children cycle to school. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact him: Tim.Warin@sustrans.org.uk.

Step into Spring

 Enabling safe independent travel.

We are grateful that local Councillors continue to encourage safe, active journeys to school by funding three school crossing patrols (via the 'Cleaner, Greener, Safer' fund). Thank you to Village Ward Councillors Robin Crookshank Hilton, Toby Eckersley and Michael Mitchell, and College Ward Councillors Helen Hayes, Lewis Robinson and Andy Simmons. 

The reassuring presence of friendly lollipops at some of our trickiest junctions helps hundreds of families feel safe on their way to school.

As well as lots of happy walkers, we've seen a growing interest  in cycling this week thanks to the sunshine; enthusiastic children, parents and staff; our unstoppable Sustrans officer Tim Warin; and the Big Pedal.

There was a great turn out for the Big Pedal at Dulwich Wood Primary.

Sustrans Dr Bike aka Tim fixed 60 bikes at Dulwich Hamlet on Friday. The school tweeted "Non stop work and we have many safer bikes thanks to you."

DUCKS children, staff and parents enjoyed a Bikers' Breakfast. 

Year 10 Travel Ambassadors at JAGs want to persuade more people to cycle.

Key Stage 1 pupils at DUCKS took part in games to improve balancing and steering. 

In case anyone feels that they're missing out, look out for future events to encourage more people to cycle:

• Southwark's Park2Park Bike Ride Wednesday 21st May. A mass bike ride for pupils from Y5 upwards cycling via the Herne Hill Velodrome, Dulwich Park, Peckham Rye and finishing with a BMX show in Burgess Park. Ask your school if it is taking part. 

• Bike to School week 9-13 June. Maybe staff and parents will be persuaded to leave the car at home too.

"Now I don't have a limit"

We love the reminder from Isabelle Clement that mobility is fun and useful and there are lots of ways of getting around under your own steam.

Isabelle Clement, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing

A local mum who first took up cycling to keep up with her child, Isabelle is also the inspirational director of Wheels for Wellbeing. This charity runs sessions based at the Herne Hill Velodrome on Monday mornings, helping all sorts of people discover and enjoy cycling whatever their disability.

Our Cycle to School Partnership could deliver a network of segregated paths with the potential to transform everyday life for anyone who has gained confidence cycling around a track with Wheels for Wellbeing but does not feel comfortable on fast or busy roads. Better 'space for cycling' and more safe routes to school will open up opportunities for everyone to enjoy and benefit from active everyday journeys. 

The following interview is reblogged with thanks to Anthony Organ.

Isabelle Clement - Director of Wheels for Wellbeing

by Anthony Organ

A spinal tumour at the age of ten months left Isabelle Clement with severe mobility impairments for life.

Now 48, Isabelle is the director of Wheels for Wellbeing, a charity offering disabled people the chance to experience cycling through specialist equipment.

Here she recalls how discovering handcycling in her mid-30s got her to where she is today.

I had my son when I was 32. He doesn’t have any disabilities. My wheelchair was fine until we got him a bike when he was four. I thought ‘I’m going to be stymied here’. I couldn’t keep up in the chair on the same terrains. I was really worried and didn’t want to be left behind.

Then I came across an ad for an attachment to your wheelchair, which turns it into a handbike. You’ve got a wheelchair at the back and a hand-crank at the front.

Before this discovery, all I could think of was to get an electric scooter, because they’re what I’d seen. I didn’t really fancy it because that’s definitely a granny look, and I was only 36. But I’d thought I might just have to bite the bullet.

In a wheelchair, though you’ve got large wheels at the back, with any uneven ground your casters, the small wheels, slow you down. With the handbike attachment, you’ve got a much bigger wheel at the front. It’s a smoother ride, and unbelievably easy.

At the time, and it’s the same for most people who come to our charity, I thought ‘it probably won’t work for me’. You’re so used to coming across barriers and coping with the fact that there are things you can’t do. I was sceptical.

For my tenth birthday my parents got me a bike. I can still visualise it – bright, white and shiny. We gave it a go, but my feet wouldn’t stay on the pedals and I couldn’t balance. So we put it down as ‘no’ and got on with other things. That was my only experience of cycling as a child. As far as I knew I couldn’t cycle, so I didn’t try again.

Isabelle using her hand-cycle

The first time I used a wheelchair was in my mid-20s. Until then I saw wheelchairs as something you don’t aspire to. I was going to meetings across a university campus and probably could have walked, but I would have arrived in a complete state. Somebody suggested a wheelchair and I thought, ‘I’m not sure about that’. Then a rep came with a bright pink, lightweight wheelchair. I could put it in my car, get to meetings and cross the campus quickly. That was my first experience of thinking mobility is fun.

The first time I used the hand-bike, I went to see friends near Banbury. These were friends from university so they’ve known me a long time. It wasn’t a long ride, but I put this thing on and off I went.

I’d left them behind. Kids go off and leave their parents behind, but I’d never experienced that. I just thought ‘oh my god this is great, this is such fun’.

For the first time ever I felt the breeze in my hair and my heart was really pumping under effort. I felt the whoosh of energy and endorphins that you get from exercise, which I’d never experienced. It was just really pleasurable. Now that I knew it, I wanted more of it.

That first cycle was like crashing through like a glass door. The distance in front of me was always very limited in terms of how far I could go, but suddenly I went right through that. It was fantastic and it’s really changed my perspective on what’s possible. Now I don’t have a limit. I’m not going to cycle to the other side of London, but I could.

But even then, and for quite a few years, I didn’t think of it as cycling. I just thought of it as a better mobility aid.

Wheels for Wellbeing was set up in 2006, about five years after I bought my handcycle. I knew the woman setting it up and she knew I had my bike, which I still didn’t call a bike. She asked if I’d mind being on the board. I helped the governance side of things, but didn’t think I knew anything about cycling.

As we grew the organisation, I started going to the sessions we ran. You know how you sort of re-look at yourself and your identity sometimes in life? I suddenly realised ‘I’m a cyclist, of course I’m a cyclist’. I’d never put that word to it.

I’d been taking on other people’s point of view – that unless you’re on two feet you’re not mobile, and unless you’re on two wheels you’re not a cyclist. I call it my bike now. It’s not a bicycle in the purest sense but I call it my bike because that’s what it is, and I want people to see it as that.

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