Bike ability

I’d heard a lot about ‘Bike Ability’ from my Grandson. Rather like the cycling proficiency test of my days.

Almost ready to leave primary school it seems to be the right of passage for 11year olds and also means missing normal lessons.

I think his expectations were set a little too high, we’ve been on ten mile bike rides together, he is already very capable but needs more experience in road traffic.

Teacher’s managing a group of year six with very varied abilities have a lot of risk assessment paper work, so instead round the block on estate streets was all they got.

He recalled his disappointment on the walk to school this morning. ‘Actually Grandma I forgot to say, you were the talking point of the whole course’.

I’m a bit surprised to hear this, but there is much laughter as I get the explanation.

On the first morning Grandkids plus mountain bike were delivered early doors to mine. The plan being my grandson ride while we walked to school.

I bounced his bike down the steps from the house, thinking it would be okay, it is a mountain bike after all, but the chain slipped off much to the dismay of the boy looking on.

I don’t often get credit points, but deftly turn the bike upside down and refitted the chain, much to my grandson’s relief and surprise.

Late now we set off, my hands stained with oil.

‘You go ahead’ I told him, whilst jogging with his sister.

He was quickly out of sight.

We got to school just in time, I went to the year six class to find everyone comparing bikes with a palpable air of excitement.

He’d arrived safely.

The bike ability was more theory than riding it turns out, but all bikes were checked to ensure that they were road worthy.

The instructor mentioned my grandson’s bike chain being in good order, and was told that Grandma had had put it back on after she’d bounced the bike down the front steps this morning.

I’m not sure exactly what vision the instructor had of me but he’d asked the question ‘Is your Grandma crazy?’ In front of the whole class.

‘Oh yes totally, she does lots of crazy stuff, even jumping out of planes!’

He also rather embellished my cycling abilities and love of water fights.

It seemed every one laughed.

Later whilst practicing emergency stops, pupils in turn were told to shout out a name then everyone had to slam on their breaks.

One comedian in the group had apparently shouted;

‘Seth’s Grandma!!’ to much amusement.

So it seems I have a bit of a reputation with this lot of year sixes, but what touched me most was my grandson’s final comment.

‘We will all remember bike ability because of ‘Seth’s Grandma’ rather than any of the other things’

A claim to fame indeed!