Friday was a busy day, Eddie and Ben were in Manchester running a session for British Cycling Go-Ride Coaches, Steve was setting up for the Tri Cycle Run show in Sandown, and I was in Rochdale delivering a session demonstrating developing technologies in Physical Education for Building Schools for the Future (BSF). The BSF day provided a great opportunity to demonstrate what the Wattbike has to offer to Education with the chance to run races and demonstrate the capacity of the Wattbike to impact on teaching and learning. The event was well run by Wayne Shingler (Partnership Development Manager from Rochdale) and the kids were all very interested, although I was surprised how few of them could name a cyclist, and how few knew what Power was or what Power is measured in!
Eddie and Ben’s day with the Go Ride coaches was very successful, although more attended than expected – lucky we created twice the number of packs that we thought we needed. The Go Ride coaches will be a good link for us to what is going on on the ground and both Eddie and Ben were very impressed with their enthusiasm and vision for an event that is entirely new for them.
Steve fought the snow and set up safely for the Tri Cycle Run show.
Today in Nottingham we were snowed in, well almost. Out of the window I have just watched someone do a Scandinavian Flick around the corner! I had to cancel or postpone three meetings today as I could not get to Birmingham on time, whilst I like the snow I would rather I could have made it. We have also had to rearrange our whole weekend, which involves travelling to Sandown for the Tri Cycle Run Show and up to Rochdale on Friday for an event at Falinge Park High School then up to Manchester again to have a stand at the Velodrome for a schools even on Monday! The biggest problem has been making sure that we have enough bikes put together to cater for all the events, but we have sorted that now.
The Tri Cycle Run Show should be interesting with the Wattbike featuring in the Cycle Zone where cyclists can come, try the bike and get some instant feedback. There will be some racing as well! Tri247.com have a short preview of the Wattbike at the TCR Show, titled Watt’s your biking like? Wattbike’s on show at TCR .
Also today we booked in an afternoon with the Chelsea FC Academy showing them the Wattbike at the end of February – although we will be spread thin on that day as well as some of us will be in Hereford showing the SAS the bike. Not sure if it is more exciting to go to the SAS or Chelsea FC!
Today was spent visiting with Wayne Shingle, PDM based at Siddal Moor Sports College, Rochdale. Although the drive was miserable with fog, driving rain, driving snow and of course British Traffic. Wayne was very excited about the potential of using the Wattbike within his partnership of schools, especially after we put one into a Year 7 class, gave them two minutes of explanation about how to set up the bike and off they went. They organised themselves, worked out their peak power, and learned what it feels like to produce 100W (like being a lightbulb).
The school already has Concept2 rowing machines which they use to good effect both in PE and across the curriculum and would like to replicate the same sort of project with Wattbikes, but linking to cycling on the road. After reading about the bad provision of PE and activity in schools it is always great to see projects working well and good people open to new ideas, and creating an exciting environment for learning. Watch this space – Rochdale could produce the next Vicky Pendleton (or Chris Hoy).
Tomorrow is the Youth Sport Trust Youth Talent Orientation Camp – I hope to post some pictures of Britain’s Sporting Talent on the Wattbikes.
