LEyebrows furrow, momentarily questioning fingers raise. An angel passes by for a moment before a few whispers followed by exclamations – “oh well?” ”, “well I didn’t know that, well” – don’t fuse. Wednesday, December 18, at the Tannerie de Gradignan park, around ten people, mainly elderly, attended theoretical and practical courses on the highway code from the point of view of the handlebars, organized by the City's senior center and the Gironde Cycling Committee of the French Cycling Federation.
The opportunity to take a – big – update on the new uses of the road and the not always easy cohabitation between motorists and cyclists. “You have to adjust the saddle correctly to be at hip level,” explains Yoann Monribot, coordinator at the Gironde Cycling Committee, before explaining to them with the help of slides that the helmet is not obligatory after 12 years but is “strongly recommended.”
Update
Basic reminder of mechanics, equipment, cycle paths, direction of traffic, new signs… everything goes. “We do the same lessons with primary school classes but the goal is absolutely not the same,” explains the trainer. While young people are more into learning the practice, seniors are looking to get up to date, to understand the new signs, whether for themselves or for their grandchildren. »
Especially since certain recent signs, such as the famous triangular M12, transforming a red light into give way for cyclists, must have struggled to get into everyone's heads. “But it’s still a red light, we can’t cross like that!” ”, we hear in a reproachful tone.
“I no longer have the same reflexes or the same confidence as when I was thirty or forty years younger”
“I needed this booster shot because I discovered that I no longer know anything,” admits Bernard, 77, having obtained his driving license almost six decades ago during his service. military. “I ride a bike quite instinctively, discovering most of the rules on the job, but I realize that I no longer have at all the same reflexes, nor the same confidence as when I was thirty or forty years younger . »
Practical training
After the theory, some try their hand at practice, on a small marked circuit set up on a part of the parking lot by the committee agents. “Actually, with a little experience and knowing the rules well, it's not that complicated! », Estimates Monique, faltering a little at the first push before getting comfortable.
The 74-year-old retiree admits to only riding her bicycle a few times, half-heartedly confessing to being “scared of being scared” of cars that could brush against her on the road. “With this short course, I understood a little better how to ride a bike. But the problem is that even when I'm in the car, I see many cyclists not respecting anything! », she exclaims, recounting the time when, when she passed too close to a bike, a cyclist broke her mirror in anger… The road to cohabitation is still long.
