Your cycling fallacy is…
“If people were trained to cycle on the road, there would be no need for cycling infrastructure”
The response
When people who don't cycle are asked why they don't, the reason most frequently given is worries about safety, fear of motor traffic in particular. Training is not, and cannot be, a substitute for a safe and attractive cycling environment.
While cycle training may help to instill confidence in the few who choose to do it, there is a lack of evidence to suggest that it will persuade those who are unwilling or uninterested to begin cycling, or to continue to do so once they have received training.
Cycle training does form part of the school curriculum in the Netherlands. However, it is not a tool to ‘encourage’ Dutch children to cycle. Instead, it involves teaching road rules to children who have already been cycling from a very young age. It is the quality of the cycling environment that is of fundamental importance in establishing (and maintaining) high cycling levels, not cycle training.

The children in this photo are too young to have taken their school cycling lessons, yet are already cycling to and from school.
Photo by The Alternative Department for Transport (Copyright, used with permission)
Related fallacies
Further reading
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Impact of offering cycle training in schools upon cycling behaviour: a natural experimental study — International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity at BioMed Central
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Factors associated with cyclists’ self-reported choice of lane position — ScienceDirect
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Sharp rise in NY cyclists linked to roll-out of bike lanes — TransportXtra
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Bike lanes prove that transportation solutions can be cheap and effective — The Toronto Star
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Bike lanes need physical protection from car traffic, study shows — Ars Technica
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But cycling isn't actually that dangerous? Shouldn't we just be training people to ride bikes safely on the road instead? — The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain
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Understanding Walking and Cycling Project — The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain
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How "Bikeability" and "Cycling Proficiency" have failed British cyclists — A View From The Cycle Path
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What won’t bring about mass cycling (4) cycle training — Crap Cycling & Walking in Waltham Forest
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A Zoo — Bikeyface
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