Adult Cycle Training Ride Leader Training Local Transport Plan

There is now evidence that one of the most cost-effective ways to get more people out on bikes is to teach them the skills of cycling on busy roads. However, until recently no recognised national standard for adult cycle training existed. With support from the Department for the Environment, Transport and Regions, the CTC launched new standards in May 2004 and the Government adopted these in a modified form for children in 2005. Amongst other things, the new standards replace the old "cycling proficiency". The new standards are based upon the 'best practice' of a handful of organisations around the UK (none of them from the Midlands). Instructors must meet a person specification that demands that they are experienced road cyclists and have an aptitude for teaching. All instructors complete a 4-day course in how to deliver the standard training. All levels of road cycling are covered, from learning how to balance up to riding on the busiest of roads. Trainees learn not only the hazards of road riding, but most importantly how to deal with these hazards effectively, confidently and safely. This involves using careful road positioning, and communicating assertively but politely with drivers using body language and eye contact as well as basic signalling. The circumstances in which cyclists have right of way are exactly the same as those for drivers, but this also has to be taught, especially to children. Trainees must prove their ability in real situations in order to pass. Accreditation is available for both individuals that want to qualify as adult cycle trainers, and for organisations that want to run instructor training courses. Wolverhampton's Road Safety Team are leading a project to set up an instructor training centre for the West Midlands councils. Birmingham City Council's Road Safety Team eventually want to meet the new standards, and are part of that project. Road Safety Teams are primarily responsible for training schoolchildren. An issue for all the Road Safety teams is that it will cost a lot more to recruit, train and employ professional instructors that meet the new standards, than it did to run the old arrangements. The budget for training is completely separate from the Local Transport Plan, which only covers building of routes. Only a minority of local authorities in the UK have offered cycle training for adults until now but this is starting to change. In Sandwell, the NHS Primary Care Trust has had 20 instructors trained on the new 4-day courses (delivered by a London company). These instructors are contracted as session workers and by the beginning of 2006 had delivered training to over 100 adults on a one-to-one basis. They have also worked in several schools, in co-operation with local Road Safety Teams. More details of the Sandwell PCT training for adults are available here.

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Ride Leader Training Adult Cycle Training Local Transport Plan

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Local Transport Plan Adult Cycle Training Ride Leader Training