For sessions for children within a School (or Club) package, training costs £40.00 per trainee for four sessions. A session will usually last 90 minutes, and require at least 8-10 trainees (per instructor) per group session.

For a non-school group session, training costs £20.00 per trainee per session. A session will usually last 60 minutes, but can be extended depending on the rider’s ability. We can take from 2 to 10 trainees (per instructor) per group session.

Individual, one-to-one training is charged at £25.00 per session. You are not required to provide your own bicycle, but it helps. We will carry out a safety and suitability check before on road training commences. Hi-viz clothing can be provided for your safety, but we recommend that you provide your own cycle helmet.

We advise that we usually complete Level 2 and Level 3 training within 4 sessions, although this can be increased or reduced depending on rider progress.

A study of 6,000 schoolchildren in the east of England was published in the American College of Sports Medicine. It provides evidence that 10-16 year old boys who cycle regularly to school are 30% more likely to meet recommended fitness levels, while girls who cycle are 7 times more likely to do so. Those who cycled travelled an average of 1.5 miles, while half of those who were taken to school by car were making journeys of fewer than 2 miles. This evidence is being used help convince the Department of Health that encouraging children and teenagers to cycle could play a major role in meeting the government’s physical activity targets.

Our advice is that if you wish to take advantage of the benefits of cycling, then let us help you to do it safely!

A training guide to build cycling fitness !

Cycling has many health benefits that can be built into your everyday life. As little as
30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can help improve and maintain good health,
also reducing the risk of chronic health conditions.
It is also a great mode of transport that helps improve the environment by reducing
the use of motor cars. You can get to know your local community by cycling to local
shops, parks, enjoying coffee shops and much more. There are many social benefits
including meeting new friends by joining cycling groups or attending cycling rides
and events.
Get fit gradually:

• Start easy and build up slowly, trying to increase your longest distance by about 10 – 20 percent each week until you reach your goal
• As it gets easier, challenge yourself to gradually go longer, faster or include more hills
• Don’t forget to drink plenty of water before, during and after the ride
• Have a good stretch before and after each ride.

If you are training for an event, ease off the workload in the two weeks prior to the
event date. Don’t forget to get your bike checked before the event as well.

This training guide is for people who can already cycle for about 10 minutes. If you
are over the age of 35 or not regularly active, you should see your doctor or GP for a check up before starting any training program. If you feel pain, discomfort or dizziness at any stage, stop immediately and see your GP.

Example 4 week Training Guide

Active Living = Your choice of moderate paced physical activity for at least 30
minutes e.g. walking, swimming, exercise classes, gardening and so on.

Week one:

• Start with an easy 10 minute ride on Monday over flat terrain, followed by an easy 15-minute ride on Wednesday, building up to a longer ride on Saturday of about half an hour. On Tuesday and Thursday choose another activity for 30 minutes and have a rest day on Friday. On Sunday plan some easy paced Active Living.

Week two:

• This week extend the distance a little. Start with an easy 15-20 minutes ride on Monday and an easy to moderate paced 20-30 minute ride on Wednesday. On Saturday build up to about 45 minutes at a pace you can handle. Include Active Living choices on the other days and give yourself a rest day on Friday.

Week three:

• Start with an easy 30-minute recovery ride on Monday. Pick up the pace a bit on Wednesday including some gentle hills in low gear. On Saturday aim to extend your distance from last week, riding up to an hour. Have short rest breaks if you need them. Include Active Living sessions on the other days but have a rest day on Friday.

Week four:

• This week try and include an extra ride if you can. Start easy on Monday with 30 minutes on a flat course. On Wednesday plan a 30-minute ride that includes a change of pace with some faster sections. You may choose to work harder up hill and easier downhill or on flat stretches. Thursday go for an easy to moderate paced 30-45 minute ride. On Saturday push out a long, slow ride working up to an hour-and a-half if you feel fit enough.

• Level 1 – conducted in a controlled environment away from roads and traffic. Cyclists are usually trained in groups of 2-10 riders, although individual training is available. Provides the basic cycle control skills including, starting and pedaling, stopping, manoeuvering, signaling and using the gears.

• Level 2 – On-road training for those who have completed Level 1 and are ready to progress; it gives real cycling experience and makes trainees feel safer and capable of dealing with traffic on short commuting journeys or when cycling to school. Training is mainly in small groups over a number of sessions.

• Level 3 – develops the basic skills and trains riders to make journeys in a variety of traffic conditions competently, confidently and consistently. Cyclists reaching the Level 3 standard will be able to deal with all types of road conditions and more complex situations. The course covers dealing with hazards, making ‘on-the-move’ risk assessments and planning routes for safer cycling.