Young Cyclist Training is really the backbone of current cycle training in England and Wales. As the next generation of road users, Bikeability Cycle Training for young riders aims to provide them with the skills and knowledge to be able to safely and effectively travel between places on their cycles.
Currently, over 4000 young riders a year are provided with Bikeability Level 1 and 2 training within the county of Suffolk.
Young Riders are able to access Bikeability Cyclist Training in a few ways, although this may vary by location.
Bikeability In Schools
Bikeability in schools is ordinarily delivered to Year 5 and 6 pupils in groups of up to twelve and is the way that most young riders access Bikeability. Courses are normally organised into four sessions lasting two hours each. The combined Bikeability Level 1 & 2 course is generally delivered over two days and will normally follow the format below.
Session 1 – Bikeability Level 1
The first session covers Bikeability Level 1 and is done off road, normally in the school playground. It provides an opportunity for the instructors to gain an idea of the student abilities and build some rapport in an environment free of external distractions.
Sessions 2 to 4 – Bikeability Level 2
Sessions 2 through 4 take place out on the roads close to the school that are legally limited to 30MPH.
The first of the level 2 sessions covers starting & stopping, passing junctions and vehicles and performing U-Turns. Each of these activities is delivered one at a time and build upon each other as the riders progress. The young riders are given as much opportunity as possible to practice these techniques after a demonstration from the instructor team.
The third and fourth sessions cover making turns into and out of side roads at simple junctions (T-Junctions for example). These activities build on and make use of the learning from the first Level 2 session, continuing to build on the skills previously gained.
Bikeability Young Cyclist Training
If a young person has not been able to access Bikeability at their local primary school when it was delivered, it’s often possible to access the training for them independently. This does vary by location in England and Wales, but in Suffolk the training is offered FREE by the Suffolk Roadsafe Team.
The training itself normally lasts 3 hours and is delivered to a Bikeability Level 2 standard, meeting the same criteria as would be delivered the the young rider in a school envrionment.
Often, this style of delivery is delivered as part of a Family Cycling Session, enabling the adults close to the young rider to be part of their cycling experience.
In Suffolk, these sessions can be arranged at a time to suit the young rider and their family, and are often delivered during school holidays.
Learn To Ride Sessions
Learn to Ride sessions, which are aimed at getting our youngest riders away from their stabilisers and firmly onto two wheels, are not normally offered on an individual basis. However, there are a more and more such sessions being organised and delivered across Suffolk.
Where the young riders are already riding on two wheels only, Bikeability Level 1 is also offered to build on the skills that the young riders already posses.
Find Out More
If you are involved with a Suffolk school and are interested in having the Suffolk Roadsafe team come and deliver Bikeability to your students, get in touch with our Road Safety Officer (Education) by email below.