The benefits of cycling more are clear [more...], but fear of road traffic is the greatest deterrent to cycle use. Trained cyclists have been found to be 3-4 times safer than those who have not undergone training. Oxford Cycle Workshop’s training is carried out as part of a national programme organised by the CTC (the national cyclists’ organisation) and funded by the Department for Transport. This programme is greatly increasing the number of cyclists receiving training in this country, and making sure that they are trained to a recognised standard incorporating the most up-to-date thinking and research on what makes for safe cycling.

Why do cycle training?
Outline of level 1
Outline of level 2
Outline of level 3
What we charge
Information we'll need from you before starting

Why do cycle training?

Not only are trained cyclists less likely to have an accident, they're also likely to cycle more. Even just one hour with a professional instructor can transform your approach to on-road cycling and give you the confidence to tackle more journeys, more frequently. And most importantly, that gain in confidence can make cycling the immensely rewarding and fun activity that it should be.

A survey of over 2300 people who have received cycle training found that:
- their frequency of cycle use increased by 144%,
- there was a significant increase in cycle use for longer journeys;
- 40% said they would be willing to cycle all year round.

Outline of level 1

This is aimed at absolute beginners and focuses on simply riding a bike. There are a great many teenagers and adults who would like to cycle but have never learned to ride a bike, or who haven’t ridden for years. Some people in this group feel a little embarrassed, but there’s really no need to be – if this is you, you’re not alone! Level 1 training starts where you’re at and assumes no riding ability at all. It takes trainees through setting up the bike so you have the correct riding position, balancing, starting off, pedaling, turns and stopping safely. The final part will teach you skills you’ll need for riding on the road – looking behind you and riding with one hand on the handlebars while you signal with the other hand. Level 1 training will take place off the road, in quiet parks, car parks or similar.

At the end of level 1 you’ll be able to ride on off road routes to practise, but you’ll be fairly limited in the journeys you can make, so we’d expect most people to then progress onto level 2. The length of time it takes to complete level 1 tends to vary a lot with the individual, so we’ll probably teach it on a one-to-one basis, although we will be happy to run group courses if there is enough interest. (Tuition charges below). Lessons will be one hour each, and we estimate most people will need 1 to 4 of them.

Outline of level 2

This is aimed at those starting to ride on the road. It assumes you have basis bike handling skills, but will start with a reminder on things like using the brakes and gears, looking behind and signalling. The course then goes through positioning yourself on the road, riding along and negotiating basic junctions – left and right turns and crossroads. With different road markings, parked cars and other things going on, every junction is different. That’s why the approach is not to give a ‘right and wrong’ way to tackle each situation, but rather to teach trainees a way of thinking and approaching situations that will enable them to cycle safely at all times.

After completing level 2 you’ll be able to tackle journeys using cycle paths and back roads, such as the network of cycle routes that currently exists in Oxford. (It should be noted here that Cyclox, the Oxford cycling campaign group, is campaigning to have these routes properly joined up – if you’d like to lend your voice to this call, visit www.cyclox.org for more info.) We’ll teach level two in groups of 4-6 people, the course will consist of 4 one hour lessons run over 4 weeks.

Outline of level 3

This is intended to give cyclists who are happy to cycle on minor roads the confidence to tackle stretches of bigger roads with more complex junctions and heavier traffic. This training is given one-to-one, and will involve cycling together to various junctions, stopping to look at them and talk through the possible dangers, ways they can be tackled, things to look out for etc. Trainee and instructor would then ride through the junction and afterwards evaluate the experience. This level of training is all about building confidence, giving the trainee a chance to tackle more challenging situations with the knowledge that another cyclist who has been there before is riding right behind them. It’s also about developing much more assertive cycling, really communicating with other road users through road positioning, eye contact and body language as well as signalling.

Since it’s one-to-one, the teaching of level 3 can be quite flexible. If the trainee is planning to cycle a particular route often, to commute to work for example, that route might form the basis of the lesson. The course could just be a single session, or several, depending on the trainee’s goals and progress.

Training costs and insurance

Oxford Cycle Workshop is committed to promoting safe cycling in Oxford, and as such is exploring opportunities to roll out cycle training to various parts of the community such as the universities, local employers, schools and other organisations. The more funding we can find then the more of this training we can provide for free. If you belong to an organisation that might have a budget to subsidise this work please do get in touch.

What we charge

Unfortunately there is currently no subsidy provided for the training we provide direct to our members and customers, so the following charges will apply:

- Individuals (or possibly pairs of trainees) will be charged £20 per hour for non-members, £15 per hour for members. Individual training will be completely tailored to the trainee, and could cover levels 1, 2 or 3, or combinations thereof.
- Oxford Cycle Workshop will organise level 2 training courses for groups of 4 to 6 members. These will consist of 2 to 4 one hour lessons, charged at £5 per person per lesson. The timing of these courses, and their exact content, will be tailored to the needs of each individual group of trainees.

These courses are covered by liability insurance provided through the CTC as part of a government backed scheme.

Information we need from you before starting

If you are interested in cycle training, please email us the information below or bring it with your bike to Oxford Cycle Workshop, 39 Magdalen Road, so that we can discuss your training needs and check that your bike is in a roadworthy condition. We reserve the right to refuse training to any individual who attends a course with a cycle we consider unroadworthy.

Your details
Name
Address
Phone
E-mail

Do you hold a driver’s licence?
Are you under 18?
Do you cycle at the moment?
How often, approximately?   Hardly ever   Daily   Weekly   Monthly
How far?   Short trips (e.g. to the shops)   Medium trips (e.g. around the city)   Longer trips (e.g. commuting into the city)
Group courses will take place on weekday evenings, as will individual sessions where possible. Which days could you be available in the evening between roughly 6.30 and 7.30?
What do you hope to get from this training? For example, are there particular things you find it hard to deal with or you’re worried about, such as roundabouts, buses, parked cars? Are there particular journeys you’d like to be able to make?