The subject of adult cycle training often attracts comments such as "everyone can ride a bike" or "if you can't ride a bike by the time your an adult its time to give up".
Unfortunately, such beliefs are very commonplace. They are also both incorrect.
Research studies have indicated that between 7-12% of adults in the United Kingdom never learnt to ride a bicycle as a child and many local and transport authorities now recognise the benefits of providing free adult cycle training programmes.
In Manchester the Freewheeling cycle training, delivered by BikeRight! has found that over 25% of the cycle training places have been delivered to people who could not cycle - literally Learn to Ride sessions.
Even for people who can already ride a bicycle - they are often discouraged from cycling by the volume and speed of the traffic on Greater Manchester roads. There are strong arguments for re-allocating roadspace for cycling and creating a coherent network of off-road, segregated and shared-use cycle routes - and these need to be made to local authorities and Transport for Greater Manchester - but such changes will take time to implement. In the meantime, adult cycle training programmes - such as Freewheeling can help give people the skills and confidence to cycle on the road network.
Manchester City Council are to be applauded for the support they have provided for adult cycle training since 2010 and cycling advocacy campaigns such as Love Your Bike successfully lobbied for adult cycle training programmes to be included in the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (LTP3) - "We will also work with key partners to identify funding and resources to deliver adult cycle training" (page 113) and the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Local Sustainable Transport Fund bids.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced in June 2011 that TfGM had successfully been awarded £5million for the Key Component LSTF bid. The bid document stated that: "A central pool of some 3,330 places will be funded by LSTF funding, to be matched by a similar level of locally funded training."
The bid document also stated that "TfGM will procure a supplier to deliver L3 Bikeability training and bookings will be controlled centrally (following consultation with TfL)." (Emphasis added).
In October 2011, TfGM announced that it had decided to run the adult cycle training 'in-house' and in June 2012 the new TfGM cycling website went live and the cycle training booking form is available here.
Unfortunately, it does not seem that TfGM consulted with TfL regarding the "look and feel" of the booking form as the incredibly long list of Terms and Conditions seem designed to be as off-putting as possible to potential participants. Here are a couple of my least favourites:
"Clients must have their own bicycle."
"It is a condition that clients present themselves in a fit state, having
had proper rest and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Clients need to be appropriately dressed for cycling with sturdy shoes."
"The Instructor may at any time refuse to continue to train a client if
their ability level is deemed to be unsuitable for the training
programme."
[See bottom of this post for a list of the terms].
Contrast this with the booking form on the Transport for London website, or Leicester Council. Even where some providers - such as Peterborough Travel Choice do have similar terms and conditions they are listed at the end of the booking/consent form - not as the first text that you see!
I have argued for the inclusion of adult cycle training programmes in the Local Transport Plan as well as the LSTF bids and will continue to lobby for local authorities in Greater Manchester to provide adult cycle training programmes after LSTF funds have finished.
I disagree with the choices TfGM have made on how they will deliver the LSTF funded adult cycle training and who they are targeting the training at (those who can already cycle and have a bicycle). But, they have made their decisions and for now so be it. In the meantime I do wish they would make the booking process a little less off-putting.
Transport for Greater Manchester - Book your training - Terms & Conditions
Please carefully read the following terms and conditions relating to your participation in Transport for Greater
Manchester Adult Cycle Training programme.
- The Adult Cycle Training scheme is administered and delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester. The scheme is run in accordance with national guidelines set by the Department for Transport National Standard for Instructors.
- The Adult Cycle Training Course is a two hour session and is free. If you are unable to attend the session date allocated to you, you must contact us on 0300 123 1675 immediately so that the Instructor can be notified.
- Clients must be 16 or over and live or work within Greater Manchester.
- Clients must have their own bicycle.
- Clients may only book / rearrange a session on a maximum of 3 occasions.
- It is a condition that clients present themselves in a fit state, having had proper rest and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Clients need to be appropriately dressed for cycling with sturdy shoes.
- Clients must ensure that the Instructor is aware of any medical condition they have which may affect the training.
- Clients who need to wear glasses / contact lenses must ensure they bring them to the session.
- Every effort will be made to accommodate any special requirements clients may have provided they have notified us. If no indication has been made we cannot be held responsible should a client be unable to complete the session.
- It is the Client's responsibility to ensure that their bicycle is roadworthy before attending the training session.
- The Instructor may refuse to train Client's if their bicycle is not roadworthy. The Instructor's decision is final.
- Instructors working on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester are not obliged to carry out repairs to make an un-roadworthy bicycle roadworthy.
- The Instructor may at any time refuse to continue to train a client if their ability level is deemed to be unsuitable for the training programme.
- Transport for Greater Manchester requires clients to be respectful and professional to our Instructors, staff and other attendees or participants whilst taking part in the Adult Cycle Training programme.
- Transport for Greater Manchester reserves the right to terminate the training or ask a client to leave should they be deemed rude, uncooperative, unprofessional, intoxicated or in possession of alcohol or any illegal substance. In such cases of unsuitable behaviour, clients will be excluded from any future training session.
- Transport for Greater Manchester is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage to any property.
- Clients are advised that to become proficient takes much more practice than a training session of this kind can provide.
- Clients are responsible for the decision to wear a helmet during a training session. If a helmet is worn it is must fit properly.
- Clients must ensure they wear suitable clothing for the training session and prevailing weather conditions expected during their session. Clients must accept the Terms and Conditions before a training session commences and that a training session cannot take place if these terms and conditions are not agreed too.
- In the unlikely event we are unable to deliver a training session due to reasons beyond our control; we will reschedule your session as soon as possible. Please contact Transport for Greater Manchester us if you are unhappy with any aspect of your training session.
- Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and its service providers will use your personal information for the purposes of customer services and administration, customer research and fraud prevention.
- We may contact you to ask for feedback regarding the training session.
- Under the Data Protection Act your details will not be shared with or passed onto any other organisation. You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. If you believe that any information we are holding about you is incorrect or incomplete, please contact us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
