Courses at Life Cycles

Life Cycles offers two on-road training courses and a cycle maintenance course, all of which can be tailored for the particular group or individual seeking to take part in our practical and innovative learning programmes.

On Road Cycle Tuition: Advanced One-to-One

Our training leader is a qualified Advanced Road Cycling Tutor accredited by York County Council, the only Road Safety Unit in the UK that offers this professional qualification.

 

This course is suitable for: the born again cyclist, the beginner, special needs cyclists, and more confident riders wishing to gain more advanced skills in on-road cycling.


Inexperienced riders are advised to book a two-hour course. Others should find a one-hour session sufficient.

The lesson is concentrated on the home to work route where the emphasis is placed on situations which may give difficulty i.e. roundabouts, multi-lanes and traffic lights which the cyclist would normally be expected to encounter on their commuting journey.

The typical structure for a 2-hour lesson is as follows:

  • Safety-check (5 mins)
  • Rider assessment (10 mins)
  • General instruction (45 mins – 1hour) This covers route planning, observation, riding to be conspicuous, and a proposed strategy for your needs
  • Riding in traffic (1 hour)

Basic Cycle Tuition – Schools, Youth & Community Groups

Basic cycling training can be made available to school pupils aged from 11 to 15. It is designed to give them a degree of competence and encouragement to use cycling as a safe and ongoing means of transport throughout their lives.

All training takes place on the types of roads the children normally cycle on. From the outset this will involve children in real on-road situations that will give them a good understanding of traffic movements and priorities, which they can carry with them as their experience grows.

Although the training takes place under very controlled situations (the same area will be used each week and protected with road signs) the pupils will expect to achieve a very high degree of on-road cycle skills.

Once completed, this basic course will equip the students for safe cycling now and in the future. Upon completion, pupils receive a certificate of attendance, which includes an assessment of their ability and if they want, they can build upon their knowledge by taking part in the Advanced Training session described above.

 

Differing rates are available for corporate and public sector groups, while youth & community groups can avail of fully-subsidised training at no cost to the students. Call us for more details.

Cycle Repair & Maintenance

Held in our fully-equipped training workshop, this course covers all aspects of everyday and periodic practical maintenance. Taught in two-hour weekly sessions, the course lasts 5 weeks.

Students will be expected to bring their own bike and over the duration of the course will completely strip and re-build it. All tools will be provided by Life Cycles.

This course is open to individuals, youth and community groups (the latter for whom funding is available), and are organised on an ongoing basis to suit demand.

The course is part of Life Cycles' practical commitment to developing a pro-active culture of awareness supporting this under-used mode of sustainable transport.

 

To book a course or for more details phone: (028) 90 439959

Life Cycles, 36-37 Smithfield Market, Belfast BT1 1JE.