About the Course
The British Cycling entry level Mountain Bike Leaders course that combines online learning with face-to-face training and assessment to give you all the skills you need to lead mountain bike rides.
Your remit would be to lead on terrain that ranges from the urban fringe and gravel tracks through to open countryside, woodland and most trail centre blue routes.
Though you might already be a regular on group or club rides off-road (and therefore wondering where this award fits in), there are a few important elements to the qualification that will both empower and protect you for future activity:
Learn leadership principles and skills from the most experienced mountain bike tutors in the country.
Get the most out of your route planning with a dedicated module.
Keep rolling with the knowledge to fix simple trailside repairs.
Be prepared with plans to manage accidents and emergencies – plus you’ll undergo first aid training in order to qualify.
Get protected with leader insurance.
The course is ideal for anyone who wants to lead groups using mixed road and off-road environments. This might include rides that are already taking place but require development and insurance, or perhaps you are looking to organise activity for your school, college, activity centre – or simply a group of friends.
What does the course include?
3-4 hours of elearning via British Cycling Learning
16 hours training and assessment course with a British Cycling Accredited Provider
How much does the course cost?
Course costs are £250, plus registration with British Cycling (£30), Course price is inclusive of:
Access to online learning
All training content, tuition and resources
Groups looking for whole course bookings should contact Velo Coaching for costs and availability, as well as to determine if a course can be delivered from your location.
What do I need to be able to register
The minimum age to attend a course is 16 (Scotland) or 17 (England and Wales) years old. Note you will only be able to lead independently once aged 17 in Scotland and 18 in England and Wales.
You must be able to ride a mountain bike (or another appropriate bike for the terrain) comfortably on roads with some traffic, off-road and mountain bike trails up to blue grade, be regularly riding and have an appropriate level of fitness
Complete a logbook to evidence your recent rides. We recommend a minimum of ten rides of at least 1 hour and five rides of at least 2.5 hours duration (inclusive alternatives are available by request) over the last six months. We have a downloadable Logbook that can be saved electronically or printed if needed.
What else do I need to do to achieve the Award?
In order for your award to be accredited in addition to successful completion of your Fundamentals of Mountain Bike Leadership, you are required to:hold British Cycling Membership of Ride level or above.
Attend and evidence a two-day outdoor First Aid courseundergo and evidence safeguarding training appropriate to the country they are leading in.
2 days which includes training and assessment.