Community ride leader: Hosted by Sustaina-Bees

This is a half-day course for cycling enthusiasts and volunteers who currently run or plan on running community bike rides. It is being hosted by Sustaina-Bees, a fan club of Brentford FC, who are keen to encourage more people to cycle to matches.

The session will start and finish at the Gtech stadium (exact location will be sent out later) and will return in plenty of time for the match.

This course is open to anyone who is considering volunteering as a ride leader or ride assistant/marshal with Sustaina-Bees, LCC, Hounslow or Ealing Cycling campaign, or another community cycling group and is suitable for cyclists who are confident riding on the road.

There are two parts to the course.

Part 1: ‘Classroom’ (45 mins, outside at the Gtech Stadium)

You will learn how to identify risks, various strategies to mitigate risks, about risk assessments and other elements of ride planning and leadership.

You will explore the theory behind a ride leader’s role and other roles in a group ride and techniques for keeping groups safe.  (The ‘classroom’ may be a community space, a corner of a friendly cafe, a library or a host organisation’s space).

Part 2: On the road (120 mins including a break)

You will then apply the learning from part 1 to an on-road scenario, taking it in turns to take on different roles within the group ride. As part of the course, we will practice some routes to the stadium for future group rides.

This session will be engaging, fun and empowering – and on time for kickoff!

You need:

• To book a Voi ebike using the form on this listing (free) – or – bring your own bike (in working order) and lock
• Some snacks
• To take all your belongings with you – once the ‘classroom’ session is finished, the group will leave the classroom and won’t return
• Weather appropriate clothes
• To arrive on time, the course is timed to finish at the Gtech Stadium 30 minutes before kick-off

You should:

• Be confident riding and controlling your bike in challenging traffic conditions
• Be confident riding one-handed and also manoeuvring obstacles etc
• Be confident or be able to become confident in using maps or online maps to route plan

The instructors will provide tabards for the practical session.

You get:

• Skills and practice as community ride marshal
• Skills and practice as community ride leader
• *12 months free LCC membership including member benefits, free lights, pump or lock worth £50, public liability insurance, magazine and more (usual price is £58)
• To the game: on time, parked up and buzzing

NB: Please arrive on time!

Delivered in partnership with Voi.

Further questions: email mike.mcsherry@lcc.org.uk

*membership offer only open to non-members and limited to maximum of 20.

Background:

Local LCC groups run a number of different types of led-rides such as:

• family rides/community rides aimed at new and returning cyclists, these are mostly in the local neighbourhood and link up green spaces, quiet ways and popular places and activate new cycling infrastructure (typically 6-20 people)
• protest and campaigning rides aimed at drawing attention to a particular campaign or infrastructure need (anywhere from a dozen to 1000 people)
• health and leisure rides mostly for social, leisure and sightseeing, often for more confident cyclists and popular with regular attendees (typically 6-20 people)
• feeder rides which can be quite big and complex and travel in from the local borough to events in the centre of London such as the LCC Women’s Freedom Ride and FreeCycle (typically 20-60 people but can be upwards of 200)