1 What is Bikeability?
Bikeability offers young people the chance to develop their skills and confidence to cycle safely on today's roads.
There are 3 Bikeability levels. These take trainees from the basics of balance and control, all the way to planning and making an independent journey on busier roads. Courses are not designed to teach trainees how to ride, but to increase their basic skills, observation, hazard awareness and perception of risk.
West Sussex County Council is a nationally-accredited Bikeability provider.
Bikeability level 1 takes place off-road and teaches you to:
- maintain your cycle: make sure your ride is in tip-top condition and make simple repairs
glide smooth, calm and collected - control your bike including setting off, cruising, slowing down, braking and stopping
- pedal without feeling wobbly or out of control and you’ll even learn to pedal one handed
- be aware of your surroundings: looking behind and turning around obstacles
Bikeability level 2 is the start of the on-road cycling experience, taking place on quiet roads and junctions and progressing as the rider grows in confidence. It teaches you to:
- start and stop with more confidence
- pass stationary vehicles parked on a road
- understand the road, road positions, priorities, signals, signs and road markings
- negotiate the road including quiet junctions, crossroads and roundabouts
- share the road with other vehicles
Bikeability level 3 requires level 2 to have been completed independently and covers more advanced skills, including how to:
- use the best riding position for any situation
- ride alongside other cyclists
- ride on more complex roads which might include busier roads, more complicated junctions or faster roads with speed limits above 30mph
- negotiate more complex roads, for example, junctions controlled by traffic lights, multi-lane roads or cycle lanes
- respond confidently when a situation changes, for example, when a vehicle pulls out in front of you
Find out more
Be aware that no child will be allowed to take part in a course unless they are wearing a properly fitted and approved cycle helmet.
2 Combined level 1 and 2 term-time courses
Bikeability level 1 and 2 courses are offered to all schools across the county with pupils in year 6. Training costs £20 per pupil, however pupils in receipt of free school meals are offered the training free of charge.
Course content
On this course, trainees share the road with traffic. Day one of the course begins off-road where the instructor assesses the trainee's current level of cycling skills at level 1.
Training then progresses at level 2 onto the road, within a risk-assessed training area. Depending on what's available around the school, the training area will include very quiet roads and those that carry more frequent traffic. In this way, the instructor can use their judgement to progress a trainee according to their ability.
Trainees learn:
- how to start and finish a journey
- how to be aware of potential hazards
- how and when to signal their intentions to other road users
- where to ride on the roads
- how to pass parked or slower-moving vehicles
- how to safely pass side roads
- how to turn in to and out of road junctions
- about the decisions they would need to make while cycling
- about the basics of the Highway Code
They also have the option to learn about filtering, mini-roundabouts and crossroads.
As well as a badge of participation, all trainees receive a certificate showing what they have achieved for each task. This enables their parent or carer to see where they need most help to continue improving their cycling.
Applying
Step 1: All schools are invited to book at any time of the year by contacting the Cycle Training Team. However, we cannot guarantee a slot during our busiest times.
Step 2: Parents/guardians should provide written consent for the trainee and return the form to your child's school. A consent form will be sent out before the course, or you can download one below.
Bikeability level 2 consent form (PDF, 570KB)3 Level 3 course
Bikeability level 3 is part of the National Standard for cycle training. We offer it for pupils in year 6 and above, either one-to-one or in a group of 2. This means it can be tailored to a trainee’s individual needs, such as a route to work or school.
Watch the Department for Transport video about level 3.
Course content
Trainees learn how to safely share the road with traffic on busier roads. Some essential skills common to all level 3 courses are:
- preparing for a journey
- understanding advanced road positioning
- passing queuing traffic
- perceiving and dealing with hazards
- understanding driver blind spots, particularly for large vehicles
- reacting to hazardous road surfaces
There are also a number of other skills trainees might be taught, depending on the roads where the training is taking place. These include:
- using junctions controlled by traffic lights
- cycling on and off the road, including bus lanes
- sharing the road with other cyclists, including cycling in pairs or groups
- using roundabouts, multi-lane roads
- cycling on roads with a speed limit above 30mph
- dealing with vehicles that pull in and stop in front of you
- locking a bike securely
Trainees receive a certificate once they have completed the course. This shows what they have learnt, along with detailed recommendations from the instructor, where appropriate.
Applying
Level 3 training is available all year round. Training is limited and places are booked on a first come, first served basis.
Step 1: Book a place by completing the online application form:
Bikeability level 3 online application form (external link)Your application will be passed on to one of our instructors who will then contact you directly to arrange training.
Step 2: Once the training date is confirmed with our instructor, a link to the payment form and consent form will be emailed to you.