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The Institute of Advanced Motorists has launched three corporate cycle training courses aimed at businesses.
The organisation has launched the courses following the rise of Cycle to Work – now accounting for half a million of new bikes on the road, according to the IAM.
Each course meets the National Standards for Cycle Training and is delivered by accredited trainers. The courses, which take between two and three hours, are held at the workplace, so local cycling conditions are taken into account.
“A quarter of company car trips are for less than two miles, just a 15-minute ride for cyclists. With fuel prices so high and companies seeking to reduce carbon emissions, cycling keeps costs down and staff fit," IAM Drive and Survive cycling manager Duncan Pickering. "Healthier staff are more alert, have greater concentration and are more productive. Corporate pedal power makes sense and for a relatively small investment in training the returns are huge.”
CycleCheck is aimed at inexperienced cyclists, providing chance to practice control, braking, changing gear and signalling in an off-road environment. CycleRide provides cyclists with on-road confidence, working on safety and legality by focusing on positioning, negotiating traffic and awareness of other road users. CycleRide+ prepares cyclists for more challenging situations like turning right on multi-lane roads, negotiating roundabouts and traffic lights.
Halfords cycle2work account manager Elle Thompson has taken one of the courses: "I forgot how much I love cycling – I hadn’t been on a bike since I was about 12. After the training, not only do I feel like I’d like to start cycling again, I also feel that I’d be safe on the roads as well.”
