Adults in Argyll are being offered cycle training paid for by the local council.
The iCycle+ initiative is aimed at returning and commuter cyclists, helping them enjoy their bike more – getting confident in traffic, learning new bike maintenance skills, meeting other returning cyclists and improving their health and fitness.
The training course is worth more than £100 per head, but the local authority is providing it for free.
The idea is the result of a previous initiative called called iCycle which was introduced to teach children. This proved very popular and, as a result, Argyll and Bute Council decided to extend the scheme to adults.
A drop-in information event is planned at Lochgilphead Joint Campus on Tuesday March 31 where people can sign up to the training programme, with information also available online through the council’s partners in this initiative, the Oban-based outdoor education social enterprise Stramash.
The session involves an introduction and welcome, a short film on the iCycle+ programme, a short description of the training and the opportunity for people to ask questions.
Once a place on the course is guaranteed participants will receive further details from Stramash and a pre-course evaluation form which will be used to shape the content of the courses to suit the needs of individual participants, where possible.
The training runs over a month and involves a session a week in five towns: Lochgilphead in April and May, Oban in June and Dunoon, Helensburgh and Campbeltown in August and September. People can sign up for an afternoon, early evening or night time session and all of the equipment including a bike and helmet is provided.
The training will include help with getting on and off a bike safely, starting and stopping, steering and maintaining forward momentum, cycling one-handed while signalling, looking behind, the correct use of gears, basic bike maintenance and preparing for a journey.
Using these new skills cyclists will try out different routes in their community, becoming confident in dealing with tricky junctions and traffic lights. The course will also identify safe and enjoyable cycle routes.
At the end of the month long programme there will be a shared, guided cycle which will put into practice the skills learned over the course.
The first sessions at Lochgilphead will take place on the week beginning April 15 at Kilmory Castle, April 22 at the Crinan Canal, April 29 at Kilmartin Glen, May 6, Kimory Woodland.