British Cycling Off-Road Leader Award Level 1 (Fundamentals)

Please note that British Cycling have set a minimum number of candidates for a course to be able to run. The deadline for bookings for this course is 2 weeks before the course start date.

If there are no course places available, please select the highlighted date, book onto the 'Waiting List' and select 'Pay Later' during the checkout. We will be in touch if a course place becomes available, or when we release new course dates.

If your organisation is unable to pay by card, select 'Pay Later' during the checkout process (and email us your Purchase Order number if you need us to quote it). We will then raise an invoice and send it to you.

British Cycling Off-Road Leader Award Level 1 (Fundamentals) Course – in the Peak District

This award is ideal for anyone keen to lead groups through mixed terrain, from gravel paths and urban fringes to the open countryside and most blue trail centre routes. Whether you’re boosting existing rides with training and insurance or starting something new for your school, activity centre, or friends, the Off-Road Leader Award gives you the skills and confidence to make it happen.

This award is developed from the old Fundamentals of Mountain Bike Leadership Award.

We are an accredited provider to run this 16 hour training and assessment course and we make the most of our excellent British Cycling approved trainer, onsite bike tracks & skills park, training rooms and our fantastic location in the heart of the Peak District. The majority of the two day course is practical and you will be riding in both the limestone White Peak and gritstone Dark Peak areas; giving you a great variety of terrain to learn new leadership skills.

2 Day Course Overview – What You’ll Learn

The course covers many leadership, safety, and technical topics, including:

The fundamental leadership skills to lead safe, engaging, and enjoyable rides
An introduction to route planning and navigation
Risk assessments and incident management
Basic trailside repairs to keep your riders on the trail

Please see the British Cycling website for more information about the award.

Course Structure

The course consists of:

e-learning – 2-3 hours of e-learning to complete online before the practical days
Practical days – 2-day in-person training and assessment

Assessments will be made in a supportive environment on the course when completing tasks, through discussion, and whilst demonstrating leadership skills on the rides.

Pre-Course Requirements – Set by British Cycling

To enrol in the Off-Road Leader Award, you must:

Be a current British Cycling Member/Supporter
Be at least 17 years old (Note that you will only be able to lead independently once you are 18)
Able to ride a suitable off-road bike comfortably on roads with some traffic, off-road trails up to trail centre blue grade, and ride regularly with an appropriate level of fitness
Have completed a minimum of ten rides of at least 1 hour and five rides of at least 2.5 hours duration over the last six months – Download an electronic logbook from British Cycling to keep track of your rides

Personal Equipment

Candidates should arrive each day with:

Their own bike in good working order (gravel bike, mountain bike, adaptive bike or E-bike)
Helmet, riding clothing suitable for the weather conditions and a kit bag/rucksack with equipment
Food/snacks for a day of riding, along with a change of clothes for the indoor sessions

Accommodation & Catering

This is a non-residential course. However, on-site accommodation may be available at an additional cost – please contact us to enquire. If we’re fully booked, we’ll be happy to recommend local alternatives.

Hot drinks and refreshments are provided
Meals are not included – please bring a packed lunch each day

Location & Directions

The course takes place at Thornbridge Outdoors, located in the heart of the Peak District.

Thornbridge Outdoors, Longstone Lane, Great Longstone, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1NY
what3words: ///callers.provoking.monk
For directions, visit our Find Us page

Further Information

A full course programme will be emailed to participants before the course
Be sure to read our course booking terms and conditions

British Cycling Insurance Requirements

To be covered by British Cycling insurance, after successful completion of your course/assessment, you are required to:

Be a current paid British Cycling member
Attend and hold a two-day outdoor first aid course certificate – We offer accredited Outdoor First Aid courses that meet this requirement
Undergo and evidence safeguarding training appropriate to the country you are leading in

Expand Your Qualification

Want to lead group rides on trails in non-remote environments in intermediate weather conditions with up to 8 riders? Book on the Trail Leader Award (Level 2).