Adult Confidence Course - Sylvia

I have been riding my bike for years, something I enjoy doing to keep fit, get around locally and a perfect opportunity to catch up with friends. Chelmsford is a great place to cycle with lots of cycling infrastructure to move around and across town and only minutes from the open B roads taking you into the countryside through out local villages.

Apart form cycle training at schools, too many years ago to think about, I’ve not had any formal training. With a new job I really felt it was a good time to brush up on my cycling skills and get a bit more confidence on some of the busier roads through the town centre. I was introduced to the Essex County Council cycle training through a colleague and quickly and easily signed up on the website. My instructor called me and we spent quite a bit of time talking through my skill level, what I wanted to get from the training and where I would normally be cycling. The date was set and I eagerly waited for the Saturday to come, wasn’t quite predicting pouring rain but I guess learning in the worst conditions possible might have been the best thing.

Mary took me through the basics, making sure I understood positioning on the road, hand signals and control of the bike. Then we hit the open roads. I never realised how much cycling infrastructure there was around Chelmsford and actually how to use it effectively. I felt empowered to know how much I controlled my space on the road and how where I positioned myself told the other road users around me of my intentions. I found myself being much more aware of the road layout and other road users as I cycled along and amazed that having that bit of knowledge made me much more confident. Three hours well spent, I would recommend this to anyone who cycles regularly.