Cycling is a continuous string of decisions, with riders thinking about when to apply each of the four key skills.  

A ‘routine’ is a helpful way to remember the relevant key skills in each moment. How and when you do each of them will change and is unpacked more thoroughly in the “instructing points” in each activity template. For example, when you approach junctions, a rider will potentially need to consider two signals, once to change position and once to communicate their intended direction of travel. A rider will also need to carry out more than one observation.  

Signaling direction of intended travel should typically happen when in primary position.  

Primary position should be used to encourage drivers to follow the rider rather than overtaking and increase the rider’s visibility and ability to see. If visibility is excellent, and there are no other road users present, a rider could choose to remain in a secondary position when passing a side road or turning left. This must be an independent decision made by the rider, and instructors should check their understanding and decision-making process with questioning. This is an advanced skill and should be typically unpacked with more experienced riders.  

If necessary. The routine for changing road position is to, look, communicate, if necessary, then change. Typically signaling to change road position will only happen in higher traffic volumes. Riders should also prioritise cycle control, use their speed to manage the situation and observations to understand the intentions of other road users.  

Please refer to page 42 of the Cycle Training Delivery Guide. No site is the same and instructors should ‘do what they can with what they have’. Remember that typically instructors are training in the riders’ local area – be positive and adapt your training to the site.  

The following strategies could be used:  

• Plan a journey that includes any local infrastructure and work with what is available. Do not worry if this does not fit a traditional progression of activities.  
• Focus on helping riders apply the four key skills in whatever scenario they find themselves, including situations they are likely to encounter locally (for example, riding with agricultural machinery on the roads). 
• When moving groups, ask questions and encourage independent decision making. 
• In areas where there is no traffic, use riders in the group to create some. Encourage independent decision making in the area that you have defined and allow more riders on the road at one time.  
• Consider inviting the riders to a holiday course in a nearby town. 

Level 2 may be delivered on roads with a speed limit over 30 mph. While this should be an exception, sometimes it is necessary where 30mph roads are not available, for example in more rural settings. All sites should be risk assessed and used if appropriate. Your risk benefit assessment should include assessing sightlines, instructor positioning and rider start and end point.  

As far as we are able without being prohibitively prescriptive, this is defined on page 65 of the Cycle Training Delivery Guide. The most important thing for instructors to bear in mind is the principle of ‘Progression’. Asking the question, ‘is this training environment suitable for this group?’.  

Signaling to stop is included in the ‘Instructor Points of the Activity Templates. Riders should signal if necessary.  

It is useful for others to know that a rider is stopping. This could be pedestrians, other riders, any other road user in close proximity.  

The priority should be to teach control over communication in this, and other situations. If it feels like a rider may lose control of their cycle, then communicating drops down the order of importance.      

Bear in mind though that adding complexity for riders at the beginning of their Level 2 journey should be minimised. When teaching early activities, riders may find this challenging, and priority should be given to managing speed and observation. A greater distance between the starting and stopping positions adds realism and helps to give riders time to think and prepare. 

Where riders are not yet confident to signal, they should prioritise control, and use it as an opportunity to practice.  

No. As riders approach a parked vehicle they should negotiate their way into primary position, if not already in this position. This change in road position may require a signal.  

Riders should manage the relationship with any road user following them by using their road position and observations.  

A signal is not needed to tell oncoming traffic that you hope to overtake, as you give them priority. Your road position communicates your intention to the road users behind, and staying in control of the cycle should be prioritised.   

Signaling too often could lead to confusion, leading other road users to think you are turning right.  

We have given both options on page 56 of the delivery guide. If being moved ‘passively’, a helpful rule can be for riders not to signal and to prioritise control (see section 7, subheading 2, point 3 in the guide) 

However, if using snaking as a learning opportunity, (see section 7, subheading 2, point 4 in the guide) ‘You can also ask riders to practice what they have learned in training as if they were riding on their own,’. 

Rule 223 of the Highway Code says: ‘Buses, coaches and trams. Give priority to these vehicles when you can do so safely, especially when they signal to pull away from stops. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.’  

This is reflected in guidance on page 55 of the Ride Guide and page 74 of the Activity Templates  

Shepherding should be carried out as described in the guidance.  

Leading from the front is discouraged because an instructor cannot see behind them frequently enough to manage the risk, or observe the riders cycling practice, and should not leave riders behind.  

If the instructor has concerns about the group’s ability, they can choose a more appropriate route or training site or ask the riders to ride side by side ensure greater control.  

• Road position is dynamic, and when turning right from a major to a minor road, riders should always be in primary position, in the middle of the traffic flow, to increase rider visibility and discourage overtaking (on either side) 
• Where the lane is wide, riders should decide for themselves where the middle of the traffic flow is, and understand that this may not be directly in the middle of the physical lane, but maybe closer to the centre line, in line with traffic flow. Direction of travel should be communicated clearly to other road users where present.  
• When thinking about road position in this instance, riders should not encourage overtaking on their left, and be aware of proximity to oncoming vehicles.  
• Road users following riders should not overtake at junctions.  

Pedestrians should be given priority at designated pedestrian crossings, such as zebra crossings, and at junctions. This should be taught by Bikeability instructors. Riders should be taught Rule H2 from the Highway Code: ‘At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.’ Riders should be taught that this is an updated rule, and that they should be mindful to manage the relationship with road users following them as well.  This should involve:  

• approaching junctions with caution,  
• scanning ahead and behind well in advance of the junction 
• be aware of drivers or riders travelling in close proximity behind them at junctions
• make eye contact where possible, slow gradually and communicate intentions in advance