Mountain or off road biking

Mountain, off road or cycle trips could all visit dedicated cycle paths or where there is permitted open country or ride on forestry tracks or roads. It is important that the risk assessment takes account of the different environments and that this demand is reflected in the competence of the leader.

In addition to the cycling implications of leading a trip there may well be other requirements of staff, such as the competence to lead in open country and to be able to navigate in poor weather, for example.

There are mountain off road biking leader schemes which are recommended but not mandatory. Visit the Off Road Training Consultancy website for more information or write to them at OTC, PO BOX 1506, Sheffield, S6 3XN.

Any leader must be competent and sufficiently experienced to lead the activity. They should also be able to conduct an effective risk assessment and be responsible for the risk management commitment. This will require that they are familiar with the management principles for small groups, for providing first aid and dealing with emergencies as well as technical bike issues.

There is a generic risk assessment for biking activities available from the documents table below.

Documents

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	Cycling code of practice - document covering details of the code of practice for cycling. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 33KB
	Off road training consultancy cycling scheme - extracts from the scheme provided as good practice for all cycle leaders. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 31KB