Welcome to the
Vale of Glamorgan Council

FIT-2-RIDE

 

Zone 1

 

Learn the basic skills of cycling - practice off the road

If you are a beginner or lack confidence as a cyclist, then Zone 1 (PDF) is for you!

All Zone 1 exercises are designed for practice in a quiet area. This will help to keep you safe and stress-free whilst you learn the important cycling skills needed before using roads.

 

Zone 1 will show you how to:

There is also essential information about the Law which you should know before using roads.

 

At the end there is a checklist you should complete before advancing to Zone 2.

Go to the checklist

 

Zone 2: On the road

 

Good road safety practice

Before starting out on the road, make sure that you know how to prepare yourself and your bicycle for journeys as part of the traffic. To help you to build confidence when cycling on roads, select a quiet, easily cycled route at first. This will enable you to work on your observation skills and get used to traveling with light traffic. You may choose to travel with an experienced cyclist who can ride behind you, and observe and help you with your cycling techniques. On a clear road, with no obstructions (eg parked cars etc) aim to cycle between a half to one meter from the kerb to avoid debris and drain covers. This will also help you to see and be seen by motorists. However, you will need to adjust your positioning as hazards arise and this will take lots of practice.

 

In the 'good road safety practise' part of Zone 2 (PDF) you will learn about:

At the end of the theoretical part of Zone 2 there is another checklist to make sure everything was understood.

Go to the checklist

 

The second part of Zone 2 gives practical advice on cycling on busier roads:

Vale of Glamorgan Council, Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry CF63 4RU, Tel: (01446) 700111