Requirements for venues

By Cycling UK
Requirements for venues
CTC courses work either as open courses at high quality set venues or as bespoke courses for existing groups, running from their locations, or a previously approved location.

What are bespoke courses?

Open courses are all listed on the calendar. CTC provides bespoke courses for all sorts of groups from one-off clubs through schools and outdoor centres to major organisations such as the Forestry Commission, PGL Holidays, and Thomas Cook. For information on setting up bespoke courses, see the venue requirements below and contact us about how we can meet your groups needs.

Bespoke courses all operate within CTC's high quality framework and meet our stringent standards required of learning, delivery and assessment fulfilment. They can however, be co-ordinated around your group's locale, availability and working environments.

What do course venues need to provide?

There are two key facility elements to enable a course to run effectively, the teaching base and the riding environment. Both of these need to reflect the requirements of the qualification level: often the teaching requirements are easier to fulfil than the riding needs.

Teaching base

The teaching base requirements apply to course at all levels, and should provide:

Area Requirement
Classroom
  • Sufficiently large enough for the delegation number
  • Adjoining, or separate room for individual interviews
  • Lit and heated
  • Electric sockets available close to the teaching/display area
  • Tables and chairs
  • Suitable maintenance area for the whole group with a bike each, lit (all year) and heated (autumn, winter, spring)
AV facilities
  • Data projector
  • Projection screen or available, unobscured wall area to use as a screen
  • Flipchart and stand
  • Electric extension lead as required
Food and drink
  • Access to hot drinks and drinking water
  • Food availability in the vicinity should be made clear prior to the course
Services
  • Toilets, hot showers and changing rooms
  • Secure bike storage area
  • Bike wash area and access to one or more hose(s)
Base contact support
  • A person based on or close to the site that is available by phone during the course

 

Riding requirements for the Trail Leader Award and Young Leader Award

These course routes are critical to the effective learning and development of course delegates. As the qualifications are UK-wide (and further afield), the environment needs to reflect conditions which may be found beyond the region of the course itself.

The riding area should comprise:

Area Requirement
Route overview
  • Typical Trail Leader routes length are around 12-15km.
  • They should comprise a range of environments, trail widths, surfaces, some roads and hills.
Access
  • All routes shall be legally accessible, or have written landowner agreement.
Terrain technicality
  • Routes used will be of varying widths and surface types, remaining within the Trail Terrain specification.
  • A short section either on route, or close by will also clearly fulfil the requirement of Technical Terrain.
Topography
  • A height difference within the route being used and the site / local area of at least 80m.
  • A range of climbs and descents that require riding position change (i.e. have a level of steepness).
  • Several moderately extended descents that require braking control to be exercised to monitor speed (minimum 300m length).
Land types
  • A range of environments including at least three from forest; moorland; farm land; common land; urban is appropriate.
Highway requirements
  • Four or more minor or major roads including three or more junctions.

Riding requirements for the Technical Leader Award

The routes used as part of the Technical Leader Award course remain even more critical to qualification delivery at this level. As the qualification is UK-wide (and further afield), the environment needs to reflect conditions which may be found beyond the region of the course itself.

The riding area should comprise:

Area Requirement
Route overview
  • Typical Technical Leader routes length are around 12-15km.
  • They should comprise a range of environments, trail widths, variable, loose and uncertain surfaces, some roads and significant hills and descents.
Access
  • All routes shall be legally accessible, or have written landowner agreement.
Terrain technicality
  • Routes used will be of varying widths and surface types.
  • At least 50% of the route will clearly remain within the Technical Terrain specification.
Topography
  • A height difference within the route being used and the site / local area of at least 200m.
  • A range of extended climbs and descents that require significant riding position change (i.e. are steep), effort (climbs) and control (descents).
Land types
  • A range of environments including at least three from forest; moorland; farm land; common land is appropriate.
Highway requirements
  • Two or more minor or major roads including two or more junctions.

Riding requirements for other CTC qualifications

The demands of other CTC off road qualifications, such as the Skill Instructor and Advanced Leader Awards are highly specific and require significant knowledge of the area. This can only be gained through site visits. For more on the requirements of these courses, please contact us.

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