Thank you for your interest in attending our inclusive cycling sessions. Here is some helpful information before you attend:
- All sessions must be booked in advance. This ensures that we have the right bikes available, and the correct staffing levels. Sometimes we may have to ask you to attend a different session than the one you request if you need a specific bike that is already booked to someone else. We will always try our best to find a suitable time for you.
- We have a range of bikes. We support personal choice wherever possible but some participants may only be able to ride a certain bike or bikes and this will be prioritised over choice. We will always be happy to explain our decisions, but we do ask that you respect our staff.
- We ask that all participants stay in a specific coned area of the park throughout, unless we have assessed you and given permission for you to ride outside this area. This is so that our staff can monitor everyone to make sure all participants are safe.
- We would politely request that anyone cycling (including care staff) wears a helmet at all times while on the bikes, and we have a range of sizes that can be borrowed. If you cannot wear a helmet for medical, sensory or religious reasons, please discuss this with us in advance of your booked session. Our staff are trained to assist you to adjust a helmet, and if you are bring your own rather than borrowing ours, please check that it is undamaged and carries the CE marked EN1078 sticker (adults or older children) or EN 1080 (younger children).
- We conduct regular maintenance and servicing of our bikes and we will do a safety (‘M’) check before the first session of the day. However, if a fault does develop with your bike during your session, please notify a staff member immediately.
- Please wear suitable clothing for participation in the session. This means trainers or other suitable shoes (unless wearing medically prescribed footwear), and avoiding loose or baggy clothing that could get tangled in the chain. On hand cycles, there should also be no scarves, lanyards or other neckwear that could get caught in the hand cranks and cause a strangulation risk.
- Please notify us of any changes to your information since registering, including any significant changes to your bodyweight. This information will always be treated with sensitivity and respect but our bikes do have individual safe maximum user weights and exceeding these could place both you and others at risk of harm.
- Sessions take place at Bowlee Community Park. Parking is free, there are toilets (including an accessible toilet) in the Pavilion, and there is also a café within the Pavilion where refreshments can be purchased.
We want our sessions to be safe and fun for everyone, so we have a few rules.
- Inclusive cycling sessions are not ‘learn to cycle’ sessions. If you would like to learn to ride a bike, trike or hand cycle, please speak to our staff and we can arrange this separately.
- Please use your brakes to stop the bike (not feet, a fence, person or another bike). If you are unsure how to use the brakes on the bike you are using, please ask one of our staff before setting off.
- Please be respectful of other people in the area, including other cyclists, care staff, session staff, and members of the public. If someone is walking where you want to cycle, you need to stop and wait for them to move clear of the area.
Note for care staff bringing participants to sessions
- Please notify us in advance of the number of participants, and book spaces for all of them.
- Please let us know on arrival if anyone is having a ‘bad day’ or exhibiting unusual or new challenging behaviour.
- Please ensure that you have enough staff to supervise the number of participants that you are bringing. Our staff have to supervise the session, and so you need to supervise and remain responsible for your participants throughout the session. We encourage you to cycle with them where appropriate.
- Please ensure that all participants are wearing appropriate clothing, and any weather-specific needs are met such as waterproofs or sunscreen.
- Please do not take photographs without permission from the session manager.
I understand the above information, and agree to participate in accordance with this. I understand that the sessions will be led by experienced and qualified staff who will guide, support and advise me to participate fully and safely. I accept that there may be an element of risk in cycling, but am happy to accept this and choose to proceed with the session.