Cycling training
You can improve your confidence cycling with a cycling training session, provided by City of York Council.
- Learn to Ride - free beginners training for adults
- Bikeability - children’s cycle training
- Urban Cycle Skills - for adults and families to cycle more confidently
- Urban Cycle Skills booking form
Learn to Ride - free beginners cycle training for adults
New cycle training for adults is starting this September at Burnholme Sports Centre – and it’s completely free.
Sessions are on Wednesday afternoons from 9 September, starting at 1.30pm and finishing at 2.30pm. You can drop in at any time during the session and bring your own bike and helmet, or use one of ours.
We are running these sessions for six weeks, and you can join us for as many or as few as you like.
We’ll be helping everyone from complete beginners to ‘I’m fine away from traffic but nervous on the road’ riders. Our super friendly staff are all trained cycle instructors and will listen to your needs and help you become a confident cyclist. We have rented space at the leisure centre so you will be away from traffic and have time and space to practice. The leisure centre also has a café and accessible toilets, and you don’t need to wear any special cycling clothing.
If you have a bike that needs a bit of maintenance we’d encourage you to bring it along and our instructors will have a look for you. If we can fix it we will, completely free, and then you can join our sessions. It might be a flat tyre or loose cable, but if we can help you get cycling then we will.
We can also offer inclusive cycles like trikes so if you’d like to try one of these, please contact us via email cycle.training@york.gov.uk and we’ll chat with you about your needs and which bike might be best for you.
After our six weeks in Burnholme we’ll move to another part of York so don’t worry if you can’t get to this first round. Keep an eye on our social media and the website for news of the next sessions.
You don’t need to sign up but it will help us plan ahead if you could let us know you’re coming via Tickettailor.com or send us an email at cycle.training@york.gov.uk. If you or someone you know isn’t online and would just like to come down and have a go, you are very welcome to drop by.
You can reach Burnholme Sports Centre on the 11 bus, or use the car parking at the centre.
The sessions are being funded by the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire’s Active Travel Fund.
After Burnholme, we will be moving to other parts of York and running the training sessions up to December 2027, so there will be lots of other opportunities to join in.
Bikeability - children’s cycle training
If your child goes to school in York, they will have the opportunity to take part in cycle training to a national Bikeability standard.
To consolidate this training or to move up to the next level, extra private lessons can be bought - the prices of lessons are:
- £32.00 for a 60-minute lesson
- £48.00 for a 90-minute lesson
To book a lesson for your child, or for further information on additional or private lessons, contact the team on telephone: 01904 555 579 or email: cycle.training@york.gov.uk.
Urban Cycle Skills - for adults and families to cycle more confidently
Get tips, whilst you ride with a cycle trainer, on how to cycle more safely and confidently on the road.
Apply for a cycle training session for an adult or a family using the Urban Cycle Skills booking form.
Sessions are currently available at the subsidised cost of £5 per adult for 90 minutes. They can be for individual adults or families - up to 2 adults and 2 children over the age of 8.
Urban Cycle Skills is tailored to meet the needs of most abilities from total beginners to advanced riders. There is no test; the aim is to build on and develop skills and confidence.
Sessions are delivered by National Standards Qualified Instructors from City of York Council’s Road Safety Team.
You'll need to bring your own bike, which has to be well maintained. But if you want to learn how to ride an electric cycle, which makes pedalling easier, we can provide one for you to ride during your session.
You can apply for yourself or your family if you are over 18 and if you live or work in North Yorkshire. Training must take place within the City of York Council authority area.
How to pay
Upon completion of the application form you’ll receive an email containing details of how to make a payment by phone or online. Alternatively, cash or cheque payments can be made at the Customer Service desk at West Offices, Station Rise, York YO1 6GA.
For more information on training, contact the team on telephone: 01904 555579, or email: cycle.training@york.gov.uk.
Urban Cycle Skills booking form