Training gives confidence on roads, says new research

Bike training gives novice riders the confidence to get out on the roads and start cycling to work, according to new research from Merseyside.

More than 30,000 adults and young people in the area have been trained by Merseyside Transport Partnership (MTP)’s TravelWise cycle training scheme since April 2006.

Research carried out by MTP showed a consistent and marked increase in both utility and leisure cycling. After training, 37 per cent of trainees began to cycle for transportation reasons and more than 90 per cent of them are cycling for leisure at least once a week.

In addition, nearly 100 per cent of parents and guardians saw an improvement in their child’s cycling safety – with 75 per cent noting “a lot” of improvement – and reported a 56 per cent increase in other family members cycling.

MTP chairman Neil Scales said the results were “hugely significant."

He said: “For the first time anywhere in the country we have solid evidence that training programmes like ours have a clear, long term positive effect on behaviour and attitudes, not just of individuals who attend training but on their families."