Sofa to Saddle

Description

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership with Age & Opportunity have successfully delivered a cycling programme for over 55’s, “Sofa to Saddle”. This was a beginners/novice cycling programme for people who have never tried cycling or those who hadn’t cycled in a long time. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown have access to a beautiful coastal cycle route running from Blackrock Park to Sandycove and from enquiries made and feedback received from the public, there was a clear interest and need to provide a programme to enable residents in the area to use these routes safely and with confidence.

The programme was delivered over a five-week period, one session per week and was delivered by a qualified instructor who adapted each session to the needs of the group, making it accessible for all participants. The first session was held indoors, introducing the programme, detailing what to expect over the following four weeks. It also included basic information on safety on the road and parks, bike etiquette and bike maintenance. We also used this session to assess the different levels of abilities within the group by introducing them by using spinning bikes.

Bike health checks were carried out before the programme started, through The Bike Hub based in Dun Laoghaire, to ensure safety. The remaining four sessions were delivered in Blackrock Park covering basic skills such as getting on and off the bike safely, stopping and starting, agility and reaction skills, turning corners and awareness and vigilance while cycling in the parks or on the roads. Participants were also introduced to the use of gears on their bikes, which included practice on inclines and declines.

The Bike Hub provided a member of staff at each session who supported participants by providing advice, technical assistance and bike maintenance, when required.

Each session finished off with a small lunch which allowed time for the group to debrief on their morning and get to know each other. It also allowed for an informal question and answer session with the tutor and each other, which was one of the highlights and helped the group bond and build friendships.

We had 10 participants involved in the programme from start to finish. We purposely kept the numbers low as it was deemed a pilot project and it was the first time we had run a programme like this and focused on this target group. We felt it would be more beneficial due to the range of abilities and so each participant would get more individual attention.

We partnered with Active Travel and Active Cities Dublin as part of Bike Week and celebrated the last session of the programme during this week. This allowed for additional promotion and collaboration around cycling as a safe, effective, and sustainable mode of transport across Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

Aim of Initiative

The aim of the initiative was to encourage older persons in our community to get on their bike/back on their bike and help them to build up their confidence and basic skills in cycling for leisure, in a bid to build up confidence to using the fantastic cycle network in the area. In addition to this we wanted to build a social network between the group, something which we feel is particularly important for this target group.

The programme was delivered in one of our beautiful parks, in a safe cycle friendly environment, to ease participants back into cycling or to learn the basic cycle skills required to navigate around our parks and cycle network. We wanted those taking part to discover or rediscover the joy and fun of cycling in a safe environment, with the bonus of improving their health and fitness.

Who is it aimed at

This initiative is aimed at all persons over the age of 55, living in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown catchment area, who are total beginners to cycling or have not cycled in many years. As the cycle lanes in our area have improved, they have become busier and are attracting scooters, cargo bikes, accessible bike and are therefore the traffic on them is heavier and moving at faster pace. This programme is a starting point for those who would wish improve confidence in cycling, to progress using the cycle network, safely and with confidence.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Environment/Location
   We selected Blackrock Park for our outdoor sessions, which is in a good location for participants to travel to and from. Participants can access the park by bus, Dart, cycle routes and parking is also available for anyone travelling by car. The park itself has cycle lanes and a 5km distance route/loop which was an adequate distance for the group to build up confidence, fitness and learn new skills. The park is mainly flat and with some inclines but not too crowded, which allowed for the skills and drills to be practiced easily. The park has a good number of junctions and corners, allowing for basic skills and etiquette to be practised, as would be required on the cycle routes and road. All of this made a perfect environment for the instructor to adapt activities so participants could progress at the own pace.
2. Instructor
   Having a qualified instructor with extensive experience working with older adults of various abilities was key to the success of the programme. Age & Opportunity provided the instructor, who had vast experience working with similar groups. The sessions were well planned and delivered efficiently and effectively, pitching it at a level that was accessible for all participants. The instructor’s passion for cycling, interpersonal skills and attention to appropriate detail really helped the participants to engage and feel comfortable in this new, challenging environment.
3. Additional Support Staff
   Ensuring the programme was sufficiently staffed allowed for more focused attention and assistance to the group, especially in the earlier outdoor sessions. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership provided a member of staff to support with registration and cycle support. This was vital as there was a wide range of abilities and needs within the group. The Bike Hub also provided a staff member to support cyclists throughout the sessions.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Wide Range of Abilities
   Within this group there was a variety of abilities from people who had never cycled before and had a fear of getting on a bike to those who were currently cycling in parks and sometimes on roads but wanted to develop skills and knowledge to better equip them for this. It was therefore essential to tailor the programme to ensure all individual needs were being met and that all participants felt that they could progress at their own pace. This is where effective planning was needed, and additional support staff and continual assessment carried out by the instructor throughout each session and good communication among staff.
2. Additional Support Staff
   We used more staff for this programme that is normally used, due to having a group of varying abilities. Cycling can be considered high risk for falls and injuries, especially at beginner level and for older adults, so this was our way of addressing this issue as it was a pilot programme.
3. Level of Progress
   After watching the progress of all participants and discussing with each of them where they were in terms of confidence to move onto the costal route (as planned), it was decided that we would stay in the park and not go onto the road. Some needed more time to build their confidence and skill set and the other participants were happy to continue in the park with more advanced skills and drills provided by the instructor to challenge them. As a result of this the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership created a follow-on programme for those who need more time and practice, to be ready for cycling on the roads.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Cycle Skill Development
   All participants made significant progress throughout the programme. Each participant finished the programme with increased knowledge, skills and experience in cycling. They were more competent in navigating their way around the park, unsupported or with little support and many felt they would be able to soon take on the roads and cycle lanes. We found that some of the more advanced participants began cycling to and from Blackrock Park to attend sessions. All our beginners who found it extremely challenging in the first session to get on the bike, were cycling the complete route with ease and confidence, by the end of the programme.
2. Character Building
   There was a noticeable increase in confidence and self-belief in all participants in terms of cycling. Everyone developed a new set of skills to allow for leisure cycling with an intention of moving onto the cycle network in the area. All the participants overcame different challenges, from a fear of getting on their bike, increasing speed, passing other cyclists or cycling uphill. This helped them to develop resilience and to recognise what they had achieved as individuals. The social aspect at the end of each session with the lunch together also supported them in to building strong relationships among the group and a sense of comradery.
3. Programme Pathway Development
   Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership are now working with key partners such as Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Age & Opportunity and Cycle Ireland to develop a programmes pathway for this target group so they can develop more advanced skills to allow them to progress onto cycling outside of the parks, on cycle routes and on the roads. The end goal is for individuals to be confident and competent in navigating the roads and being able to cycle independently and safely.