MOUNTAIN BIKE LEADERSHIP
Mountain bike leadership awards
The Mountain Bike Instructor Award Scheme
The mountain bike instructor award scheme (MIAS) is a widely recognised mountain bike leadership award that allows qualified leaders to operate in a variety of off-road environments, leading groups. The scheme offers different levels of award which determine the specific environments in which a holder can operate, and which require different levels of skill.
Whilst there is no national governing body for mountain biking in the UK, MIAS is regcognised as being a suitable award to hold for those teaching and leading mountain bike sessions, partcualrly to meet the reqiurements for demonstrating suitable competence of the adventure activities licensing scheme for those working with children and young people.
What the award offers
The award scheme offers training and consequent assessment in the following areas:
- Bike maintenance and set up
- Off road leadership skills, such as route planning, navigation and group managment
- Mountain bike specifiic handfling skills
- Leader roles and responsibilities
- Coaching techniques and activities
What do you need to be able to do?
A matrix of skills required at assessmentis available at the link below - but it is important to remember that the training course will cover some of these skills so it is not necessary to be able to do them before attending the training course.
Where can you operate?
The level 1 award allows you to lead in low level off road envrionments such as canal towpaths, in parks and recreation areas, on bridleways with no tehcnical features. Navigation is relativley straightforward and a road going ambulance crew could get to you easily if there was a serious incident.
The level 2 award allows you to lead in terrain where you may encounter technical features such as small drop offs, rocky and uneven trails, singletrack, small obstacles such as fallen branches, steeper gradients and you may be exposed to more challening weather conditions. You may be required to naviagte using a map and compass and venture into wild terrain (not more than 600m above sea level) but where the crew from a road going ambulance could reach you within about half an hour, should a serious incident occur.
How the training and assement course works
The course runs as a training and assessment combined, with the first day being dedicated to checking out your existing knowledge and working to develop your existing skills. This is not a mountain bike coaching course, but there is a fair amount of time dedicated to looking at how mountain bike skills can be taught and coached.
We spend some time looking at cyclsits and the law, access and route planning. We will cover naviagtion for those with less experience in route planning and finding, and some basic bike maintenance and adjustment to ensure you can deal with small mechanical issues that invariably occur out on a ride.
Level 1 and 2 run concurrently and at the end of the first day we'll discuss with you where your skills are compared to there requirements for the two levels and set out the assessment process and appropriate level of assessment, for the following day.
The second day will feature a full day ride where you will have the opportunity to both show your skills and be assessed, and continue to learn and develop during the day. The course will finish with an individual de-brief where we will identify a development plan for you, going forward.
Upcoming courses
Details of courses in the near future
When?
2nd and 3rd December 2023
Remaining COVID safe for a professional training course - numbers limited
Where?
North Wales area
Based in Bangor and the surroudning area
How much?
Course cost is £150
This includes course materials but you'll need a serviceable mountain bike and helmet. We can put you in contact with local hire companies if you don't have one. Payment can be made by direct trasnfer, or we can invoice you or your company.
Get in touch to book your place
Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch to arrange payment and supply deails of meeting places and timings.
MIAS mTB leader course booking form
