The group met in the morning excited about what this week’s session would bring. As last week we carried out the ‘M’ check that Ross had explained last session. This is a safety check to ensure that the bike is fit for use. It involves checking the:

• Back Wheel
• Chain
• Seat
• Handlebars
• Front Wheel
  

And of course that our helmets fitted perfectly and were secure.
We headed off on the cycling path and stopped for our first lesson of the morning. This week we were learning about use of the gears on the bikes. Lowering the gears when going up hills and increasing again when going down or on flat. We tried this out ourselves gauging the best gear for the terrain towards Fullarton Woods. Now we had a basic understanding of the gears Ross was able to show us how to reconnect the chain without getting our hands oily.
At the woods we stopped for a break then continued on some rough terrain using the gears to help. Some people found this a bit tricky and managed to fall into a ditch!
Ross asked us to imagine we were cycling in the Tour de France and showed us how to look left and right behind us to check that there are no other cyclists behind you.  Not so easy to stay steady! I’m sure none of us will be wearing the yellow jersey anytime soon but we can dream…We’re all becoming more confident at handling our bikes including new skills such as ‘cornering’ where your position on the bike affects your balance.
Due to the weather this week we certainly experienced much more mud than before but that’s all part of the fun. All in all it was another successful session with only a few knocks!!

 
On Thursday 9th November a group of 8 S3 students embarked on a ten week programme called Go Mountain Bike.
Go MTB is a progressive mountain bike achievement award that enables people to advance their technical riding skills as well as learning how to look after themselves, their bike, the environment, and other people.
Go MTB is for anyone who wants to develop their skills and experience in off-road riding, from those learning basic bike handling skills to riding long technical routes with advanced features.
There are four themes to the Award and five levels within each theme. These cater to all levels of experience, from novice to expert. The themes are:

• Riding Skills
• Sharing the Outdoors                                                                  
• First Aid
• Being Independent and Self-Supporting

The group was led by our campus police officer P.C Andy Harrower and Ross from the Adventure Centre for Education in Girvan. Over the following ten weeks we will be joined by a selection of staff volunteers who will be put through their paces.
The general feeling was of anticipation as the group headed out but everyone started to relax and enjoy the experience. Skills introduced in the first session included ‘slalom’ where we had to weave in and out of objects while keeping control of the bike and braking exercises – travelling downhill and stopping between two lines. Not as easy as it looks! Who knows what we're in for over the next few weeks!