Evening all. I’m off to do my Trail Cycle Leader course in Fort Bill, the first step on a long road to full own-business-guiding-people in many, many years time.

Has anyone done the course, or progressed further through the MBLA program?

Tips, advice, stories & standard banter welcome.

Ta Much.

I’ve done the TCL training course but not the exam

Basically if you get out on the bike once a week or so, can handle a bit of easy singletrack, have a bit of common sense and can read the course book, then you’re guaranteed to pass.

I did the training for the TCL in 2010 and then took the assessment last summer. It’s nice to know you’ve achieved a certain standard of biking including basic mechanics and navigation.

Basic fitness is required, especially for the assessment, we did 20 odd miles around windemere, as you do need to concentrate and lead as well as haul yourself around the trail.

Couple of the team who did the TCL went on to do the MBLA award as well. Advice, makesure you do know how your gears, brakes etc. work and makesure you’re happy with map reading before hand, makes the course less stressful.

Only other gem is to remember when you’re on the assessment day you’re being assessed for the full day. After I’d done my guiding leg it felt a bit more like a mates ride so when the leader got us lost I piped up saying I don’t think we should be here, the assessor wasn’t overly happy as it gave the guy leading a chance to correct his mistake (we were already half a mile off course) if I hadn’t said anything he would probably have failed.

I’m going to be doing one soon through my local club and really looking forward to it

I’d best swat up on my map reading skills – something which hasn’t been used since leaving the Scouts in 1989 😯

Cheers everyone, I’m doing the training now and assessment after some trials with newbs from the Day Job.
This is going to be a BIG month…
I hadn’t even bloody thought about deraileurs ffs… I’m on an SS Inbred… I only know SS…and 1*9. I have no comprehension how to practically & efficiently get around on a bike with higher gears than my age.

Off I pop then…

At least I know how to ride… but don’t we all 😉

Done it in Gartmorn beside Alloa. Great 2 days learning. A lot of map skills, though reasonably basic. Try and realistically account for time/distance, as some were well of the mark. Also, mastering the skills course helps, I never practiced the pick up bottle with left/put it down with right thing, and got stuck badly on that!

Oh and when you get to lead, try and get the rest of the guys doing something interesting. I got everyone to manual in time, and the instructor was impressed! Also bring plenty of sweeties to hand out – everyone likes a bribe! 😉

That’s a fair point, during the training section, is there an opportunity to lead & distribute snacks?

Or is that just the assessment day?

I fear that finding out too many of the skills tests in advance is cheating, but some call that pre-emptive success.

I’ve got my TCL, GoMTB level 5, and done my MBL training.

TCL is pretty easy, provided you’re not a fat slob with no fitness, you can ride simple trails, can read a map, and have at least some mechanical skills.

Main thing you need to know is how to read a map. You can be the world’s best coach/rider/cyclist, but if you don’t know where you are or where you’re meant to be going, you’re useless as a TCL/MBL.
If you think you’re going wrong, stop and check. I went the wrong way during my MBL Training, but because I’d previously looked at the map and knew the rough gradient for the following section, I got commended for realising, stopping, checking, and admitting I’d just gone the wrong way as soon as the trail steepened up.
Whenever you look at the map, try and visualize the gradient you’re meant to be on, and where any navigational features should be.
I’ll admit I take map reading for granted, as I can look at a map, visualize where I am, and what should be around me, but I know others can struggle with that.

I’d also suggest you fit some more gears for it.
You’ll be expected to regulate the pace of the group, which means going at a pace where the slowest isn’t getting left behind and isn’t struggling to keep pace. This often means sitting in granny ring, spinning very gently up climbs that you would normally power up in middle ring. Plus as a leader, you’re expected to set a good example with such things as cadence and gears.

If you want some practise in the Tweed Valley, I know a couple good routes that are handy for practising map reading, and I wouldn’t mind riding them again!

Did mine in 2003 around the Lakes, primarily Grizdale. Course was pretty enjoyable, however I found the two instructors overly patronising, they did not pitch their teaching to the audience who were very experianced on bikes and the outdoors in general. Pretty sure one of the two used to freelance for WMB.
Common sense, fitness, general bike maintainence skills and map reading, job done.

+ first aid
Risk assessment
Emergency procedures
Bail out routes
Weather forecasts and where to find them
Route planning/timing. Computer with split timer is good for doing sections
Simple things like he ad counts….knowing how many are in your group!
Big rucksack to carry extra gear like water, clothes and odd stuff your clients may need

I took my MBL tutor on the Borroedale Bash for my assessment, somewhere he had not been!

it’s on my To-do list along with my ML assessment! good luck.

Excited.

Need a good talking to, the fear of failing kept me in my comfort zone for so long now I’m out there and woooooah…

I’m off Pentlanding with my map.

Endless thanks & appreciation to everyone who’s helping,community is so much more than “bunting” and Jubilee lunches.

Peace

And now there’s the British Cycling qualification, which is very similar. Not sure which route to go down personally

And now there’s the British Cycling qualification, which is very similar. Not sure which route to go down personally

yes isnt the tcl course being scrapped and if you do it now its only valid for three years? just been doing my british cycling qualifications and thats what im lead to believe after looking at the tcl.

+ first aid
Risk assessment
Emergency procedures
Bail out routes
Weather forecasts and where to find them
Route planning/timing. Computer with split timer is good for doing sections
Simple things like he ad counts….knowing how many are in your group!
Big rucksack to carry extra gear like water, clothes and odd stuff your clients may need

yup all needed too!

I’ve received a bursary from the spectacularly enabling Independent Learning Authority for my TCL, so if I have to re-train under “British Cycling” in the future, so be it. The only plan I have is to spend the next few years learning, learning, learning so there’s outdoors first aid, communication & leadership skills, map reading, mechanics qualifications and so on…

Shooting for the stars and all that…

yes isnt the tcl course being scrapped and if you do it now its only valid for three years? just been doing my british cycling qualifications and thats what im lead to believe after looking at the tcl.

So is the BC one the only one worth doing?

The MBLA and BC courses will merge within 18 months and TCLs will continue to be valid and recognised.

I did my tcl training with glenmore lodge in nov 2011 and my assessment with cyclewildscotland in April 2012. Planning on doing my MBL later this year.

Very worth while doing I use mine with scouts.

I was under the impression that the tcl and MBL were both valid as long as you were a member of the British cycling association and Held a valid first aid ticket.

It was my understanding that the gomtb scheme was more geared towards coaching rather than guiding.

Just my 2p’s worth