Free cycling classes for the over-50s in York

“Look me straight in the eye and come towards me,” Shaun calls out. “Look at me! Look at me! Keep on going! Keep on going!”

Karen wobbles, almost loses control, then picks up speed and sails along the road.

Before long, she is whizzing up and down, her face shining with excitement – quite an achievement for someone who has hardly ridden a bike in her life.

“You just feel so free,” she says. “If I can crack this, it will be great. I’ll be able to get up in the morning and go out for a ride – and if I really crack it, I could even cycle to work.”

Karen is 52 and hasn’t been on a bike since she was four. “I had an accident,” she says. “I’ve never got on a bike again.”

Not until she saw the free Fit As A Fiddle cycling sessions advertised in York, that is. “I thought I’d give it a try. I thought it would give me some independence. I’d be able to go out when I wanted.”

This is her third session at the Railway Institute in Acomb, and she’s making real progress: changing gears, doing U-turns, applying the brakes to come to a neat, if somewhat breathless, stop.

Christine Andrew is finding things a bit tougher. Like Karen, the 50-year-old never learned to ride, even as a child. “My brother was a lot taller than me – he’s six foot four now,” she says. “So there was no hand-me-down bike.”

She too saw the Fit As A Fiddle sessions advertised – and decided to give them a go. “I don’t particularly want to go on the roads, but I would like to be able to go on cycle paths, just to get out, get some exercise and fresh air,” she says.

This is her second session. Last time, she managed to ride a short distance. This time she’s struggling. She keeps launching off, then loses confidence before she can get going, putting her foot on the ground to stop.

But she’s determined – and, eventually, manages a few wobbly wheel-lengths down the middle of the road. “Yeay – that was good,” she shouts in triumph.

The Fit As A Fiddle cycle training sessions are being offered free all month at locations across York. Run by Age Concern York, with the support of city council cycle trainers, they are aimed at giving people aged 50 and older who have either never ridden a bike, or who have forgotten how to do so, the confidence to get out and about on two wheels and enjoy the cycling city.

Seventy-two-year-old Shaun Moran, a road safety trainer with City of York Council, is one the instructors teaching the cycling novices.

“The idea is to get the older generation cycling again,” he says. “We get quite a few who haven’t cycled for 15 or 20 years. They don’t have much confidence. But if we can get them out, it’s a great form of exercise and a way of getting some fresh air.”

People who come along on the courses are a mix: complete beginners; those who have ridden before but have lost their confidence or are nervous; and more accomplished riders who want advice on ‘roadcraft’, such as how to approach roundabouts or deal with traffic lights.

Each session is split into ability groups. The beginners learn the basics of how to ride and stay on a bike, before progressing to gear changing, turning, and going faster.

Others go for guided rides along York cycle paths, or are led out onto the roads for more advanced training. There are even sessions on basic cycle maintenance.

Marie Gill, who is in her 60s, hadn’t ridden for 20 years when she went along to a Fit As A Fiddle session at Rowntree Park. “But I had always wanted to try,” she says. “I thought it would be a nice, healthy thing to do – just on cycle paths, not on the roads.”

She was taught the basics of how to balance and ride on tennis courts at Rowntree Park, before being led off for a short ride.

“We cycled over the Millennium Bridge, changing gears. It was quite a feat.”

The sessions have been great, she says. She met a lovely crowd of people – and because the sessions are split into ability groups, it means you get one-on-one attention.

“That is really good, because you are nervous. You get the heebie-jeebies. But that feeling when you’re going along and the world is going past – it is just great.”

Pedal points

•Fit as a Fiddle cycling sessions are free to those aged 50 and over. You don’t need a bike: organisers will hire one for you. Sessions run throughout this month, at various locations across York.For more information, contact Katie Ellis, Fit As A Fiddle Co-ordinator, on 01904 553440.

Fit as a Fiddle sessions

Social Hall: Monday 9, Monday 16 and Monday 23 November, all from 10am to noon.

New Earswick Indoor Bowling Club: Tuesday 10, 17 and 24 November, 2pm to 4pm.

RawcliffeRecreation Hall, Shipton Road: Wednesday 11, 18 and 25 November, 10am to noon.

Oaken Grove Community Centre: Thursday 12, 19 and 26 November, 10am to noon.

Cycling for those who fancy a 'push'

YOU may like the thought of cycling – plenty of fresh air, a beautiful city and glorious countryside to enjoy.

For some, though, the reality doesn’t match up. Unless you are really fit, a steep hill or an energy-sapping wind can take the enjoyment right out of it.

That’s when a little assistance comes in useful. Some people think electric bicycles are cheating, but not Martin Ralph, boss of York-based Inno-Cycle.

You still get fresh air; you still have to pedal; you still get aerobic exercise. Getting a battery-powered boost just takes some of the pain out of it. Whether you are an older person who fears their unassisted cycling days may be behind them, or a younger person who wants to cycle to work without getting hot and sweaty, what’s not to like?

Some people believe the bikes are not eco-friendly because they use electricity, Martin says. But they are a lot more environmentally friendly than a car – and a more economical and healthy, too.

He takes me out for a spin from his showroom at the Bull Commercial Centre in Stockton-on-the-Forest.

The first bike I try is a Wisper 905. It looks much like a standard bicycle, apart from the slim black battery beneath the saddle. It is surprisingly light and can be ridden as if it were a normal cycle, Martin says.

There is a throttle and a high and low setting. Ride the bike without using the throttle and you will just get power-assisted pedalling. It takes some of the effort out of pedalling, making your legs feel stronger. A twist of the throttle will propel the bike along at up to 15mph without pedalling at all.

Riding this bike is a pleasure. Set on low, you get just slight assistance. Switch to high, and your legs immediately feel lighter and stronger. Use the throttle, and you can coast.

The battery takes four hours to charge plugged in at home and can give a range of between 35 miles and up to 60 miles, depending on use. This kind of bike is ideal for older people or those with physical problems who fear they might tire, Martin says. Even on a longer ride, you can get home using the throttle if necessary.

The second bike I try is a matt grey Gepida Reptilla 1000 – a good-looking bike that looks almost like the Gepida pushbikes you can see around town.

There is a high and low setting on this machine too, but no throttle – instead, the motor just works to help you pedal. “The more you pedal, the more help you get,” Martin says.

To get the best out of this machine, you have to go up into a higher gear. I struggle in lower gears, feeling I’m not getting far. But when I click up into a higher gear, it is exhilarating. There is a surge of power to my legs. I can feel them working, and getting exercise – but cutting through a headwind is easy. I feel I could cycle for miles.

It is, indeed, a great touring bike, Martin confirms – but also great for commuting to work.

All the electrics on these machines are sealed and waterproofed. Apart from the motor, maintenance is the same as for a normal bike. If the motor does go wrong, Martin offers a repair service – covered by warranty for the first year or two, depending which type of bike you go for.

The killer is likely to be price. The Wisper costs £999 – which just qualifies for the Cycle To Work scheme – while the Gepida comes in at a hefty £1,600.

“Some people say ‘I’m not spending that on a bike. I can get a car for that’,” Martin says. “And you can. But then you’ve got to spend to fill it with petrol.”

Get one of these, and you could commute to work easily for a fraction of the cost of driving, he says – as well as gaining the freedom of the lovely country roads around York. What’s cheating about that?

• Inno-Cycle can be contacted on 01904 500022.