50 Educators providing Courses

Thanks to funding from Cycling UK, Active Cycles is excited to offer free Bike Maintenance and Repair sessions this Summer! Our expert mechanics will be on hand to check the safety of your bike and perform small fixes to help get you cycling this summer! You do not need to have purchased a bike from Active Cycles in order to access these sessions, but please note we cannot accommodate for specialist bikes or e-bikes.

As well as our courses we also offer one-to-one (or two-to-one) bike maintenance training at our dedicated training workshop in north Cambridge. Looking to get some tips on maintaining your own bike when you’re in the middle of nowhere on your next tour, or just always wanted to know how to change a chain and cassette? Get in touch and we can book you in for some bespoke one-to-one training. For one or two people training is a flat rate of £70 per hour or £250 for a 4 hour block. If you’d like us to get back to you with further details, please fill in our pre-booking form here. For more information, please read our Terms & Conditions.

Our one-day Park Tool School Basic: Ride with Confidence Course is perfect for anyone looking to learn how to address common issues while out riding. It is suitable for people with little to no knowledge of bike maintenance. This course is intended to ensure that participants leave at the end of the day with the confidence to fix common problems with their bikes. The maximum group size is 7. Our fully trained mechanic will be on hand to answer questions as they come up, and there is plenty of opportunity for practice. This course is fully endorsed by the Bikeabillity Trust for mechanic certification! For those participants seeking a Bikeability accreditation, there will be an assessment after the training. Please note for all other participants there is no assessment.   Course Detail Basic Mechanical Skills – tools, stands, home shop set-up, tension & torquing bolts, lubrication, threadlockers & cleaners, health & safety Safety “M” check Tyres, tube & puncture repair (innertube replacement), with wheel removal and installation Looking after your drivetrain: lubrication, cleaning and wear of chains, rear sprockets and chainrings Disc brake systems – differences of cable vs hydraulic, rotors, basics of brake alignment, pad replacement Caliper rim brake adjustment and pad replacement for v-brake, dual pivot road caliper and cantilever Field repairs – what tools to take and tips & tricks to get you home! Please note that we will be concentrating on standard derailleur geared bikes. If you have a bike with hub brakes and hub gears you may find some parts of this course less relevant to your bike, though most things are transferable. If you have any questions or worries, please ask.   Price The course costs £96 per person and includes: All tools and equipment A bicycle for you to work on if required (although we encourage you to bring your own where possible) Participants taking the course for a Bikeability accreditation will have an additional £20 fee for assessment and administration. When booking please tick the box in ‘Section 1: Choose Appointment’ to add this to your order. Please choose a course date below and fill out the form, you’ll then be able to pay online and further instructions for the course will be emailed to you. Refunds for courses are only given under exceptional circumstamces and never within 7 days of the advertised course. If we cancel the course for any reason a full refund will be given and a choice of alternative dates offered. If you have any further questions, do please get in touch. Finally, if you’re a Cambridge Cycling Campaign Member, we offer a 15% discount to support the good work that they do. Please get in touch for further details.    Assessment For Bikeability Instructors The Bikeability assessment will include: Conduct an “M” check Check and correct tyre pressure Check and correct loose wheels, handlebars, or other parts Correct saddle orientation Identify poor braking and correct pad placement and cable tension Checking and correcting bike fit, including saddle and handlebar height, and brake/shift lever orientation Further Details Course participants must be 18 years or above. We do welcome younger participants 16+ but we accept these on a case by case basis based on their prior experience. Please contact us to discuss prior to booking. Our scheduled courses are run at our training workshop in Cambridge. If you have any further questions, do please get in touch. For more information, please read our Terms & Conditions. 

Outspoken Cycles Park Tool School courses are aimed at home mechanics who wish to have an in-depth knowledge of their bikes as well as those individuals required to maintain bikes for friends, schools, clubs, businesses and other organisations. The 4 Day Advanced course teaches you advanced mechanical skills following the Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair syllabus in order to help you gain the confidence to take on bicycle repairs involving various manufacturers and systems. Completion of assessment leads to the award of a certificate. You are encouraged to work on your own bike. Please be aware for some elements of the course certain bikes may not be suitable, however, there are also a number of classroom bikes to work on where necessary. We can provide a classroom bike if you’re unable to bring your own.  Course Detail Over four days you will cover: Workshop Practices (Health and Safety, Safe use of tools, PPE, etc.) Tyres & Tubes (Inspection, sizing, systems, puncture repair) Cassettes & Freewheels (types, compatibility, wear, removal and installation) Hub Service (full strip down and rebuild, different systems) Gears and Cabling (identify issues, re-cable, set up and adjustment) Headsets (a-Head and Quill types, strip down and reassemble) Wheel Truing (spoke replacement, introduction to truing, demo wheel construction and lacing) Frame Assessment & Preparation (damage, tools, frame preparation etc.) Bike Setup (choosing the right size bike, saddle height, basic bike fit) Cranksets & Bottom Brackets (different types discussed, removal and replacement) Rim & Disc Brakes (mechanical disc and rim brake set up and adjustment, demo of hydraulic brake bleed) Price The course costs £500 inc VAT. This includes Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair and the use of all tools and equipment while on course.  If you’re a Cambridge Cycling Campaign member, we offer a 15% discount to support the good work that they do. Please email us for access to your coupon code. Refunds for courses are only given under exceptional circumstances and never within 7 days of the advertised course. In the unlikely event we have to make the difficult decision to cancel a course, participants will be offered a refund or the option to reschedule. Please read our terms and conditions for full details. Pre-requisites Course participants must be 18 years old or above. We may be able to accommodate younger participants 16+, we accept these on a case by case basis based on prior experience. Please contact us to discuss. Participants should have a good knowledge of the key content outlined in the Basic: Ride With Confidence and Intermediate courses before booking the Advanced course as this level of knowledge is assumed by the instructor on the day. There will be a brief refresher, but if you are unsure do get in touch to discuss. Course Timings, Assessment, Location & Travel Courses run 9am-4pm over four days, or 9:30am – 4:30pm for weekend courses. Courses take place in our dedicated training workshop at our offices in Cambridge. We have an abundance of bike racks, and we are close to Cambridge North Station. There is limited parking on site on a first-come-first-served basis and we are close to parking at Cambridge North Station. There is some limited on-road parking (at owners risk). You may also park for free at the Milton Park & Ride, which is only a short 15 minute cycle to our workshop.  Further details If you have any further questions, please do please get in touch to discuss. For more information, please read our Terms & Conditions. I would like to say a big thank you to all the teachers for the knowledge they have given me, I’ve loved learning it – Simon Spry, PTS Advanced Participant July 2022