The MIAS Mountain Bike Leader award is a combine leader and coaching qualification that allows you to take groups of riders out on guided rides and allows you to coach the skills that could be needed to do the ride.
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What levels are there?
There are 3 levels and assistant qualifications available
MTBL1 – Non-technical terrain
MTBL2 – Technical terrain
MTBL3 – Mountainous terrain
AMBL – Assistant Ride Leader
Junior Ride Leader
What’s the difference?
MTBL1 – you can lead riders in areas where help is readily available on terrain roughly equivalent to a Blue trail. You can also lead rides on road.
MTBL2 – you can lead riders in open country within 20 minutes cycling range of help. The terrain should be roughly equivalent to a Red trail. You can also lead rides on road.
MTBL3 – you can lead riders in mountainous terrain up to the snow line, excluding ridges and routes that involves scrambling.
You can also coach skills such as front wheel lifts, descending steep slopes and bunny hops. The individual skills and difficulty of them increase with each level. Please drop us an email or message to find out what skills you can coach for each level.
ScreenshotAMBL – Assisting Mountain Bike Leader and Junior Leader
AMBL – you can assist a full MTBL at the equivalent of MTBL1. This is great for outdoor centres or educational settings working with mountain bikes.
Junior Ride Leader – this is the same as AMBL, but is open to students aged 16 and 17. It allows you to gain experience working with MIAS MBLs and a quicker upgrade route to full leader at 18 years old.
What will I learn?
All levels will teach you
Leadership and group management
Route Planning, Navigation and Access
Risk assessments and route cards
Riding on the road
Bike maintenance and M checks
Riding skills and coaching
Accident management and using first aid
What can I do with my qualification?
MIAS MBL qualifications are perfect for many different things involving mountain biking:
Leading rides
Coaching skills
Working at an outdoor centre or holiday programme
Teaching mountain biking in an education setting, such as a school
Working with groups of children, such as Scouts, Youth clubs or holiday camps
With a MIAS Leader qualification you will also be entitled to join the Association of British Cycling Coaches. Membership gives you access to additional coaching resources and can also include their insurance, which gives you up to £5 million of public liability insurance.
What do I need to do the course?
You need to be able to ride a bike and have some experience of riding off road (the Level you are taking will determine how much experience is appropriate).
You need a mountain bike. It does not have to be the latest and greatest, it just needs to be a well maintained, solid mountain bike (a hardtail is fine) with appropriate tyres – something grippy offroad. For the assessment ride you need to use a non-electric bike – this is to show you can ride the appropriate distance without an ebike.
You will need a helmet. Riding gloves and glasses are also a good idea, but not compulsory.
Do I need any others qualifications?
To work with your MBL qualification you will also need a relevant first aid qualification.
For MBL1 or AMBL you need an 8 hour outdoor first aid certificate
For MBL2 or higher you need a 16 hour outdoor first aid certificate
You can do your first aid qualification after your MBL course, but you will need it to do paid work with the qualification.
More information on MIAS and it’s course can be found on the MIAS website – MIAS.uk or by email us or dropping us a message on social media.
Check out our Events calendar for dates of courses we are running.
