What do I need to wear?
You do not need any specialist equipment to get around by bike. Dress for the weather and for comfort and avoid anything including clothing that dangles and could prove a distraction or get caught in the bike while riding. We will do a quick top to toe check as part of our pre-ride preparation. Some people like to ride in something brightly coloured or hi-vis to help them be seen by other road users. I can supply a hi-vis if you would like to borrow one. It is a good idea to wear shoes that enclose your feet.
Is my bike OK to ride?
If you have not ridden your bike for a while it could be worth getting it checked out by a professional. You can also do your own M-check at home to see how your bike is running – check out this Sustrans video which explains how to do this. As part of our pre-ride preparation, we do a final ABC check of your bike – air (in your tyres), brakes and chain – this check takes a few seconds and is worth doing just before you go out on your bike.
Is my bike the right height?
Being comfortable on a bike is really important – follow this guide from Bikeability to ensure that your bike saddle is at the right height when you are riding. If you are a complete beginner we may lower the saddle slightly to allow you to learn a scooting / balance bike technique – although this is not always practical to do during the lesson. Scooting / balancing can still be done when the bike is set for pedalling height. If you know the saddle can be adjusted easily and have the tools to do so easily to hand please bring them with you to the lesson.
Do I need to wear a helmet?
Wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement in the UK. There can be benefits to wearing one and, in some circumstances, a helmet may limit the consequences of a crash. On their own they do not prevent a crash happening. Learning to cycle well is important to reduce the likelihood of a crash happening. I do not wear a cycle helmet when teaching and when cycling. I do not require people to wear a helmet when I am instructing them if they choose not to although I encourage everyone to consider the benefits of wearing one for their specific circumstances. I fully support the choice of anyone who wishes to wear a helmet – and part of my role is to ensure that a helmet fits correctly before we start to cycle. The decision as to whether a child wears a helmet is for their responsible adult who is also taking part in the session to make but I would recommend that children wear a helmet while learning. Check out this useful video from Bikeability about correctly fitting a helmet.
How old does a child need to be to ride a bike?
Learning to ride a bike is a great thing for any child to do. Children can start at around the age of 18 to 30 months to ride using a balance bike to scoot around and it helps them to learn the important skills of balancing without a second person having to hold them up.
The balance technique can be used at any age including adults and is a great way of building confidence.
Can you teach my child to ride a bike?
Yes I can help your child to ride a bike with you as a parent present. Helping your child ride a bike unaided is a great feeling for everyone and my role is to give you the confidence to support your child when they need it. I recommend these two videos to give you some advice on helping your child (or adult) learn to ride a bike:
Teaching a child to ride without stabilisers (Sustrans)
Teaching an adult to ride a bike (Cycling UK)
What is Bikeability?
Bikeability is a charity that has a vision to ensure that everyone has the confidence to cycle and enjoys this skill for life. You can find out more about Bikeability via their website.
I do not have a bike to ride – can I still book some instruction?
If you are an adult or young person learning to ride from scratch at a one to one session, I will have a bike for you to borrow if you do not have one of your own. Children must have their own bike to learn them that is the right size for them.
What if the weather is bad?
We want you to enjoy cycling so we with your agreement we will postpone any session where there is or predicted to be significant rain or wind that day or any other weather conditions which will make learning and / or cycling challenging.
How do you use my data?
The information that you supply will only be used to contact you about your instruction with us and to provide you with a service that you have requested. With your permission we will contact you from time to time about our offers and services – you will be able to unsubscribe at any time. We will not share your data with third parties unless in exceptional circumstances when we have a statutory obligation to share that information. We will keep the information you provide to us for up to 3 years.
Cycling With Anne 