Help.

I'm looking at becoming a 'cycling instructor'. I've done the research on training etc but I'd like to bend the ears of a couple of instructors who are currently active. Maybe over a coffee or a beer. On me! If you can spare me half an hour during the day or in the evening I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Drop me a line.

Happy to help tomorrow if I can fit it in before my holiday, working till 2 or so in Croydon then riding home to Streatham Hill, rather stay local as I'll be packing a suitcase. Ignore all the recent posts about how I've had days spoiled it's very much a negative thing that stands out as negative far more than it would as a contrast for how good stuff normally is.

Even if we don't meet up just remember that your choice of who you learn from at the start with your NSIP training is the foundation for what you need to learn/do to become an instructor, do not cut any corners in making sure you get good training on that 4 days course. Since I did my training 2 years ago I've already seen instructors come and go as they did the training with other places, left the training poorly equipped then just never really got a foothold to start properly.

Take cycle training before you go and get your riding in tip top shape. Your instructor training is not a place to learn the standard for yourself on top of learning how to teach it, that extra work you could have avoided will disrupt your learning. I don't mind helping with this bit, let me know and I'll book some hours in via somewhere but it would end up being after the 24th.

Always go into your own training open and seek the most from it, be professional and stay within the training times not dragging it out entirely to make it unpleasant for the trainer to teach you. But do ask questions and really get your head around it as much as you can. The instructor trainer will guide you and should seek to deliver training to fufil the course requirements and your needs but you can get even more out if you are asking questions when you get stuck or can see something could be important later so ask to get more out of it.

Don't ever be ashamed to say you don't know something or need more help. Don't ever view that you need or are taking more training yourself as a negative thing, too many instructors are too proud to take training or feel they are above it feeling as they are working they must be doing it right. You can always find an area to improve or an area you could expand in.

Take a picture of yourself at your NSIP training, after that day chances are you get locked into a strict no pictures policy so you can work all the hours under the sun and chances are you will rarely have pictures of you doing it. It's a souvenir you will wish you had if you don't, I don't and wish I had thought of it at the time.

Hi CW. Thanks so much for taking time to reply. Really helpful. And hopeful too! The weather today is inclement! But I'd like to meet you. Later today. A coffee or whatever and a natter would be helpful. Let me know. Stay dry! Cheers. Mel

Mel

Not a good idea to post phone nos online

Hmm. Good point. Was half asleep.

Mel sells Arrospoks, right?

Huh? Nah. Cyber security defence advisory.

I'm home in about an hour Streatham Hill by the bingo hall. I'll send you a message see what works.

Great to meet you and hope whatever you decide works out for you.

Here is the info on the NSIP/NSIQ/NSIT stuff, that's set by the DfT.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-national-standard-for-cycle-training

The exact course I did is this, looks like you might get lucky I'm sure I spent double that.

https://www.cycletraining.co.uk/our-services/instructor-training/national-standard-instructor-training-course.html

The people I'm doing most of my work for at the moment.

http://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/
http://www.cyclinginstructor.com/
http://www.fleetsource.co.uk/safe-urban-driving/safe-urban-driving-home/

Expect an amount of discovery, you might find you have a passion for any part of the wide range of training and cycling activities delivered, don't blank out the ones you don't like as much your ability to deliver varied training and what you learn can move across them a bit. Stuff I have learned working with people who have mobility issues at wheels for wellbeing sessions I feel has helped me at other times and the other way around too.

Also #toptip: listen to clockwise. He dragged my backside into becoming an instructor and he has helped my riding and my son's riding (and my instructing and all the rest).

You had been working your old job doing all the hours under the sun having little time to explore your options or do anything to change that. Now you are free of that, your recent stuff is all you.

You worked to get your training funded, if I knew what I knew now about the vast difference in courses(I explained that to Mel with some even worse examples of it's implementation) then I'd have done something more but it worked out. The course from them and instant work offer did fit your circumstances, I don't think I could have convinced you to take the 4 days out for the training without that work offer being a factor.

Makes me very happy to have helped.

This is turning into a really interesting option for me, opening up through contact with you lot. Thank you. I'm booking dates in my diary.

Hi. I'm booked on one on one Tuesday with CTUK. Then 4 day training with CTUK starting Saturday. Happy hols. Mel

By the sounds of it I'll get back after the training ends(or is just beginning). I hope it fits for you.

Slightly worried I can get talking people around to instructing into increasingly small times, soon I'll just shake hands with someone and they will be enrolling themselves in training lol

Ha! It's all your fault! You should be selling training!

This is so inspiring.

I am looking for a new career in the next year or so as my time as a full time parent comes to a close.

I would love to hear anything about how viable it is to instruct around school run times? I suppose that it depends on which kind of organisations I would end up working for?

Is there any kind of instructing social event ever that I could pop along to and pick all of your collective brains?

Also, congratulations @MetalMelly!

Maybe nudge @user80483 @skydancer @dancing james

I know @user80483 uses breakfast and after school clubs tacked on to make the day a little longer so it can all fit and work. Plenty of instructors just do school hours but they need to hope the provider(s) in the area nearest home will be accommodating as travelling way out of the area racks up the hours and might not leave many for teaching.

Be realistic about what it's costing you to take the 4 day training and get all the things together that you need to start teaching(insurance, DBS, first aid, safeguarding training and so on). Don't skimp on your 4 day training, it can't be stressed enough that getting that right is a good foundation for everything that follows.

I have a colleague who is about to start riding a bicycle 'round London.

He's in his late 30's, and does not normally cycle.

I think, to avoid him killing himself, he needs some 1:1 proficiency training.

He lives North London / Belsize Park area, and will obviously be happy to pay the proper fee to get the proper service.

Please contact me / point me in the right direction if you can help.

Thanks.

Does he live in Camden?

https://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/transport-and-streets/cycling-and-pedestrians/cycle-training-in-camden/

I hadn't seen this before, but quite a strange emphasis on off-street cycling in it. Do Camden not follow the Bikeability approach, @skydancer?

Yup the council offers good training

For most providers in most boroughs training is provided for people so long as the borough is where they "live, work or study" if your friend lives in Camden but works across London that could give them assess to much more training and choice of other providers/a specific provider if that's what you are going to advise them to do. The training doesn't necessarily need to take place in the borough it was booked via could be something where you find the instructor you want and then join up the dots with how to book them, your friend having a bike or access to one will also mean the instructor giving training can easily just cycle to them.

^thanks
^^thanks and
^^^thanks

Hi. I'm in N London. E Finchley. I'm offering one to one training tuned to the riders ability and experience, or lack of, and aiming for the riders own objectives. My riders are all London based planning to ride on London roads. I'm qualified and do this full time. If your buddy wants to get in touch PM me. Cheers. Mel.