Learn to ride with Cycle Buddie
Inspiring your children to get on their bikes and enjoy the freedom and independence it brings.
Who we are
At CycleBuddie we pride ourselves in treating every child as an individual. Our sessions are exciting and cover not just learning to pedal independently, but total confidence in bike handling, steering and bike safety.
The programme has been custom designed based on a wealth of personal experience of working with children of all ages and backgrounds, child physiology as well as physical and mental development. We are regularly asked how long does it take a child to learn to ride, but it is an impossible question to answer. We are led by each child, moving at their pace and know what to look for to maximise the enjoyment and final outcome.
The team
All our ‘Buddies’ have worked with children for many years and are very carefully selected based on their personalities, patience and experience with children.
All ‘Buddies’ are fully DBS checked, insured and qualified to the CycleBuddie standard. We continue to improve and adapt our programme as we go along, as we are constantly learning on the job from each other, and often from the children.
Jane
The programme was brought together by Jane, who has over 40 years of experience of working with children. Her creative and caring attitude, together with a love of cycling, have been the basis of this programme. Jane was trained by British Cycling and BikeRight! to become a National Standards Instructor and deliver Bikeabilty in schools. She has also trained to become an instructor trainer.
Dannie
Jane’s daughter, has worked with Jane since the age of 14, helping to deliver Tumble Tots sessions and birthday parties. On completing her Young Sports Leaders award, her teachers said she was a natural in inspiring and working with children and was worried she was after their job! Dannie has now gone on to become a primary school teacher and is now mother to her little boy Teddy.
Pete
Who is also the assistant head at Etchells Primary school where the majority of our sessions are held, came to us not being able to ride a bike. Watching the programme has meant he has actually learnt to ride on the job, earning his Pedal Medal aged 30. He is now a much loved member of our team and his personality and enthusiasm make him an extremely valued session leader.
The history
Jane sold a Tumble Tots franchise and was looking for something new and rewarding to do for work. Having recently fallen in love with cycling and being told you should do what you love for work, she started with private tuition taking adults out cycling, helping them to find safe and enjoyable routes or even suitable routes to work. At the request of one of the riders, she even organised trips for groups of adults to cycle around Majorca.
Dannie was looking for a new challenge, so Jane suggested Learn to Ride sessions during the school holidays. “Mum… no one is going to pay us to teach their children to ride bikes.” Many people doubted the concept but we have now taught over 4,000 children to ride and a number of adults too.
We all love our job and thanks to the fantastic reviews we get from parents, it makes the job ten times better. Our sessions allow children and their parents to enjoy the experience of learning to ride, rather than hating every second of it dealing with tears and tantrums.
Children work their way through their own personal log books to achieve stickers, Balance Badges, Pedal Medals and Riders Rucksacks throughout their journey with us, ensuring they leave our sessions with a sense of pride and understanding of what they have achieved.