Wendy

Amy
 

Andrew

Karen & Roj

Jodi

Steve
 

Milly
 

Trevor

Our aim is to work in partnership as part of a team, metaphorically speaking at least - supporting and helping each other by sharing our own experiences as we all have very different but complimentary skills. Even if we are not actively working together as most of us did for the Cornish Bikeability Launch in August 2007,  at the end of the day we all want the same thing, that being of course to get cycle training back out into the public domain again.  It's all part of a bigger picture  ... For example Laura and Amy have worked with clients who have special needs so have practical experience in that respect which is invaluable, there are four such schools in Cornwall who are looking to bring us in to work with their students., need I say any more?

I’m Wendy and mum of two teenagers who are about to be let loose on the real world – they are the reason I started teaching the old fashioned Cycling Proficiency as it was in those days, as they themselves missed out due to a lack of instructors., that was back in the (very) late 90’s and again in 2001.  At that point in time National Standards, now called ‘Bikeability’ was only on the drawing board but not yet in place.  I've just learned that although I am already Bikeability accredited, the powers that be are trying to figure out how to consolidate it and have again advised me that I am to be part of that pilot as well - who am I to argue with that!  Just over a year ago I was approached about becoming an Instructor Trainer.  This means being qualified to train up Assistant Instructors and work with provisionally accredited Nat. Standard Instructors towards their post course assessment confirming their accreditation.  As soon as the CTSB have ratified the course, it's exactly what I plan on doing although it has also been suggested I be part of that pilot as well, although that clashed with both college and the E2E.

Amy and Laura aka  www.lily-peds.co.uk are two young ladies from Exeter who operate a cycle rickshaw for which Ames, as Head Peddler had got her licence to carry passengers until the new ruling came in so for a while offered a green alternative to transportation, proms, school runs, birthday rides etc … you name it, they've peddled it and have also branched out to offer those who want to do the pedaling themselves as a sustainable option - as fellow Bikeability Instructors they also offer up to date training for all ages and all abilities in Cycle Training .. so although their website has been pared back dramatically, the girls are still very much involved in cycle training and they're good so if you live in the Exeter area, do get in touch with them ......

One of the two Steves I first met in my home town.  Now whenever I go back to see my parents, we tend to meet up at the local coffee shop there and have a brainstorming session. He's no fool and has a wealth of experience to be drawn upon. Steve is one half of the partnership behind www.urban-glow.com (which includes the vest that he's wearing in the photo), which I have to say I both like and use quite a lot, so do teenagers and my older clients alike, as pix in the gallery tend to confirm!  In fact he's got a new colour way of an existing product coming out in the not too distant future and if it's ready in time, Milly and I are hoping to be wearing them when we do our E2E in a few months down the line!

Emma and I first worked together the summer of 2006 in Bodmin - she was there to back me up and was a Swimming Coach cum Lifeguard at the time but enjoyed herself so much realising that there was so much more to cycling and how it can be a lot of fun, that she decided to do the next available course duly qualifying ... Her webby when she has set it up will be www.kernickcycletraining.co.uk and like Steve and myself, will travel out of her immediate area. Emma and I were the instructors that Andrew approached when he was looking to get a little more teaching practise in before doing his final assessment to gain his full accreditation, so we've all worked together more than once now.  More recently though, she had a skiing accident but is finally back in the saddle and following up a lead in the Liskeard area where she is working as a teaching assistant before heading to Uni next year to do her Teacher Training.

Andrew professionally, is a Maths Teacher as well as having qualified as an NSI himself .. a novel way to have extra maths tuition perhaps??  He and his wife (another Wendy) have a caravan down in Portscatho and we work together if I'm running a course when he comes down just as I go to Dartington to help him when he takes his class out on a field trip if I am available.  Andrew's webby when it is set up, (it's currently under construction) will be www.alwaysbecycling.org.uk which will be a cycling web blog. 

Ditto Martin but for different reasons., he's a National Standards Instructor, British Cycling Coach, Tutor and Assessor as well as being an X-Bike (Spinning) Instructor - is there no end to his talent one asks!?  His webby is www.southdevoncycletraining.co.uk and he and Andrew are planning on joining forces as they both have the same aspirations, wanting to achieve the same outcome in terms of cycle training, living just miles from each other in Torbay - so if one of them isn't available, hopefully the other one will be!

Through Roj you can avail yourself of their camp site (Elm Farm), alternatively the farmhouse bed and breakfast facility which Karen runs and they have bikes available for hire as well.  Roj is also a fully qualified SMBLA Mountain Bike Leader which is recognised by the British Cycling Federation as well as having recently trained as an NSI.  He is more than happy to take you out on the Coast to Coast trail, whether just as a ride leader or for a taster session or to hone up your skills, all of which is available through their webby.  Additionally if you want to do a basic maintenance course again Roj can help you out there too!!  Their website which will take you to both Elm Farm and their cycling website is via www.thebikebarn.org

Jodi Vickery has several cycling strings to her bow, she is an off road (British Cycling) competitor and British Cycling coach as well as being a British Cycling competitor and Masters champion.  She also has a cycling business with her partner offering a wide range of cycling services including Fit 2 Ride spinning classes, personal fitness and 1:1 training as well as constructing bespoke mountain bikes to order.  Jodie is also heavily involved with the "Don't Push IT" cycling club in Bude which also has a British Cycling 'Go-Ride' affiliated club.  Jodi's main website is http://www.dirtyjobikes.co.uk.  She was one of the first to train on a government bursary, subsidising the cost of training/qualifying as an NSI.

Euan was a journalist with BBC Radio Cornwall until recently when he hung up his microphone and started working with Dave Readman,  amongst other things encouraging people to get back onto their bikes which is something he does best. Being a seasoned cyclist himself he is in his element.  He did LeJoG [whereas we are doing the JoGLE] just over a year ago and then our fundraising ride to Trevose Head in October '06 too but this time with his partner and several others.  His current project now .. golooksee at www.pedalbacktheyears.info and he is one person that I do refer any novices to, that I have worked with to the point that it is a question of practice before going onto the next level if they wish to ride on road.

Although these are all are instructors etc. from the SW it isn't limited just to this area - we are all part of a bigger team and I also work with other instructors like Steve Rowsell who operates between Cornwall and Herts, John Brady, who was originally from Callington, Heather Pearce, Anne Banks, Liz Mincer, Liz Bowgett, Tom Crispin, Richard Cooper, Ian Davey, Ruth Ashford, Francesca Flaxton, and Jill Henderson amongst others., (Jill being the other independent instructor involved in the Bikeability accreditation pilot as against various organisations and councils), bouncing ideas off each other and sharing information between ourselves, supporting each other across the miles.

Trevor is someone I've not seen since the summer of 1971 our having both grown up in Dorchester.  He's our secret weapon and a father himself - we wouldn't have achieved as much as we have in such a short space of time, even less have our website up and running which again he masterminded ... and if I do something daft in IT terms, it'll almost certainly be Trevor who finds the solution and bails me out !!  Thanks heavens for the cyberspace era ... I'd be in serious trouble without it, that's for sure as it keeps the communication channels open!

Laura

Steve

Emma

Martin

 

Penny

Euan

Jackie

Joanne