Louise's Cycling Instructor Story
Bio About Who You Are and What You Do
My name is Louise Berendt and I work for KCC as a Cycling Instructor. I deliver Bikeability in schools and teach adults who have perhaps never ridden a bike or who would like confidence and the skills to cycle on the road.
Growing up near the boating pool in Ramsgate, I was lucky to be able to cycle in traffic-free spaces. From the age of around 11, I went through a horsey phase and would cycle to Broadstairs early on a Saturday morning to muck out at the stables in the hope of a free ride. I would also cycle to friends and school in my teens. I can’t remember my first bike or when I learnt to ride – no doubt it would have been a hand-me-down bike, being the youngest, and I would have just tried to copy my siblings. My mother never learnt to drive and I remember her getting a Raleigh Shopper for her 40th birthday so she could get to church and the hairdressers easily. She had grown up cycling to school and to work in Scotland. Cycling was just a way of getting around for my family.
What Inspired You to Become a Cycle Trainer?
When my children were at Primary school I helped organise a walking bus – this got me out of the habit of jumping in the car when running late, as we had to meet other children en route. Picking up the children I found the best way was to jump on my old bike and get right up to the playground, passing by the parked cars stretching in all directions around the school.
We holidayed several times with other families in the Netherlands, where we hired Dutch-style bikes and cycled along fabulous cycle paths, often battling against North Sea winds (known as the Dutch hills to cyclists). A good friend had started working as a KCC cycling instructor and suggested to me that I might like the job too. How right she was… I’ve been doing the job for over 10 years now and still love it!
The great things about the job are:
- It gets you outside whatever the weather
- It’s physically active
- The children are different every day – you have to learn names quickly
- The children love being out on their bikes – I’ve heard them say it’s the best day they’ve ever had in school
- Cycling instructors are a nice bunch of people to work alongside!
I have a psychology degree and whilst I may not be using it in the purest sense, I think you can tell a lot about someone’s personality by the way they ride a bike! Some children are anxious when they start, but you can see them growing in confidence as they progress through the course. Some children learn to be more considerate of others who are not so able or confident at cycling. Sometimes it’s the children who are most trouble in class who excel when out on their bike, answering questions thoughtfully and showing great awareness of their surroundings and skill with their bike.
What Courses Do You Teach and Where?
There are 3 levels of Bikeability:
Level 1 is a half-day based in the playground. Children learn how to check their bikes are roadworthy, develop sequencing skills of looking, signalling and moving, learn to ride slowly and with control, stop quickly and the importance of good observations and sharing space.
Level 2 is a full day on the road and the 4 key skills which are taught are – good observations, communication, positioning and priorities. I think it’s incredible that children at the age of 10 are being empowered through Bikeability to use “ Primary Position” (the centre of their lane) when approaching and going through junctions. Many of these children have not cycled on (or possibly not even crossed) the road before, yet by the end of their days of training they are cycling assertively and confidently with a good understanding of how to interact with other vehicles on the road.
Levels 1 and 2 are usually in the last year of primary school.
Level 3 is done over half a day in small groups at the secondary level, often in Year 7.
The object of Level 3 is to give children the confidence to cycle on more complex road systems, such as roundabouts, traffic lights, multi-lane roads and faster, busier roads.
Whilst the government have pledged that every child should have the opportunity to do Bikeability, unfortunately not all schools do. I also offer training privately with children and their families if they’ve not been able to do it through their school, to give them the confidence and skills to cycle on the roads.
What Type of Clientele Do You See Booking on to the Courses?
On Saturdays, I work for KCC as an adult cycle trainer running sessions for complete beginners who would like to learn to cycle, or are returning to cycling, and also sessions for people who would like the confidence to cycle on the road or perhaps would just like some cycling tips.
I have trained both men and women who have never ridden a bike. Maybe their parents couldn’t cycle or they didn’t see the need. Often it seems that boys in families would have learnt but girls were not encouraged. It may be that they need to build their confidence after a fall from a bike.
People don’t like to admit that they can’t ride a bike, and it can go with a sense of regret, fear or secrecy. I have recently had a client come for several sessions without telling her husband – she wanted to be able to surprise him when she felt really confident!
The catalyst for wanting to learn to ride is often when a child is learning to ride, or a partner likes to cycle, and the incentive is to be able to have family, weekend or holiday outings on bikes. With more people cycling to work, especially in London, and it seems particularly doctors cycling to hospitals, the idea has inspired some of my clients to want to also cycle to work.
I‘ve had men come to learn to ride so they can cycle with friends. And some have wanted a refresher course, just as you might do if you have not driven for a while.
I usually manage learners expectations by saying that it may take a few sessions to get cycling but it often happens in their first session… and the joy it gives is amazing. The shout of “I’m cycling” and the happiness to have achieved it as an adult, after so many years of thinking ‘I can’t ride a bike’, is so rewarding for the cyclist and for me.
The sessions I run for confidence on the road give me great hope that there will be more people choosing to cycle for those short local distances to work, the town, the hairdressers and especially to the gym and other sporting activities.
How Do You Think Cycling Training Courses Will Positively Impact People’s Lives?
Cycling training can positively impact people’s lives in so many ways:
- It is quicker than walking and often faster, or as quick as, driving and parking
- It saves money
- It is great exercise, built into daily life, as a warm-up for the gym or a wake-up for school
- It’s life-enhancing to be in the fresh air (albeit dressed for the weather!)
- It makes you feel alive mentally and physically
- It doesn’t pollute the atmosphere or cause damage to the roads.
It’s no surprise to me that Dutch children are some of the happiest in Europe when you see them out with their friends on their bikes, the cycle parking at schools full, even when it’s snowing.
I hope that Bikeability will inspire children and adults to love cycling for life with the freedom and benefits it brings to their mental and physical health.