Dilys Gartside
Cycling Instructor
You can cycle too!
Most folk can learn to cycle if they can balance well enough to walk. If you don’t use it though you can lose the confidence to cycle even if you once could. Don’t despair – have a look at our award winning video ‘Back to Biking’ which followed a group of determined 70somethings rediscovering the joy of cycling. Some folk can cycle who find walking difficult.
About Cycle Wise
Do you wish you could cycle your journey but aren’t confident to do so or perhaps, like me, you never had a bike as a child and think it’s now too late?
Do you queue to drive just five miles then see a passing cyclist getting there quicker? Perhaps you would like to cycle the school run but you’re not sure of your ability to keep everyone safe?
National Standard bicycle training, now known as ‘Bikeability’, was introduced by the Government to raise to a high uniform standard the teaching of cycling skills for everyone – it replaced the old cycling proficiency scheme for children as outdated and inadequate for today’s roads
We offer personalised road-bike skills cycling tuition for all ages and abilities to National Standard in and around Dorset and the city of Southampton.
Your Instructor’s Qualifications
Dilys Gartside
National Standard Qualified Cycling Instructor – 16 years and counting!
DBS Enhanced Approved (previously CRB check)
Insured CyclingUK Cycle Activity Provider
First Aid Qualified – Emergency at Work
Full, Clean Driving Licence
Active with cycling campaigners and authorities to promote safer road cycling both locally and nationally
British Cycling Qualified Ride Leader and Route Planner
What Others Say ?
Most frequent questions and answers
Just normal comfortable clothes which will move with you as you ride. Shoes should be secure, wear several thin layers to regulate body temperature and a waterproof top and remember gloves in winter
You are not required by law to wear one in the UK but beware you do elsewhere. If you wear one, it should be comfortable and fit well. I require trainees under 18 to wear a helmet and recommend adult trainees to do so while they are learning
No-one would argue that pedestrians should pay this and cycle tyres cause no more damage to our roads than a pair of shoes. Heavy Vehicle Excise Duty is the correct name for Road Tax and is levied on heavy motor vehicles to help pay the costs of maintaining our roads in good condition
The driving test was introduced to address the increasing slaughter of people on our roads caused by incompetent drivers. In 2008, 2538 people were killed by motor vehicles in UK and another 229,000 people were seriously injured by them. In comparison, less than 5 are killed each year due to a collision with the bicycle. So what would licensing cyclists achieve except probably stopping children from experiencing independent travel and learning road sense?
Compulsory car driver insurance was introduced because of the human carnage caused by motor vehicles on our roads. A cyclist causing a collison can be sued for any damage caused by him in the same way as any other person and many regular cyclists choose to insure not only their bikes but also the rare risk of being sued by another road user
‘Bikeability’ road skills training is available to school children and funded through the local authority but it is does cover learning to cycle. Adult cycle training is available free of charge or heavily subsidised in many areas. Ideally people of all ages should receive professional cycle skills training since even those who think they can ‘ride a bike’ often don’t have the skills needed to cycle with traffic and are amazed at how much they didn’t know prior to training!
National Standards Cycle Training
The “National Standard for Cycle Training”, also called ‘Bikeability’, was first introduced in 2004 to raise the standard of teaching cycling skills in the same way as driving skills. It replaced the old cycling proficiency and is regularly updated to ensure best practice.
I have been a qualified cycling instructor for over 16 years (and an avid cyclist for 20 more!).
All my training aligns with National Standard Levels 1,2,3 but is tailored to your needs and ability.