(AD Disclaimer) Berkshire Mummies was kindly gifted ‘Learn to Ride a Bike’ 1:1 classes in exchange for an honest review in this blog post ‘AD Review // Learning to ride a bike with Venture Cycling’ . View are those of Berkshire Mummies.
My eldest was very kindly given the opportunity to learn to ride a bike with Kelly Koya an award winning cycling instructor who has helped hundreds of children take to two wheels with confidence and control. Upon booking Kelly suggested we booked two sessions, typically Kelly advises most children learn in just one or two lessons. We had the second session booked as a reserve, refresher and confidence building session. I have to say I was not convinced my child would be cycling confidently after one session, not because I didn’t have faith in my child’s ability, but more because I had tried on a number of occasions to help teach my eldest to cycle without much success (it was definitely down to my poor teaching rather than my child’s ability!)
What happened in the cycling sessions?
After the initial introductions Kelly quickly got my child onto the bike, at first with no pedals. On the first session we used one of Kelly’s bikes (you can hire bikes from her or take your own) and you are asked to take your own cycle helmet.
Kelly uses the approach ‘Balance, Glide, Ride’ so a completely hands-off teaching method with no stabilisers required! First off my eldest had to sit on the bike and walk around gaining confidence with balancing, then it progressed to gliding. Kelly had lots of games and challenges which made the lessons fun and engaging. The progress also seemed to happen very quickly.
Once gliding had been mastered, one pedal was added to the bike. This allowed starting the bike to be practised and mastered. Then both pedals were added and Kelly within 45 minutes had my child cycling! It was amazing to see and such a magic moment as a childhood milestone had been achieved! There was plenty of opportunity to take a video or photo of the occasion too.
We could have stopped after one lesson and just continued practising cycling at home, now the skill had been learnt and just needed perfecting. However, we returned the following week for another 45 minute session. This time we took our own bike and really started to perfect bike riding with confidence. It was wonderful to see a big smile on my child’s face whilst whizzing around a car park with a love for a new skill. We have now gone away to keep on practising and plan to have many cycling adventures in the future – a huge Thank You Kelly!
Whilst we were at the bike riding lessons, Kelly was fantastic at re-adjusting the bike helmet so it fitted really well. Kelly also did a mini ‘MOT’ on our bike, adjusted the seat and gave the bike a quick check over for us. I found this element of the class really helpful and re-assuring.
How much are the ‘Learn to Ride’ a Bike Sessions?
1:1 lessons are £25 per session, each session is 45 minutes long.
1:2 lessons are £35 per session, each session is 60 minutes long (siblings only).
The lessons are open to children age 6+ years.
Kelly allows a 72 hours notice to cancel or change bookings, otherwise these may be chargeable.
Click here for more details.
Where are the sessions held?
The sessions are held at weekends at Crown Wood Primary School, Bracknell.
How do I book?
To book you can either contact Kelly here or send her a message via her Facebook page.
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