It’s a common enough observation that there are a lot of very bad cyclists around, but are you sure you’re really that good yourself? I don’t think I’ve met an accredited cycling instructor who hasn’t changed their riding style as a result of training to National Standards, and despite having been an assertive and competent cyclist before doing my own training, I count myself amongst those who have dramatically improved their cycling after some formal lessons.

For a lot of instructors like me, working with children is the greatest pleasure of the job. The kids are usually 9-10 year olds, and over four two-hour sessions, we get to know them fairly well. At that age, they often have a brilliant sense of humour, and give us lots of laughs. They really value the sense of freedom they get from cycling and they get a kick from doing new things like riding along a busy road or climbing a steep hill, not to mention knowing they’re missing something boring back in the classroom. And for us too, nothing beats the buzz of seeing a 10-year-old taking charge of the road, confident enough to ride a door’s width from parked cars and calmly allowing a driver to wait behind them. When you see a child cycling like that, you know you’ve done a good job.

But cycle training is not just for children, and more and more, we do one-to-one training with adults of all levels, not least because a number of London boroughs now offer free lessons. I’ve been quite amazed by the number of adults, mainly women, who have never learnt to ride a bike, but I’m also always really impressed by their courage when they decide to have a go. Teaching adults to ride from scratch has shown me the value of confidence for cycling at all levels: for a beginner it really is everything, as the magical moment someone starts cycling unaided is simply the moment they feel confident enough to relax and trust their natural ability to balance.

Plenty of experienced cyclists come our way too, and one of the lessons I’m most proud of was with a commuter who struggled with roundabouts. I planned a route that took in a mini roundabout followed by a few bigger and tougher examples culminating in a gyratory system, and because I’d had to prepare by analysing endless roundabouts, and by picking apart the way that cyclists should deal with them, I have no doubt we both learnt equally from the experience.

Sometimes a big expedition or a cycling holiday prompts people to take a lesson, but disappointingly club cyclists have so far eluded me. I’m desperate to get my hands on a few of them, but I’d probably better not say that too loudly round here …

To find out more about Bikeability and National Standards for Cycle Training, visit www.bikeability.org.uk, where you’ll also find a list of training providers in your area.

Cycling Instructor Ltd (www.cyclinginstructor.com) currently delivers staff cycle training for Transport for London, and school and adult training in the following boroughs: Camden, Croydon, Hammersmith & Fulham, Lewisham, Southwark.

If you live or work in Croydon and would like a free cycling lesson with the author, visit cyclinginstructor.com or phone 0845 652 0421 and ask for Florence.