Becoming an instructor

Nice to get some comments. Though perhaps I should have made clearer the fact I have no intention of doing it for a living. I'd just kind of like to be qualified to do it. I qualified as a bike mechanic for the hell of it (a few years ago, C&G 3890) and am thinking about doing something else as a challenge.

Venom - Your post is particularly interesting and informative. It also bring to my attention one very important point I hadn't really considered. People in your care hurting themselves. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with that yet. I'm approaching 30 and am (perhaps obviously) a lot more mature than at any point in the past. I don't think I'd be ready to cope with that. Whilst one reason for wanting to train people would be to try and prepare them as best I could, accidents - by their very nature, happen and bikes are particularly dangerous. I guess the problem with teaching (which I'd thought about doing casually to recoup some of the money) is that you don't get to choose your customers.

So dismissing the 'work for someone and learn on the job route' I'd be left with the do a course root (which was what I'd expected). I'm still interested at this point (possibly not when I find out how much the Cardington assesment costs?) but I'm going to look at other ideas of things to do that I've had.

Thanks all.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by 2mths

Nice to get some comments. Though perhaps I should have made clearer the fact I have no intention of doing it for a living. I'd just kind of like to be qualified to do it.
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This is something my place weren't keen on...people wanting to do it for the sake of it. They were quick to point out that its a career and not something you do in your spare time on a Saturday morning when it suits you. Thats not meant to sound funny BTW. You have to understand that these guys do it seven days a week in all weathers, and for them someone wanting to do it as a spare time thing, or for the hell of having an instructor tag, kind of makes em feel a bit crap, and 'spare time thing' being a waste of time.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by 2mths

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(possibly not when I find out how much the Cardington assesment costs?) but I'm going to look at other ideas of things to do that I've had.

Thanks all.

My place were happy to cover the costs of the Cardington fees, as I was looking at it from a career change. It is pretty expensive from what I can remember. The guys who I were talking to had come from management careers and decided to do something completely different, they took wage cuts to work as an instructor, but they seem to love every minute of it.

Well I'd be doing it for me, so whilst it's interesting to know how other people feel about it I don't think I can let that influence my decision. If you stopped yourself from doing things other people objected to most of us wouldn't ride bikes.

As to whether it's something you can do in your spare time - again I can't (at this stage based on my very limited knowledge) see why not. Doing something full time doesn't necessarily make you any good at it and being part time or amateur doesn't necessarily mean you're poorly skilled. But I take your point that it's frowned upon by the full time instructor community and that kind of insight is useful and interesting.

I don't understand why\how it makes them feel bad and I don't understand the "waste of time" comment at all?

Yes I suppose I'd be looking to do it to collect a tag - though that's all my bike license was for me at first. That grew into one, then two, then three bikes in the garage, the mechanic course and now to contemplating this.

I'm NOT looking to do it to wave in peoples faces. But whilst I won't encourage anyone to take up riding a bike (it's too dangerous) if they make that decision themselves then I want to help them and will go out of my way to do so. I look at this as a sort of extension to that idea as at the moment I can give them some advice and a bike to ride but I'd kind of like to be able to go a step further.

Not that it perhaps matters but I was also only looking to take things as far as being able to teach CBT. Having looked it up I think that actually the same assessment means you can do CBT and 125 training. Again in terms of casual\part time work I was only thinking about the CBT part.

In terms of not needing to be a good rider - thank goodness. Seriously I can't see why you'd need to be. You need to know what makes a good rider, be able to spot it and communicate it and guide people towards it but in sport it's seldom the best players that make the best trainers or coaches.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by 2mths

But I take your point that it's frowned upon by the full time instructor community and that kind of insight is useful and interesting.

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Thats only from one schools perspective. They only speak for themselves. I can't say what anther school would think. Its best you get out there and see for yourself, another schools thoughts could be entirely different. These guys do it, because they love biking, and train from the fun side, rather than putting people off with boredom

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by 2mths

In terms of not needing to be a good rider - thank goodness. Seriously I can't see why you'd need to be. You need to know what makes a good rider, be able to spot it and communicate it and guide people towards it but in sport it's seldom the best players that make the best trainers or coaches.

Exactly. I said to them at the time, I'm really crap at u turns, I wouldn't be a good teacher for that..they said, you passed your test, and have the basic skills and knowledge to have done that. Its not you thats on show here, its the people who learn from you. If you can pass on what you know and people learn properly then its fine...besides it doesn't take one long to go out and practise them once in a while, if your that interested, you will conquer them....maybe not on the SV eh

[yorkie_chris]

How long do you need to have held a license for?

[dizzyblonde]

I think its three years(full license at that IIRC could be wrong)... seem to remember that was why I went to find out, as I'd been riding that long.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

How long do you need to have held a license for?

Full bike license for a minimum of 3 years. Then you can take learners out on their CBT.