Smile Cycling

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Smile Cycling

Confidence-boosting cycling tuition for all ages, fear levels (!) and cycling abilities.

Workplace sessions for colleagues, 1:1 lessons, group sessions & events — helping more people to ride happy in Cumbria! 🚲 🌿

10/09/2026

Aaah it definitely feels like summer's behind us now... what a fun summer at Smile Cycling though!

A few highlights:
💚brand-new pedallers aged from 8 to 58,
💚"lapsed" cyclists finding confidence on their new e-bikes,
💚refresher sessions on gears (gateway to the right pedalling tempo for you),
💚problem-solving a "very dynamic" (=FAST) A-road junction, to practice the safest way of negotiating it,
💚lots of sessions with more gestures than words, for non-English speakers learning to cycle for the first time!

Can't wait for the upcoming autumn lessons. I might start providing waterproofs 😍☔

If you'd like to become calm and confident on your bike, drop me a line 🚲👍

27/06/2026

Hurrah, the weather's looking glorious (and less hot!) for our "Little Riders" Family-Friendly bike ride this Wednesday 1st July!

If you've not cycled on roads with the kids for a while (or ever?) why not come along?! The pace will be gentle, the feel relaxed, and you can iron out any uncertainties about riding with your kids, and help them learn as preparation for their own cycling. For instance:
✅ where should you position yourself on the road?
✅ how can you tell when it's safe to move out?
✅ how do you communicate clearly with other road users?
✅ is it best to ride at the front or the back?

Come and join us for a relaxed, FREE cycle ride 💚🚲 Meet at 10am in Staveley Mill Yard, and we'll head to Kentmere (or as far up that road as you feel like going before turning round!). Please use the Trybooking link to sign up, so we know who's coming 🤩💚

https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/116105

Feel free to visit the Smile Cycling website for more info about my cycling tuition (1-2-1 or in groups). OOH and I'll be publishing some *cycling skills workshop* dates very soon!

03/06/2026

Happy World Bicycle Day, everyone!

How privileged I feel to have delivered FOUR 1-2-1 cycling lessons today to four amazing, brave, determined ladies, all learning to ride a bike in adulthood 😍🌟💚

It's been over two centuries since bicycles first came along, and they still bring joy to so many of us.

They still offer every rider freedom, independence, precious time outside and a super-cheap way of getting around!

All the while, helping us to escape (however briefly!) from the busy-ness of modern western life. All hail the humble bike... Vive le vélo!

24/05/2026

Excited to be planning cycling sessions for THREE new learners starting on Tuesday!

- A lady from Afghanistan, getting on a bike for the very first time.
- A 12-year-old Kendal lad wanting to get to grips with urban roads so he can ride around with his buddies.
- Another beginner lady wishing to cycle regularly from her rural home to the shops in her (busy) nearby town.

I can't wait to meet you all and start helping you achieve your goals!

People start cycling at a whole range of ages, and many return to it after a long gap, especially now there are all these brilliant e-bikes 😊 Regardless of age, anyone can feel nervous about cycling.

If you're a cycling beginner or new returner, we start with the very basics, helping you relax bit by bit in the knowledge that you're safe and in control. With each small progression of activity, you gain some confidence and lose some tension. And when you finish the session with a smile and a whoop, before going off to do some solo practice laps of the park, I'll be jumping for joy – your joy! 😄

So if YOU think cycling may yet be doable and within your grasp… you’re right. And if you're nervous but you show up - the hardest part! - for lesson 1, you’re already on your way.

If you'd like a chat about where you're at with cycling, do visit my website or drop me a line 🚲💚😀

13/05/2026

Congratulations to everyone who competed in the awesome Fred Whitton challenge on Sunday! Hopefully your leg muscles have more or less recovered from the distance and the multiple gruelling climbs up some of the steepest mountain roads in the country. WHAT an achievement – bravo, all you super cyclists!

From personal experience, I know you don't HAVE to be an elite cyclist to make it round "The Fred". (Although to cover the 112 miles in 6-8 hours, you definitely do!). I participated not so long ago… riding my "sturdy", trusted 12-year-old commuter bike with flat handlebar and toe clips.

I accessorized my far-from-pro vehicle with:
❌ the "wrong" socks (teeny ankle socks for running),
❌ the wrong shoes (flexy running shoes, not stiff cycling shoes designed to help on ascents),
❌ a weighty pack on my back (lots of food, water and spares!),
❌ an ancient fluo pink gilet, and
❌ bunches in my hair, cause I felt like it!

I'd done some decent mileage before the big day, so I wasn't totally unprepared, but still well aware I was participating as a bit of an amateur, a "have-a-go hero"!

It was a long, tough outing, and is still the furthest I've ever cycled. But you know what? Despite being slow and taking ages to get round, I had SUCH a brilliant day! Made the most of the feed stations. Really appreciated my three front chainrings. Stepped off the road for a few minutes every hour, to eat, drink and wave at the "proper cyclists" whizzing past. Joined in the rave at the top of Fang Brow 😄 Cycled all the way up ALL the climbs (except the most bonkers bit of Hardknott). Stayed safe and comfortable, well fuelled and well hydrated.

I have nothing but fabulous memories of that day, not least the encouraging comments from fellow riders who noticed my unusual setup!

My point is, you don't have to have an expensive bike and perfect apparel to get out and enjoy cycling. As long as the bike and clothing you have are safe and comfortable for you, there's so much joy to be had from just getting out there and enjoying your pedal-powered pace! Who cares what other folk think… after a bike ride of any distance, YOU are the one who will return home flushed, happy, a bit fitter and stronger, and with a sense of achievement!

If you need a bit of coaching and reassurance to bring this feeling within reach for you, let's talk.

Smile Cycling is here to help 😊

03/05/2026

It's been a gorgeous sunny week for cycling and cycle teaching! The weather next week looks lovely too, and I have just TWO teaching slots left: Thursday 7th at 10am, and Saturday 9th at 4pm. If you want to grab one of those two and enjoy a cycling session that'll leave you grinning, message me! 😄🚲💚

24/04/2026

Ohhh I keep speaking to people who say they'd love to go cycling but they feel they "can't because of the traffic" 🚓🚕🚚🚗... I just want to shout that you CAN! You totally can.

The skills you need to stay SAFE, calm and happy on a bike can be learned really quickly - just FOUR sessions is usually enough. As someone who cycles rather than driving whenever possible, I can show you how to cycle superbly, and work with the folk around you (yep, including the ones in cars) without fear, aggro or hassle!

Proper segregated cycling instrastructure in Cumbria is years away, but the reasons to cycle (health, fitness, JOY, repairing disconnect with nature, positive climate contribution) are all urgent NOW! If you would LOVE to cycle, let yourself cycle 💚🌺🚲 Smile Cycling is here to help make that happen for you 😄

10/04/2026

Excited to be meeting two brand new beginner cyclists this afternoon! (P.S. if you come along for lessons in pairs, you each pay half the usual price per hour!).

Also THANK you to my lovely previous learners who have provided testimonials... finally got them on my website landing page 🚲🥳
Happy Friday everyone! x

02/04/2026

Ready when you are...

Kendal-based Smile Cycling provides tuition on safe cycling in and around the South Lakes, specialising in working with nervous riders.

If you’ve been thinking about it for a while… this might be your sign 🚲💚😃👍🌺

19/03/2026

Smile Cycling supports the Clean Miles campaign by Protect Our Winters, which tackles one of the UK’s biggest sources of emissions: transport.

They're seeking the views of outdoor enthusiasts, especially folk who sometimes travel with bulky kit (e.g. climbers, skiers, cyclists!) to understand the real-world barriers and opportunities we face in getting outside to access special, natural places - both nearby and further afield. Travelling with kit (e.g. bikes) can be something of an ordeal to arrange, and then achieve!

Protect Our Winters have launched a survey to gather people's insights, and the clock is ticking on the petition. Please consider signing and sharing, to turn the petition into real pressure for change. Your voice reaches people who care deeply about the outdoors, and that influence matters.

Every response will help build stronger, more inclusive messaging and resources. By sharing the petition, you’ll bring in the voices of your network, which are key to shaping the campaign’s priorities and calls to action.

Your voice matters! Add your signature to POW UK’s petition and help shape their campaign to protect the things you love: https://form.typeform.com/to/MNg3cvXd

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Kendal

Website

http://www.smile-cycling.co.uk/

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