Missed our latest Coaches Corner session? The full replay is now available to watch online. In this practical and informative session, we focused on one of the most important foundations of great cycling experiences — keeping bikes safe, smooth, and ready to ride. Whether you’re supporting a club session, maintaining your own bike, or helping young riders build independence, confidence in basic maintenance is essential.
We were joined by Chris Dower, a qualified bicycle mechanic and experienced educator based in Swansea, who runs a recognised Cytech Qualification Centre. Chris shared expert insight into essential tools, simple techniques, and accessible ways to develop maintenance skills within clubs and at home.
In this session, we explored:
Essential tools for basic bicycle maintenance
Simple techniques to keep bikes safe and running smoothly
Cleaning equipment and best practice for bike care
Key safety checks you can carry out at home or at the club
Pathways into further training and Cytech qualifications
Common maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them
The session combined practical guidance with real-world advice, followed by a live Q&A where attendees could ask questions relevant to their own cycling environments.
About the Speaker:
Chris Dower is a qualified bicycle mechanic and educator who runs a Cytech Qualification Centre in Swansea. With extensive experience delivering bicycle maintenance training, Chris supports individuals and organisations in developing practical skills and progressing through recognised training pathways. His hands-on approach and depth of knowledge make complex maintenance topics clear and accessible.
This Coaches Corner offered practical learning, open discussion, and valuable insight for coaches, volunteers, parents, and riders looking to build confidence in bicycle maintenance and explore further development opportunities.
Next Up: Being Neuro Diverse in the Cycling Space – Coaches Corner Q&A
23 March | 7pm
Are you interested in understanding how neurodiversity shapes experiences within the cycling community? This interactive Beicio Cymru Coaches Corner session will explore the positives, the challenges, and the unique perspectives that come with being neurodiverse in the cycling space — including the realities of being AuADHD.
Topics will cover:
The strengths and advantages neurodivergent riders can bring to cycling
The challenges often experienced in training, competition, and club environments
The difference between belonging and fitting in
The paradoxes of being AuADHD in sport
How cycling can become a powerful support mechanism
Join us for a live webinar with Scott Cornish from Perform Unbound — a platform dedicated to celebrating the intersection between neurodiversity, disability, personal challenge, and adventure sport. Through education, coaching, and storytelling, Perform Unbound empowers individuals to discover what they are truly capable of — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Scott, who was diagnosed as AuADHD later in life, will share personal insight into how cycling — from adventure riding to MTB racing — became a vital support in navigating life as AuADHD. The session will include an open and honest presentation followed by a live Q&A, offering space for reflection, learning, and discussion.
Whether you’re a coach, parent, volunteer, or rider, this session is designed to build understanding, spark conversation, and help create more inclusive and supportive cycling environments.