LEE RIDEFAR

Lee learned to ride in 2005 on a 1989 Honda CB1 400cc. By next year he was getting into long distance touring rides. Then to satisfy the ‘need for speed’ he spent a lot of times a the race track. Touring and Track days is where Lee rides his motorcycles. Along the way he has taken several advanced rider training courses in Canada and USA. Ridden all over western USA, Baja Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam and Australia. He started 1st Gear Motorcycle Training in 2014 and has written three books on motorcycling. Two for adults and one for kids. For the past 10 years Lee has been teaching and training new riders. Showing students of all ages the immensely enjoyable experience of riding motorcycles while keeping the risk at an acceptable amount. The risk is never zero when riding a motorcycle, but Lee will get you as close as possible to it.

MELANIE

Mel’s love for motorcycles comes naturally from her Dad who had her as a passenger before she was even born.  In 1997 she decided that being a rider and having a bike of her own would be considerably more fun.  She was right! Since then she’s owned a few different makes and models, the latest being a Suzuki GSX-R 750. Mel firmly believes “Choosing a ride is a very personal thing…like choosing a wine.  It’s not about what someone else enjoys, it’s what feels (tastes) good to you.” Mel is nurturing and patient with her students and enjoys adding humor into the mix every chance she gets.  During the week she runs a dental office and when she’s not with us at 1st Gear, she enjoys spending time with friends/family.  Some of her interests: Yoga, red wine, sunshine, dogs, clean sheets, cake batter flavored ice cream and laughing till it hurts.

ADAM

It was at first sight when Adam received his first motorcycle at the impressionable age of six and his love for motorcycles has never diminished. Over the years he has owned and built a large variety of motorcycles and is very passionate about mechanical improvements and trying to make each bike work as well as it can. Similarly he is a firm believer that riders should constantly strive to improve their riding skills through continued training and practice. Adam also teaches advanced rider training at Roadcraft Motorcycle Academy and feels the knowledge he brings from the more experienced riders is of great benefit to the new riders that cross our path here at 1st Gear. “Building skill and confidence in new riders is extremely important and I feel honored to be a part of that process. Riding should be fun and also as safe as possible.”

PATRICK

Patrick was born in to motorcycling. All his uncles rode and put him on the tank of a motorcycle for a ride when he was 3. He rode his first motorcycle by himself the summer he turned 5 and has never been without a motorcycle since. Patrick decided to become an Instructor the end of 2015 to instill his decades of riding knowledge on others. Patrick raced motocross in the interior of BC until he was old enough to get his road license then it was on to road racing motorcycles for a decade. Even though he stopped racing, he never stopped riding, logging in hundreds of thousands of kilometers on several different GSXR’s, the bike of his choice until 2008. After that it was on to the Italian’s and other European motorcycles. His current 2008 Ducati 848 has just over 100,000kms on it and still running strong. He divides his riding time between that 848, a 2015 triumph Daytona 675 and a newly purchased Aprilia RSV4 Factory. Patrick really enjoys talking/typing in the third person…..just don’t tell his therapist!!Patrick was born in to motorcycling. All his uncles rode and put him on the tank of a motorcycle for a ride when he was 3. He rode his first motorcycle by himself the summer he turned 5 and has never been without a motorcycle since. Patrick decided to become an Instructor the end of 2015 to instill his decades of riding knowledge on others.

TED

Started riding in 1969 on a Honda Z50, car license in 1977, in 1980 bought my first bike a Kawasaki Z900. In 1983 I had my class 6 and bought a brand new 1983 Yamaha RD350 to celebrate. Next bike was a new 1985 Honda Interceptor, traded that in on a new 1986 Suzuki RG500r which then became my first racebike. Joined WMRC 1986. Spent 1986/87 racing at Westwood and Portland, then drag raced cars off and on until 2000, bought a 1999 Honda CBR600F and returned to WMRC at the opening of Mission Raceway Park, then spent seven more years racing off and on, riding Yamaha R6’s, Honda CBR600F2, Honda RC51’s then went into the announcers booth. Been lucky enough to have been part of WMRC’s riders to have been invited to the opening in 2016 of the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit where I did the announcing, also for the grand opening of Area27 in 2017 when I rode a 2017 Aprilia RSV4 Factory with the WMRC boys. I bought my dream bike, a yellow 2002 Ducati 998 in 2017, became an ICBC certified instructor 2018, did the Rich Oliver Mystery School 2018 as well as Brian Bartlow’s Feel like a Pro flat track school in 2018, I’ve always owned dirtbikes, love single tracking and fire road riding, have a 2017 Husqvarna FX350, ride a Kayo 125 Mini GP bike, volunteer with the SCCA as a novice driver instructor ( stupid covid stopped that last year….), operated heavy equipment such as excavators, triple track bulldozers, dump trucks, rollers, have held a class 1 with air driver since 1988, so I’ve done miles and miles on two wheels as well as four wheels and up to 18 wheels, on road and off road, from small to huge vehicles so I’ve seen and learned a lot since getting my class 5 in 1977. I’d like to think I bring a comedic ferocity unlike anyone else to teaching to help/encourage/cheerlead new riders to be better than what they ever thought they’d be, and in turn be much safer and wiser than I was when I started riding. I truly wish I’d become a motorcycle instructor 30 years ago. Nothing better than watching a student who has never rode once in their life becoming a confident, competent rider within a week, and the smiles each student I have ever worked with will stay with me the rest of my days.

NOAH

Noah has had a love of anything on 2 wheels which started with his first dirt bike at the age of eleven. Since then, he’s owned and ridden all types of motorcycles. In grade 12, Noah took the BC Safety Council’s beginner and advanced courses to obtain his class 6, and coming around full circle, he became an instructor in 2004 with the BC Safety Council having gone through their instructor’s program, and taught with the BCSC for 10 years. Noah has taught thousands of students and is constantly wanting to further his self-development himself, having taken racing school classes, dirt bike classes, as well as completing BMW Motorrad’s international instructor’s off-road adventure training in Germany in 2019. Noah is also an lCBC licensed motorcycle assessment officer and a former ICBC driver examiner.

KIEFER

Bio coming soon

MAT

Mat learned to ride at 1st Gear in 2018. As soon as he met the minimum time to become an instructor he became one. Motorcycling took over Mats life and he loves it. He enjoys taking long day rides on his Ducati Streetfighter and track days on his Ninja 650. He calm demeanor makes him an excellent instructor.

TODD

Todd grew up around cars his whole life, but always had an interest for speed and adrenaline. So naturally, motorcycles came into his life. In 2013, After learning to ride from a local school, he immediately purchased an older 1990 ZZR 600. And after about a year of shenanigans on the Kawasaki, it was time to move on. After the Kawi, Todd then moved on to team Honda. He picked up a 2007 CBR600RR and never looked back. This bike suited Todd perfectly, so he rode it for a couple of years before he sold it. However, he loved the bike so much he ended up buying another 2007 CBR600RR in the exact same color scheme. Riding sport bikes daily for long trips can definitely take a toll on your body, so once Todd realized he wasn’t 20 years old anymore, he ended up selling the CBR to find a more ergonomically friendly bike. Once Todd grew older, his ways changed and speed wasn’t the only factor keeping him in the game. He became a motorcycle instructor in 2021. The Yamaha FZ07/MT07 was the perfect bike for him. He is currently still riding this bike, and said he hasn’t had this much fun on a bike in a long time.

BRIAN

Bio coming soon

ADRIAN

Bio coming soon

EDWYN

I’ve been a business manager and leader my whole life. I started leadership at a young age when I worked at a daycare while in middle school for elementary school kids. I then spent 28 years in the hospitality industry before starting Ultra Team Development. In an operations role, I helped grow businesses and their teams. Now as an executive coach, I develop C-Suite leaders so they can achieve their goals while generating higher revenue & profits in line with a team structure that supports their vision. I’m a lifetime martial artist and an ultra marathoner. I also ride motorcycles on the racetrack whenever possible. My wife and I met in high school and we’ve been blessed with two boys who are empathetic, caring and artistic. Our eldest is in health care for therapeutic massage, and our youngest is a music producer.  I decided to become a motorcycle instructor 4 years ago and it has been a great addition to life of riding!