Dear Matt,

I am a 12-year-old cyclist who is very keen on improving. At the moment, I can cycle up to 40 miles with my dad on roads, but I would also like to cycle with children my own age. Do you know any organisations that arrange cycling events and training for children?

Duncan Lawrence, via email

You're going well already, but it would definitely be fun for you to ride with people closer in age. You really need to find a cycling club in your area that has an active youth section with qualified coaches. The place to start is the British Cycling website www.(britishcycling.org.uk), which has a club finder so that you can locate a shortlist of contacts in your area. You might then need to make a call or two, or email, to find out more information and get an idea of which has most to offer to young people.

Riding on the road is fine, but if there is a velodrome near you or a club that does cyclocross, both are great environments for learning new skills and trying out competition. But your dad won't thank me for saying so: either would require a new bike.

· Send your cycling queries to bike.doctor@theguardian.com Matt Seaton's Two Wheels is published by Guardian Books at £8.99. Call 0870 836 0749 or visit www.guardianbooks.co.uk