Tim,
You will do fine. One thing I'd consider is learning some Spanish. Can't count the number of Brits and Aussies I've bailed out of dicey situations due to them not having any Spanish. My Spanish sucks ... but I can talk to Police and Border people well enough to survive. (not much else  )
If you're riding and learning to ride in the UK now, you'll do fine. S. America is not as dangerous (IMHO) as Asia. It's crazy ... but not insane like India or parts of Asia. You'll get the hang of it: BIG buses and trucks rule.
If you can, get a bike big enough to get round the moving Chickens safely and quickly. (moving Chicane!  ) Lots of travelers bikes come up for sale in Colombia. Make a deal and buy it. Read all the ins and outs on this here on
HUBB.
Cities and suburbs are a bit crazy but once truly in the country ... quite nice and mellow. Not much traffic way out there on little roads in the Andes. Learn from how locals drive, but have your defensive driving skills well honed ... and learn to run into the ditch and survive.
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