At First Step Cycle, we have developed a wealth of experience teaching Bikeability to children. Now we are offering a new course called Learn to Ride aimed at preparing Years 3 and 4 to take their Bikeability training in Years 5 and 6.
Our new service is aimed at coaching preliminary balance and coordination skills giving them a taste of what they’ll learning be learning in the future. Starting early means we build that muscle memory that helps reduce accidents and increases their confidence with riding.
The course looks at the physicality of riding a bike, simple maintenance, and environmental awareness. Looking at cycle training in this holistic way, helps children learn a sense of independence before training that would lead them on basic routes to and from school. They build basic balance and coordination, strengthening their lower limbs and exercising their core muscles.
The best route to success is to see bike riding to relate to their environment in a new way. Reducing their reliance for example on putting their feet on the floor to brake so we aim to train wobble-free cruising, slowing down, braking, and stopping using their brakes instead of their feet.
Cycle training can be a great way to learn some transferable concepts too. Independence in a structured environment is key to coaching bike riding and at a younger age. A difficult skill to teach without physical examples, so learning to navigate around physical objects, or position themselves in a way that they can balance on a bike, can be an essential step to teaching lifelong independence.
With our simple maintenance tasks, pupils begin to feel ownership over their bikes and independence when they’re on their bikes. On finishing their 6-week course with us, they will be able to perform simple ABC checks, checking the air in their tyres; brake tension; and their chains.
The course covers a 2-hour session per week. The sessions are split between a maximum of 8 pupils per hour-long session. We’ve also mapped out all their targets and milestones, so you’ll be able to follow their process as they progress through the course.
Once they’ve learned these skills and most importantly become comfortable with them, they’ll be nothing stopping them from progressing on to completing their Bikeability training in Years 5 and 6!
To find out more about our Learn to Ride course, contact our team here.
