Bikeability is a national cycle training scheme. It’s like cycling proficiency, but better. It’s about gaining practical skills and understanding how to cycle on today’s roads.

Bikeability Learn to Ride is for those children who are unable to ride independently.

During this one hour course your child will receive an introduction to riding a bike with pedals, which will include:

• getting on and off the cycle holding their brakes
• how to set their pedal correctly with their preferred starting foot
• how to start by pushing down on their pedal hard enough to gain momentum, place their other foot on the other pedal and keep pedalling
• travelling in a straight line
• stopping by using both brakes then putting a foot down
• maintaining balance by turning their handlebar in the direction of intended movement
• changing direction turning left and right in gentle arcs with tighter turns as they gain control

As this is just an introduction you will need to continue practicing with your child after the course. Your instructor will be able to advise what your child needs to practice and when they will be ready for our Playground Bike Skills (Level 1) course.

Booking

We offer our free Bikeability courses to all of our BCP Council primary and secondary schools, to year 4 and above. Our aim is for every child in primary school to have achieved their Bikeability Level 2 (Residential Road Cycle Training) before they leave for secondary school. If your child is in year 6 and has not yet had Bikeability offered to them in their school, please email us at bikeability@bcpcouncil.gov.uk so we can contact the school to book their course in. The school will also be offered the relevant Bikeability Learn to Ride, Level 1 and Level 3 training as appropriate for their school and students.

We may offer some very limited holiday courses later in the year but currently we’re not running any until all our schools have made their bookings for the current academic year. It is far more beneficial for your child to complete their Bikeability course within their school day, when they’re in a learning mindset, in their local residential area, so the roads they’re learning their cycle skills on are relevant to their home to school journey and it also removes the risk of non-attendees on courses, which costs us a lot of our Bikeability funding every year.

We also offer all primary and junior schools the opportunity of running free Learn to Ride and Level 1 only courses when they book our Level 2 Residential Road Cycling Training, so we can ensure that pupils are ready to take their Level 2. Please therefore ask at your child’s school if they are holding any Bikeability courses.

Instructors

Our instructors are all fully qualified to the National Standard, DBS checked and trained in first aid. They also receive regular safeguarding training.

Contact us

If you have a query regarding our courses, please call the Bikeability Team on 01202 127 867/ 01202 123 982 or email the Bikeability team at bikeability@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

There may be a delay in the response as we are a very small busy team and we are often out at events or meetings.

Sometimes emails may get caught in the junk or spam folder, so please check these if you’re expecting an email from us.

Funding

The Bikeability Scheme is funded by Active Travel England via The Bikeability Trust.