For Kids: Free Bike Lessons

Thanks to Nancy W. for sharing this event!

Bike New York’s Bicycle Education Program

Participation is free, but pre-registration is required. 

Go to website for dates, locations and to register.

Learn to Ride—Kids

This class teaches a safe, easy, effective way to learn to ride. Using this “balance first” method, parents help get their children rolling while the child does most of the work. Participants learn the basics of balancing, starting, stopping, and steering a bike, as well as proper helmet fit and adjustment. Most people learn to ride their bike while taking the class, but even if they don't, they will leave with an easy, hands-free, crash-free, and low-stress way to learn to ride.

Requirements: All cyclists must wear a helmet and have a bicycle that fits. The cyclist must be able to rest his or her feet flat on the ground while sitting on the bicycle seat. Parents should pump up tires until they are rock hard and are encouraged to remove training wheels prior to the class, if possible. The program works best for children ages 5 and up. 

Schedule: Classes are drop-in style, meaning that participants are welcome to arrive at any point throughout the stated class times and stay for as long as they’d like to until the class ends.

Parents can help children learn to ride in just an hour or so! If you can't make it to a class, go to website to watch a video of a class from It’s My Park on NYC TV (3:58) and follow the instructions in the learn-to-ride guide (PDF). You can also read about where the balance-first method originated in the February 2009 Bicycle Education Program Update. 

http://www.bikenewyork.org/education/classes/learn_to_ride.html