Encourage Your Children to Learn These Skills
Planning fun activities in your back garden or heading to the local park on bikes are brilliant ways to learn a new skill. The best part is, you can get started anytime you like.
Here are two simple activities for you and your kids from experts British Cycling, along with suggestions for the perfect places to get out and ride. They’re great for adults looking to sharpen skills too, so jump on your bike and get involved.
Skill #1 – Riding one-handed
All bike riders need to take a hand off the handlebars at some point, to perform tasks like signalling to other road users and reaching for a water bottle. Practicing this skill will help your child to develop confidence and stability – essential for riding a bike.
How it works
You’ll need to create an oval course by placing markers on the ground. Loads of household items will do the job – such as a couple of jumpers. Next, set up an area where you’ll hold the water bottle, otherwise known as the feed zone, on one side of the straight sections.
Challenge your child to complete laps of the course passing through the feed zone, keeping it steady to begin with. As they pass through, they should first aim to take a hand off the handlebars and wave or give a thumbs up. Do this on both sides, so that it’s comfortable to lift either hand off.
Aim
Once they are happy taking a hand off and free of wobbles, the final aim is for your child to take a water bottle as you hold it, while continuing to ride in control. They can then put it in their bottle cage or place it on a surface at hip height. Sitting in an upright position will help with balance.
Safety
A rider should look where they are going and not at the bottle. When holding the bottle, do so with your fingers at the top so that it can easily be taken by the rider. Half-filling the bottle with water can help with stability.
Skill #2 – Moving your body whilst on the bike
Shifting your weight is something every rider needs to get to grips with, as it becomes useful on bumpy terrain or when cycling up inclines.
How it works
You’ll need the same oval course as outlined above for this one. Set up a limbo challenge on a straight section, using your arms or by holding a branch/broom handle horizontally as the limbo pole. To start off, make sure it is high enough for your child to get under without ducking.
Encourage your child to pedal towards the limbo and stop pedalling when they are three to four meters away (the freewheel zone). When reaching the freewheel zone, ensure they stop pedalling and roll towards the limbo pole at a reasonable speed, as going too slowly may make it difficult to stay upright.
Aim
The aim of the activity is for the rider to move their body into a position on the bike where it is as low as possible to try and pass beneath the pole without hitting it. Start at a fairly high limbo position and gradually lower it each lap, making sure it’s never the same level as the handlebars but there’s room for your child to improve and get lower.
Safety
Ensure the limbo will give way in case your child can’t quite get low enough in order to avoid injury. For example, lifting your arm or the broom handle as soon as the rider touches it.
Where you can do these skills
Your own garden is a great place to start, so long as it’s large enough to ride around. If there’s not enough space to create an oval course, try repeating the skills back and forth in a straight line. Stick to traffic-free spaces though, even if you live in a quiet area.
Otherwise, have a scout around local community areas or sports facilities. Chances are there’s a green space not too far. And where there is a green space, there is cycling to be done. Mountain bikes will work fine on grass, but bear in mind you’ll be more limited for locations if your child rides a road bike.
Looking for more?
If your child is inspired to ride and after more of a challenge, there are loads of opportunities available.
Over the school holidays we run HSBC UK Go-Ride holiday camps, taking place on weekdays. Held in traffic-free spaces away from the road, riders can learn life-long skills and have a go at racing in a fun, relaxed environment.
Here are two simple activities for you and your kids from experts British Cycling, along with suggestions for the perfect places to get out and ride. They’re great for adults looking to sharpen skills too, so jump on your bike and get involved.
Skill #1 – Riding one-handed
All bike riders need to take a hand off the handlebars at some point, to perform tasks like signalling to other road users and reaching for a water bottle. Practicing this skill will help your child to develop confidence and stability – essential for riding a bike.
How it works
You’ll need to create an oval course by placing markers on the ground. Loads of household items will do the job – such as a couple of jumpers. Next, set up an area where you’ll hold the water bottle, otherwise known as the feed zone, on one side of the straight sections.
Challenge your child to complete laps of the course passing through the feed zone, keeping it steady to begin with. As they pass through, they should first aim to take a hand off the handlebars and wave or give a thumbs up. Do this on both sides, so that it’s comfortable to lift either hand off.
Aim
Once they are happy taking a hand off and free of wobbles, the final aim is for your child to take a water bottle as you hold it, while continuing to ride in control. They can then put it in their bottle cage or place it on a surface at hip height. Sitting in an upright position will help with balance.
Safety
A rider should look where they are going and not at the bottle. When holding the bottle, do so with your fingers at the top so that it can easily be taken by the rider. Half-filling the bottle with water can help with stability.
Skill #2 – Moving your body whilst on the bike
Shifting your weight is something every rider needs to get to grips with, as it becomes useful on bumpy terrain or when cycling up inclines.
How it works
You’ll need the same oval course as outlined above for this one. Set up a limbo challenge on a straight section, using your arms or by holding a branch/broom handle horizontally as the limbo pole. To start off, make sure it is high enough for your child to get under without ducking.
Encourage your child to pedal towards the limbo and stop pedalling when they are three to four meters away (the freewheel zone). When reaching the freewheel zone, ensure they stop pedalling and roll towards the limbo pole at a reasonable speed, as going too slowly may make it difficult to stay upright.
Aim
The aim of the activity is for the rider to move their body into a position on the bike where it is as low as possible to try and pass beneath the pole without hitting it. Start at a fairly high limbo position and gradually lower it each lap, making sure it’s never the same level as the handlebars but there’s room for your child to improve and get lower.
Safety
Ensure the limbo will give way in case your child can’t quite get low enough in order to avoid injury. For example, lifting your arm or the broom handle as soon as the rider touches it.
Where you can do these skills
Your own garden is a great place to start, so long as it’s large enough to ride around. If there’s not enough space to create an oval course, try repeating the skills back and forth in a straight line. Stick to traffic-free spaces though, even if you live in a quiet area.
Otherwise, have a scout around local community areas or sports facilities. Chances are there’s a green space not too far. And where there is a green space, there is cycling to be done. Mountain bikes will work fine on grass, but bear in mind you’ll be more limited for locations if your child rides a road bike.
Looking for more?
If your child is inspired to ride and after more of a challenge, there are loads of opportunities available.
Over the school holidays we run HSBC UK Go-Ride holiday camps, taking place on weekdays. Held in traffic-free spaces away from the road, riders can learn life-long skills and have a go at racing in a fun, relaxed environment.
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