Ride-with-your-child sessions aim to dispel myths

Several parents in Didcot recently joined their offspring on a new session designed to dispel some of the misconceptions around cycling - and learned that Bikeability training is fun and useful for lots of things, including riding as a group. 

Three Avanti Cycling instructors ran the three-hour Saturday morning session, showing the participants a simple bike check routine before testing their cycling skills with games in the playground. 

Riding as a group on local roads, the riders were advised on good road positioning, how to handle junctions and where parents should position themselves for maximum effect. 

Avanti Cycling is now offering these sessions to encourage parents to ride with their children, including to school.

Prepare students for ride to secondary school  

Book them on to Bikeability cycle training so they can gain independence 

As children come to the end of primary school it is worth considering how they will be making their daily journey to secondary school. 

Cycling is a good option for many students, giving them valuable independence and flexibility. 

There is a Bikeability cycling course designed specifically for them and which will give them the confidence to tackle complex journeys. 

Level 3 of Bikeability, the government-funded cycle training programme, covers some challenging environments such as multiple lane junctions and roundabouts. 

Our instructors already run several Level 3 courses in Reading and across Oxfordshire, and often take children on routes they will be using to get to their new schools. The courses are funded by local authorities - free at the point of delivery.

Funding still available for 600 trainees in Reading before end of March 

Funding is still available for 600 school children in Reading to benefit from Level 2 Bikeability before the end of March. 

Avanti Cycling’s director, Greg Woodford, said that the funding and instructors were in place to train the children, and that he was keen for more schools to sign up for Bikeability courses. 

He said the first quarter of the year was a good time for Year 5 and 6 children to be doing Level 2 training, while Level 3 was best suited for after SATs. 

In Level 2, young riders are introduced to traffic on quieter local roads, while they get to experience more complicated traffic situations in Level 3.

If you would like to sign up, please get in touch.

What is Bikeability? How do I get ready?

Bikeability is today’s cycle training programme. It’s about gaining practical skills and understanding how to cycle on today’s roads. 

Bikeability is funded by the government and gives everyone the skills and confidence for all kinds of cycling. 

Avanti Cycling delivers courses throughout the year. We also rent out bikes and helmets for children who don't have them.

Competition time for riders and their schools

During the Spring Term 2020 Avanti Cycling is running a great competition for Year 5 and 6 pupils that is open to all primary schools throughout South Oxfordshire and Oxford City. 

Avanti Cycling South Oxfordshire Manager Ian Tunnicliffe says: “Here at Avanti Cycling we’re fanatical about cycling and about getting more children and more parents riding their bikes so we thought we’d run a competition to help us do this. This fun competition is to design a fantastic T-shirt that will be worn by Avanti Cycling Bikeability instructors. There will be two prizes, one for the best design by a Year 5 child, and a second for the best design by a Year 6 child. Each winner will receive a brand new lightweight Cuda bicycle."

And that’s not all say’s Greg Woodford, Avanti Cycling's director. “From the two winning designs, an outright winner will be selected which will then be used on the new T-shirt. The winner will received a printed T-shirt and their school will receive a fantastic bonus.

"We know how much schools want to encourage parents to start riding with their children, maybe even get them riding to school and we want this too. To help encourage this, for the winning school Avanti Cycling will run a special free, 3-hour ‘ride with your child’ session.

"Parents will learn how to check a bicycle and prepare for a journey and then spend up to two hours understanding how to ride with and shepherd their child on local streets. We expect to work with up to 18 family pairings,” said Greg.

Ian will be contacting Oxfordshire schools during January to invite them to take part in the competition but you can also contact him direct by email (ian@avanticycling.co.uk) if you have any questions.

Inspirational story - How Reading girl overcame disability to complete cycling course

Sadie Stoddard, who is missing her right hand, recently completed her Bikeability course thanks to an adapted bike and a helmet used for signalling. 

Sadie’s story is one example of how the Bikeability programme aims to include as many children as possible, regardless of their special needs.

Nominate a trainee for a Bikeability award

Nominations for the 2020 National Bikeability Awards are open, so get thinking about potential nominees - a trainee from your school, perhaps.

To give you some inspiration you might wish to read/listen to the stories of some of the 2019 Trainee of the Year nominees: William’s story; Conall’s story; Mekhei’s story. 

By the way, Avanti Cycling’s David Goodworth was last year's runner-up Instructor of the Year. 

Nominations close on 28 February.

My child has done the course - what’s next?

The Bikeability Parent's Handbook has been designed especially for parents, guardians or carers of young cyclists who have just completed their Bikeability training.

It gives them useful tips on how to ride with children, practising the main elements taught in Bikeability.

Join our team of instructors

If you’re keen to promote cycling, are good with children and have some flexibility around working hours, you might like to consider working as a paid Bikeability instructor.

Avanti Cycling delivers training to an increasing number of schools in Reading, South Oxfordshire and Oxford and is looking for more instructors. 

We work during the school day so the hours might suit parents. Do you know anyone who might be interested? 

Please contact us to discuss how you might get involved.

Please get in touch