Two Consecutive Sundays of Learning to Ride

Introduction

These cycle lessons are open children aged 3 and above. The lessons split into two courses for children who need to learn to balance or have already learned the basics of balancing, and those in a position to transition to pedalling.

For each session, we have:

• Eight places available for balance bike training, and
• Four places available for transitioning to pedaling.

These courses are split over two consecutive weekends! It is important that you are able to attend both lessons on consecutive Sundays.

NOTE: If your child is currently using stabilisers, they MUST join the balance bike training, first. Please see below.

Like most things in life, each child is an individual and will develop their skills at their own pace. We evaluate each child’s skill level on arrival and monitor and adapt our training through each session.

Please bring your own bike and helmet. If you don’t have either we will provide them.

****Please arrive ten minutes early****. For each session we ask you to arrive 10minutes early so we can fulfil the pre-session requirements of our Public Liability Insurance - registration, bike adjustment and a safety check and to enable us to evaluate the starting skills level of each child.

What to Expect

Balancers - Balance Bike training. A course of two lessons over two weeks for children who are not yet able to ride a bike, They may be complete beginners or able to stride on a balance bike or they may be comfortable on a bike with stabilisers - but new to balance bikes The course will take them to be comfortable gliding on balance bikes and in some cases onto their first rides on a pedal bike.

Pedallers - Riding a pedal bike independently. A course of two lessons over two weeks for children who are just about pedalling unassisted on a bike without stabilisers, typically, if a child already has a balance bike they will be able to glide for about 5 metres on a slight incline. The course will take them on to be comfortable riding a pedal bike and in some cases onto introductory road safety knowledge and skills.

Parental/Adult Participation. Most children will benefit enormously from having their parent/adult participate in the lessons. Under guidance from the Trainer, the accompanying adult will be encouraged to participate in the lesson, and to help with their child where appropriate, reinforcing the methods and messages. This also serves to provide continuity when the child practices at home.

Children who ride with Stabilisers

***Stabilisers do not promote and encourage balance which must come, first.***

It is very common for children who have had Stabilisers removed prior to a lesson to use a balance bike to learn balancing, as Stabilisers do not encourage essential balance. If your child has Stabilisers but has never confidently mastered a balance bike, we advise learning to balance before moving to pedalling.

Questions?

If you are unsure as to what level of ability your child has and, therefore, which Training group they should be in, please email us at cycle@farcycles.org.uk and we can help you decide.

**LOCATION**

Please note the location of the Faringdon Cycle Park VERY carefully if you are travelling to the park for the first time!

The Cycle Park can ONLY BE ACCESSED, IF COMING BY CAR, from the 'Folly Sports Park' which, itself, can only be accessed along Stanford Road from London Street.

The Cycle Park is situated beyond the rugby pitches and is difficult to see.

This map should help you locate it.

Do not try to use the post code in your car's Sat Nav. This is highly likely to take you to the wrong location.

What3words address: https://w3w.co/interval.cycles.looms

Farcycles is a community cycling charity which runs free cycle teaching for children and adults. Training for beginners and improvers is carried out at the state-of-the-art Faringdon Cycle Park which opened in July 2019. There is a rubberised area for beginners and tarmac roads for improvers and for teaching road safety. The area links to a traffic-free 1km path, and from there to quiet residential roads, as cycling ability progresses. Trainers leading the sessions have undergone appropriate training and are DBS-checked.