Our 4-week Learn to Ride program helps participants build the skills and confidence needed to ride a bike safely and independence. Starting with the basics like posture, gliding, and coordination, riders gradually progress to pedaling, turning, and gear shifting on their own bikes. Each week introduces fun, game-based activities that support skill development. By the final session, participants are riding confidently with an understanding of road safety and bike handling.
This program is free. Registration is required on Eventbrite and no walk-ins will be accepted.
This year’s Learn the Ride program sessions will take place weekly every Saturday in July; 10AM-12PM for kids session and 1PM-3PM for adults session beside Milliken Mills Bike Hub.
Check back on this webpage for when registration opens.
Curriculum and weekly topics:
- Week 1: Balance Skills & Posture
- Participants are introduced to key foundational skills like balancing on a tarmac or track. The focus is on developing proper bike posture, basic bike handling, coordination, and gliding control. Activities include walking and running with the bike (“squishing the bugs”), gliding with feet up, riding down small inclines, and practicing light to firm push-and-glide techniques. Games like following chalk lines, timing glides, and knocking over pylons help make learning fun while building confidence and balance.
- Week 2: Pedaling, Turning & Gear Control
- Participants transition from gliding to pedaling on their own bikes, focusing on control, braking, and maneuvering. Activities begin with coach-assisted push and glide to teach balance with feet on pedals, followed by pedaling in straight lines and stopping safely. Riders then practice wide and tight circular turns to improve bike handling and directional control. The week concludes with an introduction to gear shifting, where children learn to adjust gears based on terrain while maintaining focus and pedaling. Fun games like “bike bowling,” “around the world,” and “follow the leader” make skill-building engaging and interactive.
- Week 3: Independent Starts & Pedaling Confidence
- Week 3 focuses on helping participants start riding independently without coach assistance. Riders learn to push off with their toes or dominant foot to gain momentum and lift onto the pedals, with the goal of starting smoothly on their own. Coaches guide children through proper pedal positioning and provide minimal support only if needed. Fun activities like pedaling toward a coach, counting pedal strokes, and riding through a streamer finish line help motivate children and celebrate their progress toward riding solo.
- Week 4: Road Safety & Advanced Riding Skills
- In the final week, participants apply their riding skills in real-world scenarios focused on safety and control. They learn essential helmet safety, how to recognize and respond to road signs, and how to signal turns while maintaining balance by riding with one hand. Kids also practice safe behavior at crosswalks and intersections using cones and lines, and work on riding straight within bike lanes using pylons and curbs. This session prepares riders for safe and confident biking beyond the program.
Terms and conditions of the program:
- parents must accompany kids during their sessions
- must bring own bike in good working order
- kids sessions for aged 5 to 12 years old, teens in adults session aged 13 and older
- participants of this program should hold a valid Markham Cycles membership
- each participant aged 13 or older must register separately
- must register for subsequent week’s session separately
- borrowing a bike from the bike hub is not guaranteed