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Beginner Bike Skills
Having trouble balancing, starting, or stopping on your bike?
Beginner Bike Skills is a StreetWise course for adults who have not yet learned to ride a bike or lack the basic handling skills or confidence to cycle for urban transportation. This small group 2-hour course occurs completely off-road, in a safe and comfortable environment for new riders. Under the guidance of our experienced instructors, participants will practice fundamental bike handling skills such as balance, braking, steering, and pedaling.
Beginner Bike Skills course includes:
- 2 hours of instruction led by certified instructors
- Basic bike fitting and safety checks, as well as progressive activities to build fundamental skills and confidence.
- 1:6 instructor-to-participant ratio to ensure lots of 1 on 1 attention and personalized feedback
- Up to 12 participants
- If you have one, please bring your own working bicycle and helmet to the course. Alternatively, we will have bikes and helmets on-site that you can use for the duration of the course.
Course Schedule:
Vancouver Course Dates (located at Trout Lake Community Centre, please click each date to register)
- Saturday, April 26th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, April 26th: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Saturday, May 3rd: 11:00 am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, May 3rd: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Thursday, May 15th: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- Saturday, May 17th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, May 31st: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, June 7th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, June 7th: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Thursday, June 12th: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- Saturday, June 14th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Thursday, June 19th: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- Saturday, June 21st: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Saturday, June 21st: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Thursday, June 26th: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Richmond Course Dates (located at Thompson Community Centre, please click each date to register)
- Sunday, May 11th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Sunday, May 11th: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Sunday, May 25th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Sunday, June 8th: 11:00am - 1:00pm
- Sunday, June 22nd: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Interested in being the first to know about our course registration in the summer? Please fill out our Course Interest Form here! This course is also available to book as a private course through our Workplace Cycling Workshops.
For information on adaptive cycling programs at our StreetWise Cycling Education Centres, please visit Spinal Cord Injury BC’s Adaptive Cycling webpage.
FAQs
Where are lessons held?
Vancouver: The lessons will take place next to Trout Lake Community Centre, on the Trout Lake gravel field beside the parking lot (link to google maps location here). Intermediate courses will start and end on the field but will also visit the surrounding neighbourhood as part of the guided road ride.
Richmond: The lessons will take place behind the Thompson Community Centre, exact location pending.
Do I need a bike?
If you have your own bike and helmet, please bring them to the lesson. If you don't own a bike or can’t transport it to the lesson location, we will have a fleet of 15 bikes and helmets that participants will be able to use for the duration of the lesson.
How can I get my bike to the lesson spot?
You can bring your bike inside a personal vehicle, on a vehicle's bike rack, on a bus bike rack, or Skytrain car. If it's your first time using a bus bike rack or bringing a bike on transit - check out TransLink's helpful tips beforehand. All Metro Vancouver buses are able to take 2 bikes on their front racks.
How can I get to Trout Lake Community Centre?
Trout Lake Community Centre is located in the southwest corner of Trout Lake Park (3360 Victoria Drive). You can find transit options via Google Maps . There is free parking available outside the Community Centre (located near Victoria and 15th). Nearby cycling routes can be found here.
How can I get to Thompson Community Centre?
Thompson Community Centre is located at 5151 Granvile Avenue in Richmond You can find transit options via Google Maps. There is parking available to the north of the Community Centre. Nearby cycling routes can be found here.
Do you offer other lessons for more advanced skills?
Yes, we are offering other programs at Trout Lake Community Centre and the Steveston Community Centre this Summer - Intermediate Bike Skills and Basic Bike Maintenance. If you're looking for a course to increase your confidence in cycling from the comfort of your own home, you can take StreetWise Cycling Online. We will also be running webinars on various topics, starting in from April to September. You can find dates and recordings of the webinars here.
If you have any more questions, please contact streetwise@bikehub.ca