BikeNZ is excited to launch the BikeNZ Learn to Ride program which will teach all school children the fundamentals of riding a bike.
Shocking figures show that less and less children are learning to ride. BikeNZ wants to provide all children with this essential skill to ensure they all enjoy the fitness, freedom and fun that cycling provides.
From this week the BikeNZ Learn to Ride program is being introduced to schools in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay. Close to 5000 children will participate in the course in its first year, with at least 10,000 involved by 2013. The course will eventually be rolled out nationwide.
"Riding a bicycle is a fundamental skill that provides children with the ability to learn how to take risks and provides them with a sense of freedom and achievement. Cycling is a great way to stay fit and healthy, and with our current childhood obesity rates getting more kids on bikes teaches them good exercise habits for the rest of their lives," said BikeNZ CEO Kieran Turner.
"Studies have shown that learning road rules from a young age, cycling on the roads and interacting with traffic equip people to become safer and more proficient drivers. It's also a great way to teach everyone how to share the roads."
The program, which was successfully piloted in Rotorua last year, has been under development for the last 18 months. The five week program involves basic skills training ensuring each child has a solid grounding of skills training, and has lots of fun with games and activities. Each child will graduate the program with the fundamental skills to become our future world champions, and everyday cyclists.
The BikeNZ regional team of top New Zealand mountainbiker Mark Leishman (Rotorua), former New Zealand representative cyclists Amy Burndred (Waikato) and BikeNZ Hawke's Bay coordinator Vicki Butterworth are the first instructors for the course, who in turn will train a network of other instructors.
Regional sports trusts including Sport Bay of Plenty, Sport Waikato, and Sport Hawkes Bay are also vital for the delivery of these courses.
The program includes strong links to the local club cycling providing cycling pathways for the children and a greater involvement for the cycling community.
"This pathway is essential to ensure children that learn to ride have further opportunities to stay involved in cycling, and has been a vital missing link from the pathway to regular participation in cycling. A number of sports do a fantastic job in teaching children their sport, and then giving them an educational pathway and a number of opportunities to carry on, but we haven't, so it is time to change that," said Amy Taylor, BikeNZ Development manager.
