Bike New York Bicycle Education Program

Learn to Ride--Kids

Course Content • Schedule • Register • What Participants Are Saying

Is your child at that age where he or she wants to ride a two-wheeler? Is your back sore from bending over to balance your child on a rolling bicycle? Has your child taken a tumble while using training wheels and gotten scared of biking? If so, this class is for you.

Course Content

This class teaches a safe, easy, effective way to learn to ride. Using this "balance first" method, parents help get their children rolling while the child does most of the work. Participants learn the basics of balancing, starting, stopping, and steering a bike, as well as proper helmet fit and adjustment. Most people learn to ride their bike while taking the class, but even if they don't, they will leave with an easy, hands-free, crash-free, and low-stress way to learn to ride.

Requirements: All cyclists must wear a helmet and have a bicycle that fits. The cyclist must be able to rest his or her feet flat on the ground while sitting on the bicycle seat. Parents should pump up tires until they are rock hard and are encouraged to remove training wheels prior to the class, if possible. The program works best for children ages 5 and up.

Schedule

Date	Time	Location
Sat, 5/8	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	Tompkins Square Park, 10th St. and Avenue A, East Village, Manhattan [Map >]
Sat, 6/12	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	North Meadow Recreation Center, Central Park, Manhattan [Map >]
Sat, 6/19	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	Hallets Cove Playground, Vernon Blvd. and 30th Ave., Astoria, Queens [Map >]
Sat, 6/19	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	Willowbrook Park, Richmond Ave. at Eton Pl., Staten Island [Map >]
Sun, 6/27	12:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Vanderbilt Ave. and St. Marks Ave., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn [Map >]
Sat, 7/10	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	Forest Park, Myrtle Ave. and 81st St., Queens [Map >]
Sat, 7/31	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	McCarren Park, Berry St. and North 12th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn [Map >]
Sun, 8/15	11:00 am - 2:00 pm	Sunnyside Block Party, 46th Street between Skillman Ave. and 43rd Ave., Sunnyside, Queens [Map >]
Sat, 9/11	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	McCarren Park, Berry St. and North 12th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn [Map >]
Sat, 9/18	10:00 am - 1:00 pm	Shoelace Park, Bronx Blvd. between 226th and 228th St., Bronx [Map >]

All class dates and locations are subject to change. Please check back for updates. To host your own class, please submit an application.

Classes are drop-in style, meaning that participants are welcome to arrive at any point throughout the stated class times and stay for as long as they'd like to until the class ends. If rain is an issue on the morning of your class, call the Bicycle Education Program Weather Hotline at 212 932 2453 x115 to find out if there have been any cancellations.

Register

Register Here >

What Participants Are Saying

I invited my good friends to bring along their two children, while I brought my son--all the way from Highland Park, NJ. It was well-worth the drive for us. . . . It was absolutely thrilling to see our children among others who reached important milestones."--April 2009
"Hello from Southern California. I will keep it short, but after a disastrous attempt at teaching my 6-year old daughter how to ride a bike, I saw your video and took off her pedals. After an hour of no pedals, I put them back on and away she went. My wife and I were amazed. Thanks!!!! Your system really worked."--January 2009
"Twice I registered and twice something came up and we didn't go. Well, determined to have my 9.5 year old riding a bike by the end of the summer, I watched your online video three times, armored her with a helmet and pads, and took her outside. Your program's techniques worked like a charm!!! Thank you so much! Where were you when I was a kid?!"--September 2008
"You can go really faster than when you can run, and it feels good to have the wind and breeze in your face."--New rider quoted in a Weekend America broadcast on NPR, August 2008. Podcast and Slide Show >
"I just want to say thank you! I took my five year old and my six-and-a-half year old to this class and I must say that I am impressed! We had been trying to teach them for the past two summers and springs to no avail. In the space of two hours, maybe three, they both were on their own and now ride just about every day freely! I appreciate all of the encouragement and success gained through this class, it really works!"--July 2008
"Thanks so much for offering this program. Our nine-year-old daughter has been trying to ride her bike since she was five, with no success. Yesterday at Carroll Park was just what she needed. She's zooming all over the neighborhood today."--May 2008
"Thank you so much for providing such an incredible public service! After many prior fearful tries to shed her training wheels, my daughter was able to ride after just an hour's practice! Her sense of empowerment and pride was mirrored all over the gym by children's beaming faces. To all our neighbors with elementary-age kids, I have been singing your praises, both for your sound teaching system, and for the dedication, encouragement, and kindness of the instructors." --January 2008
"Thank you so much. Everyone was so nice and encouraging. After 3 years of his 7 years of trying, [my son] finally learned to ride a bike. Thank you also for teaching us how to use a helmet!"--September 2007
"I want to thank you again for organizing the children's bicycle lessons. [Our daughter] is now riding her bicycle as if she were riding all her life. Her mom and her back really appreciate your help!"--August 2007
"THANK YOU! for organizing such a wonderful event. My 7 year old had been too intimidated to ride his two-wheeler but he got it in less than half an hour with the help of the volunteers! He loves his bike now."--May 2007
"Thank you for teaching me how to ride a two-wheeler. Your teaching lesson was great. You made me really good at riding a two-wheeler. Riding the two-wheeler was fun."--Second-grade student, May 2006
"Thanks so much for bringing your wonderful program to our school!"--Second-grade teacher, May 2006