Bike Driver’s Ed

Bike Driver’s Ed teaches the essential skills that are the foundation for smooth, confident cycling:

• Adjusting your helmet for a comfortable, effective fit
• Choosing the right size bike and adjusting seat height for a comfortable ride and a strong pedal stroke
• Performing a simple bike inspection
• Smooth, powerful starting
• Controlled stopping
• Riding in a straight line
• Using shifters and gears efficiently
• Using hand signals and scanning without swerving
• Maneuvering around common road hazards

Class duration:	4 hours—completing each station should take 90 minutes all together
Class location:	Controlled, outdoor environment
Class size:	Up to 15 kids per group
Instructors:	Certified League Cycling Instructors and trained volunteers
Instructor to student ratio:	Varies, depending on attendance
Equipment necessary:	Bicycle* and helmet
Availability of loaner bikes:	None
Registration policy:	Advance registration is preferred; walk-in students are allowed

*Each participant must bring a bike in good working order (i.e., wheels spin freely, brakes function) and a helmet. No bike? At each NYC Bike Bonanza, Recycle-A-Bicycle will be on site hosting a kids bike swap, where children will have an opportunity to swap for a different size bike or take home a free bike all together. No helmet? The NYC Department of Transportation will be distributing free helmets while supplies last (see our Bike Bonanza page for more details on bike swaps and free helmets).

If your children have mastered balancing and pedaling but lack the bike handling skills necessary for responsible, predictable sidewalk and street cycling, Bike Driver’s Ed is the class for them.

Bike Driver’s Ed is open to kids younger than 14 years old who can balance and pedal a bicycle without assistance. Participants must attend with a legal guardian.

If your child needs to learn these skills but is between 14 and 18 years old, he or she should attend Bike New York’s free, two-hour Bicycling Basics class, which teaches these essential cycling skills to mature teens and adults. Additionally, mature teens and adults should consider attending Savvy Cyclist: Traffic Skills 101 (or Traffic Skills 101 Part 1 and Part 2, if you can’t attend a full-day course) to learn traffic principals and bike handling skills.

If you are interested in private instruction, visit the League of American Bicyclists website to find a certified cycling instructor in your area.

Bike New York’s outdoor class season has ended. Classes will resume in April 2012. Please check back in February to view a class schedule and to register.

While walk-in students are welcome, advance registration is highly recommended and preferred. Those who register in advance will receive important information via email prior to their Bike Driver’s Ed Clinic date.

Bike Driver’s Ed Clinics are canceled in the event of rain; please check the education department’s weather hotline at 212 870 2080 ext. 2 if in doubt. Those registered for a clinic that is canceled because of rain will be invited to register for a later clinic date within the established season schedule.

After attending a Bike Driver’s Ed clinic, have your child practice riding on sidewalks (only children 12 years old or younger) or streets with an adult guardian. Consider riding to school, to the library, or to run errands together so that he or she has frequent opportunities to practice riding.

To celebrate youth cycling, look into attending one of New York City’s local bike parades like the East Village Kids’ Bike Parade and the Long Island City Bike Parade.

Also consider paying it forward! Many of the volunteers who help you at a class started out on the student side of the handlebars. Find out how you can help others become more competent cyclists here.