Bicycle Education Program Revived by Safe Routes to School Team

En Español

This year, the Boulder Valley School District’s Safe Routes to School team successfully revived the long-dormant bicycle education program, paused since the pandemic. Bringing a fleet of bicycles to Sanchez Elementary, Heatherwood Elementary, Mesa Elementary, and Louisville Middle school, the team worked with over 600 students from 4th to 7th grade during their P.E. classes to provide hands-on bicycle safety and skills training.

Comprehensive Curriculum for Safe and Confident Riding
The program covered a wide range of topics to help students become safe and confident riders:

• Helmet Safety: Emphasizing the importance of wearing a helmet and ensuring a proper fit.
• Bike Safety Checks: Teaching the ABC Quick Check (Air, Brakes, Chain, and Quick Releases) to ensure bikes are road-ready.
• Bike Fit and Adjustments: Proper fitting techniques to optimize comfort and control.
• Riding Techniques: Including power pedal starts, two-finger braking, shifting and pedal cadence, signaling, scanning, emergency stops, hazard avoidance, and slow riding skills.
• Rules of the Road: From riding on the right side to stopping at traffic signs, scanning and signaling, bike light use, crosswalk navigation, and bike path etiquette.
• Bicycle Maintenance: Middle school students also gained practical skills such as fixing flat tires and dropped chains.

Hands-On Learning Culminates in a Neighborhood Ride
Over several days, students built their skills, culminating in a neighborhood group ride field trip. This gave them a chance to apply what they had learned, navigating streets, paths, and intersections in real-world scenarios.

At each school, students made remarkable progress. Some who couldn’t ride at the start of the week were confidently pedaling by the final day. One new rider, Aiden Minor, a 7th grader at Louisiville Middle School, shared his excitement, exclaiming, “I’ve never felt so free!” He even asked to practice more after school as the team packed up their equipment.

Watch the Video: of Aiden talking about his experience.

To ensure inclusivity, the team used adaptive trikes and a Weehoo trailer bike, enabling students with disabilities to participate.

A Program That Resonates
The program’s impact was deeply felt by students an]d staff alike. “This is exactly what kids need,” said Ms. Cendali from Heatherwood Elementary. “When kids are moving, with the wind in their faces, there is a noticeable difference in their energy.”

Program Manager, Amy Thompson, noted that taking the kids out on neighborhood rides, sporting bright safety vests, has garnered a lot of attention and positive feedback from the community, who appreciate the district doing this kind of education.

By reigniting this program, our Safe Routes to School team is empowering students to embrace biking as a fun, safe, and sustainable way to navigate their communities. The program will continue in more BVSD schools this upcoming spring.

Learn more about BVSD’s Safe Routes to School program on their department website.