What to expect at one of our Group Sessions…
People are often wary about booking onto our group sessions.
We get it.
Our sessions aren’t cheap and “if I can’t get my child to ride a bike, surely no one can?!” - so why would you spend that much money without knowing more about what you’re getting yourself in to?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to spill all of our secrets, we still have mortgages and nursery fees to pay! But it’s always nice to know what to expect from something before you arrive, so here is a step by step guide* to one of our learn to ride group sessions.
Check In
When you arrive at the venue, one of our friendly instructors will greet you, check about photo permissions and either check over the bike you have brought with you, or fit your child for one of our bikes. We will also ensure your child has a helmet for the session. Children then remain with parents (and often make use of the climbing equipment) while we wait for everyone to arrive.
Introductions
When it is time for the session to start, the children will be called over to stand with their bikes. We understand this can be quite overwhelming for children (strange school, strange bike, surrounded by strangers… who wouldn’t feel nervous?!) so don’t worry if you need to stand with your child, or they want to stand and watch to begin with - we will do our best to encourage them to join in without you. We introduce ourselves and all of the children attending and we also get to know the bike; completely lots of different little activities to help your child handle the bike independently. Even if your child is on the 3rd session, we find this part of the session to be beneficial for all!
On Your Bike!
Now is the time to get on the bike.
We purposefully have children on bikes that are slightly too small for them to try and eliminate the fear of falling. You will notice that children will have no pedals, 1 pedal or 2 pedals on their bike…this all depends on where each individual child is up to on their cycling journey, so please don’t worry if your child’s bike is different to someone else’s! This is where we work on balance, steering and braking through a range of different games and activities, and where we may split off into different groups depending on the abilities of the children.
121 Time
Each child will receive some 121 time during the sessions. This may be in the form of being encouraged to pick up their feet when balancing, how to scoot along with 1 pedal, learning to use 2 pedals, or being set challenges once they can ride. It won’t always be as obvious as being taken off on their own with an instructor, but we promise it is happening!
Independent Time
The whole point of you bringing your children to our sessions is for them to learn how to ride independently, so it is really important that we give the children independent time to practise what we have taught them, or to have the time to work things out for themselves. Some parents have expressed concern that their child was “just left to it”, but I promise this is all part of our bespoke programme. We found that children got more frustrated when an instructor was constantly on their case, telling them to “keep their bottom down”, “keep their foot on the pedal”, “keep their handlebars straight”. By giving the children time to process what they have learnt, it sinks in that little bit quicker, and they have the confidence to do it on their own, rather than constantly relying on an adult being by their side.
We are, however, always watching, giving guidance as we walk by and encouraging the children to keep going!
Showing Off
We end each session with the opportunity for the children to show off what they have learnt. Parents often comment on how much progress their child has made in each session, but please try not to compare your child’s achievements with those of the other children (As a mum of two… I know how hard that is!). Remember children are at different stages of their learning! This is where the children will receive a sticker, Balance Badge, Pedal Medal, Rider’s Rucksack or even one of our Water Bottles!
We are currently working on our new log books to make it clearer as to what we a looking for for the children to achieve each reward, however we are more than happy to explain this to you at the sessions if you are unsure.
The main aim of our sessions is for your child to learn to ride their bike in a fun, safe and enjoyable environment. We work at the pace of each individual child to ensure we don’t knock their confidence and have a huge range of different activities and tricks up our sleeve to make this happen. Whether it takes your child 1 or 10 sessions, they are learning a life-long skill, and having fun at the same time!
*Please note - every session runs slightly differently, as we adapt the sessions to suit the children attending. The timings and numbers of children may vary from session to session based on the ages and abilities of children attending.