The Importance of Bikeability: Teaching the next generation Skills for Life
According to Cycling UK, 92% of adults know how to ride a bicycle. The figure for those who actually do however, is much lower. In a recent YouGov survey, 70% of those surveyed said that they never ride, and when asked what would encourage them to cycle more, 61% of those said safer roads.
The confidence to go out on today’s roads and deal with the challenges they present is something that Bikeability is teaching to children up and down the country. Registered instructors teach young people the basics on the playground before enabling valuable supported experience on the roads. Ian Murdoch is the training lead for Bespoke Cycling Instruction, the largest delivering body for Bikeability in Buckinghamshire, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead. Ian has helped thousands find their pedals through the years and has seen children come on leaps and bounds in their capabilities. Ian discusses the importance of Bikeability and how it can benefit the next generation.
Cycling has been a skill that has been taught in schools for decades, but a lot has changed. The cycling proficiency training you or I may have done came to an end in 2007 and was replaced with Bikeability – a much more hands-on approach to equipping children with skills to deal with 21st-century roads. Whether a child is a beginner or is hesitant to cycle alone, Bikeability training caters to all levels of ability to deliver the course. While on the face of it, cycling is just a means of getting from A to B, it is so much more, and for the children who partake in the course, they will take with them benefits for life.
Increased Confidence and Independence.
Learning to ride a bike is an excellent way to build confidence. Children join the course often with little know-how or are shaky with the skills they do have. Through supported progressive learning, they begin to have a sense of achievement and leave Bikeability with big smiles and the odd high-five to their instructor. As their confidence grows, so does their independence. For many 10 year olds, cycling will be their first experience of making considered decisions for themselves. This opens the door to new experiences, whether the child goes on to travel to school by themselves or meet up with friends on a weekend. At Bikeability we only have about six hours of road work with the children, but watching them progress from being hesitant and unsure, to a point where they are confident and making decisions for themselves, just never gets old. They are also great fun to work with and learn at an astonishing rate.
Improved Physical and Mental Health
As with any physical activity, cycling helps children stay fit and well. Riding a bike is a low-impact aerobic (and sometimes anaerobic on the hills) exercise which helps with cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, joint mobility and bone strength. It can also help with balance and coordination skills.
As with any physical exercise, cycling also has a considerable and positive impact on mental well-being. It gets the rider out in the fresh air, away from screen time and generates a rush of endorphins, feel-good hormones that reduce stress and improve mood. It’s also a very social pastime; it’s an opportunity for family and friends to get out and explore the area and chat with the phone firmly parked in the back pocket.
Road Awareness
Today’s roads are busy, with an ever-growing number of road users. For children, it is crucial they know what to look out for and when it is safe for them to cross. Cycling teaches children the basics of the highway code and raises their awareness of hazards. Embedding this knowledge early on ensures that not only are they careful on the roads when cycling, but it places them in good stead for when they learn to drive. You can often tell the difference between a road user who also cycles and those who don’t by the amount of room they leave when overtaking. If we all gave just a little bit more consideration on the roads, it would be a safer, less stressful place for all.
Benefits to the Environment
In a You Gov survey in 2023, it was found that 45% of children aged five to 10 were driven to school, dropping to 28% when children are aged between 11 to 16. This is a staggering amount. Cycling is a very environmentally friendly mode of transport, and you don’t always have to compromise speed. In rush hour, cycling is often quicker and always less stressful than sitting in a traffic jam edging closer to the school. Imagine what the school run would look like if every year 5 and 6 cycled to school - less congestion, less pollution and a lot less frustration.
Cycling and all the skills that come with it are there to stay for life. You often hear people say, “It’s like riding a bike, you never forget”, and we can vouch that it is true. Up and down the country, Bikeability helps tens of thousands learn how to ride a bike each year. In our area of Buckinghamshire, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead, 6,000 children learnt how to cycle last year – with 3,800 going on to build their confidence on the roads. It is such an important skill to have, and it is ours, and the government’s goal to give every school the opportunity to participate in the scheme.