Canadian Cycling Association CAN-BIKE Program
Ages 8 to 13 (May be introduced at age 7)
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The
Kids CAN-BIKE Festival introduces children from ages 8 - 13 to key bicycle
handling skills necessary for safe riding, as well as correct helmet use
and checking bicycles for mechanical problems. Taught by trained instructors,
the Festival is the first step in the Canadian Cycling Association's CAN-BIKE
program.
The Kids' CAN-BIKE Festival is a playground-based event that introduces children to key handling skills for riding safely on the road. The Festival is for children between the ages of 8 and 13. It is the first step in the Canadian Cycling Association's CAN-BIKE Program.
For cyclists under age 9, the Festival presents the Young Riders Centre, where parents and caregivers work with their children to learn safe practices.
Festival Aims:
- to develop skills which address injury-prevention priorities for young cyclists;
- to introduce safe cycling skills when children are at an appropriate stage of development;
- to promote on-road training with Kids CAN-BIKE; and
- to let young cyclists discover the enjoyment of cycling and develop a life-long desire for fitness.
The Festival targets major injury prevention concerns for young cyclists aged eight and up. Most cycling falls and collisions are preventable. With the Kids' CAN-BIKE Festival, cyclists begin the training they need to ride safely and enjoyably.
The guiding principle of the Festival is discovery. Children who know the reasons behind safe cycling behaviour are more likely to make good judgements when they ride. The discovery approach builds on what the children already know and allows them to understand the reasons for cycling in a safe way.
We don't want to encourage false expectations about the capabilities of young cyclists. The ability to balance a bike is only the first step. Many children appear to have good bicycle handling skills, but they do not have the ability to make good decisions about their safety. Children under the age of nine do not have the perceptual skills to be able to judge traffic speed, imagine traffic from another road user's point of view, or understand the reasons for traffic laws. Young cyclists (under age nine) should be supervised by an adult whenever they ride.
Following the Festival, parents should consider enrolling their children in the Kids' CAN-BIKE Course (formerly called Cycle Right) for 9 to 13 year olds. The Kids CAN-BIKE Course provides essential cycling experience under careful supervision by a trained instructor. The Festival teaches important skills, but children also need to be able to practice in real-life situations. The Kids CAN-BIKE Course provides this practice.
The CAN-BIKE Program teaches that the bicycle is a vehicle and a cyclist has all the rights and responsibilities of other road users.
To be truly effective, bicycle education must be an ongoing activity.
Components of the Kids' CAN-BIKE Festival
For 8 to 13 year olds
Equipment Stations
- Helmet and Clothing Check
- Bike Check and Fit
Riding Stations
- Straight Line Riding
- Shoulder Checking
- Signalling
- Braking and Stopping
- Stop and Go
For children five to seven years old and their parents
- Young Riders Centre
Course Format
The Kids' CAN-BIKE Festival provides a comprehensive format that places emphasis on ensuring that skills are learned effectively.
The Kids' CAN-BIKE Festival format is:
- An instructor takes a group of up to six children and runs through the entire program, step by step, in one location.
- Each station takes slightly less than 12 minutes. The whole program should take one group about 90 minutes to complete.
- The Festival can accommodate as many groups of six as there are instructors and space at one time. For example, four instructors can take 24 children through the program at once.
Enrolment
Maximum of six cyclists per instructor. The size of the event is limited only the the number of instructors available and the number of sessions to be conducted. A sample is outlined below:
Number of students which can be taught:
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Participant Requirements
A bicycle in safe operating condition and an approved bicycle helmet. Children should be capable of controlling their bicycles at a basic level: balance a moving bicycle without assistance, start and stop, and turn corners. A waiver and parental consent form must be signed before riding in the Festival.
No student
can be allowed to participate in the Festival (or any CAN-BIKE course)
on an obviously unsafe bicycle - defective brakes, steering, headsets
or loose assembly of seat or handlebars - as the safety of the entire
group is at risk as well as the safety of that student.
Instructors
Nationally
certified CAN-BIKE instructors, all experienced cyclists, teach all courses.
A maximum of six participants per instructor is permitted in the Kids
CAN-BIKE program.
Assistant Instructors and Volunteers
Volunteer Teaching Assistants for instruction and Young Riders Centre.
Volunteers
for administration and support (registration, information table, bicycle
mechanic, bicycle helmet loan pool/sales, site supervisor, first aid,
food/hospitality, greeters/crowd management). These volunteers do not
need to be CAN-BIKE instructors.
Facility requirements
Level, paved surface at least 10 metres wide by 30 to 40 metres long. Surface should be free of debris, potholes or other hazards. If possible, a painted line should run the length of the area. If a level area is not possible, a slight grade is permissible provided that activities can take place facing uphill.
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For more information:
Borealis
Outdoor Adventure
3120
8th Street East #106-305
Saskatoon,
SK S7H 0W2
Phone:
(306) 343-6399 or 1-800-463-6399
CAN-BIKE
Hotline
Phone: (306) 978-BIKE (978-2453) or
Toll-Free: 1-888-CAN-BIKE (1-888-226-2453)
Borealis
Outdoor Adventure
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