Bicycle Network: Teachers
Bike Ed
Tips and solutions to get your students riding to school by improving skills and confidence.
What is Bike Ed?
Bike Ed Benefits
Get Going with Bike Ed! - Resources
Bike Ed at Your School
Mountain Biking
What is Bike Ed?
Bike Ed is a bicycle skills and road safety program for kids aged 9 to 13. It is run by teachers who have trained as instructors. Schools can organise the course however they wish to best suit their students.
Aims of Bike Ed:
- Gain knowledge and understanding of the road traffic environment and the road laws.
- Develop the physical and cognitive skills to manage the road traffic environment safely as a cyclist.
- Develop responsible behaviours, attitudes and decision-making skills for the safe use of bicycles, both on and off the road, through participation in enjoyable learning experiences relevant to their ages and abilities.
Bike Ed's ultimate goal: to teach children to be competent and safe independent road-users.
Bike Ed Benefits
What does Bike Education actually do?
Bike Ed will:
- develop cycling ability
- increase cycling confidence
- ensure sound knowledge of road rules
- provide practice for real-life road-riding
- ease parental concerns about the dangers of riding to school.
Bike Ed at Your School
Finding and Instructor
Often delivered by teachers, Bike Ed instructors must have the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) approved Bicycle Education Training Course qualification.
If you can't locate an instructor for your school, don't despair! Wilcare Services, the DEECD's preferred provider, trains teachers in the Bike Ed program. They are also the major provider of bicycle instructor accreditation for all Victorian school-based cycling programs.
Local councils, police and Ride2School' s volunteers can play a role in supporting Bike Ed programs and other related activities in schools.
Training Information
Training is based on Bike Ed for primary schools, with an extension module for secondary schools. Wilcare Services offers a two day instructor course, providing an accreditation that is valid for five years.
See upcoming course dates Register for a course
For more information on the Bike Ed Instructor course, contact Wilcare Services.
Click to view a list of other Bike Ed providers and Traffic Schools
Volunteers
We have many friendly, trained and enthusiastic volunteers just waiting to assist teachers at your school with the Bike Education program! Our volunteers are also available to help out with other events such as National Ride2School Day and Walk Safely to School Day, or helping conduct a HandsUp! count. Contact us on (03) 8376 8888 if you need some extra hands.
Find out more about volunteer assistance by calling the office, visiting this link or emailing R2SVolunteers@bicyclenetwork.com.au to express your interest.
Get Going!
Get started by downloading the Bike Ed kit information sheet and order form
The new Bike Ed kit contains:
- An instructor's manual
- A Family Guide to Bike Ed – information for parents and carers
- DVD: Ed’s Excellent Bike Ed Adventure
- Traffic sign cards
- Vehicle cards
- Cycling scenes
- Outdoor activity checklists
- Bike Ed CD-ROM
The kit costs $90.20 as a whole, but individual components can be ordered using the order form! The kit can be purchased from the Victorian Government bookshop at Level 20, 80 Collins Street Melbourne 3000, or online at the Victorian Government Bookshop Website.
Mountain Biking
Although learning road safety is important, it's also fun to be able to let loose with a bike! Imagine your students zipping between the trees, whizzing around a bend and cruising down a dip, all the while improving their fitness and cycling skills.
There are many ways to get your students involved in mountain biking - here are just a few of our suggestions:
- Plan ahead. Choose your location and route in advance. This will ease concerns about safety.
Try these locations or check out these Victorian mountain biking club suggestions.
- Risk assessment. Remember to include the ride to the location. Record strategies for minimising and controlling risks.
-
Get approved. You will need to be approved by your school council to go mountain biking. Make sure you have your proposal and risk assessment prepared to present!
-
Be trained. Ensure that at least one staff member is Bike Ed trained. This will not only give you extra safety support, but also allow for students to be educated on safe riding as they travel to the mountain biking location.
-
Ratios. You will need at least one supervising adult to ten students. It is recommended that you take a minimum of two supervising adults for added safety.
- Gain Interest. Run a lunchtime meeting in advance to see how many students might be interested. Send emails or letters home to parents so they can try and encourage the students to sign up. Suggest a mountain biking skills session for students. Click here for information on mountain biking introductory sessions.
- And most importantly, have fun!