Leading into the Winter Series we're putting on a road bike skills session.

It's a session being run by Pedal Ready who are an organisation that run cycle skills courses for kids and adults alike throughout Wellington.

We're really lucky to have Gary Gibson from Pedal Ready running the session for us.   Gary is a really great bloke who is hugely active in schools cycling in the Wellington Region.  He works closely with our own Grace Saywell and has done an amazing job with young riders in the region.  

The session is aimed at people newer to riding but Gary tells me that there will be something in there to challenge everyone.

It will start out with getting riders to do simple skills stuff - then ramping it up until everyone is challenged.  Some riders may already know some of the things covered - but everyone will get something out of it.  See bottom of Article for list of activities..

So this is a great opportunity not just for newer riders but also to those more experienced who are keen to learn some skills to help other riders.   The more we all know about helping others the better and this session will definately provide you with a few more skills.   There is always an opportunity to learn something...

Gary's passion is working with kids so he's more than happy for kids to be there.   And is keen on that for another reason too - as he wants the adults to behave like kids.   He wants a playful mind ready to experiment and get involved in games!   Doesn't that sound excellent!

Here's the details...

Where:  Kapanui School,  23 Rimu Street, Waikanae

When:  Saturday June 13 

Time:  1pm

Cost.   Free.

What to bring?   There will be a little bit of standing around while instructions are being given so please wrap up warm.  Bring a bike and a playful mindset (see above).  Also bring a drink bottle for hydration - but also needed for some of the activities.

There is a facebook event set up for the event...  Check it out HERE... 

Photo of Raewyn Morrison taking a previous skills session with the Ride Kapiti Group. 

Skills Session:

Instructors:  Gary Gibson (Grade 2 Instructor) and John Poppleton (Grade 2 Assistant)

We will be showing these skills and games for the Club to video. Then their more experienced

riders will learn how to deliver these skills to future new riders in the Club.

Start out with a talk on where each rider is at. Find out what kind of riding they will be doing.  Explain how the skills session will work and how it will challenge them and prepare them for bunch rides, fun rides or races.

It’s time to be kids on bikes again:

1.    Standard Pedal-Ready starting procedure. Explain how this is useful on a bunch ride when everyone starts off the same and no-one crashes into each other.

2.    Standard Pedal Ready M shape course: weaving through cones, around a tight corner, then high-five, around another U-turn and another high five, then another U-turn and down to a stop box through a tunnel of doom.

3.    Slow Race Game: Explain how slow riding can be of use at intersections and round-abouts.

4.    Back to the weaving through cones in a much more difficult offset manner. Gradually make it so challenging that they must use their brakes and slow riding techniques to get around the cones.

5.    Add in hand signals for the rest of the course.

6.    Straight line riding, while looking back to count fingers

7.    Weaving through cones again in a straight line, but front wheel goes one side of cone while back wheel goes the other side of the cone.

8.    Figure-of-eight game: create a course for all riders to go through the figure-8.

9.    Bunny-hopping: get riders to bunny-hop one wheel at a time over a white line on the tarmac. If they are good at this, then bunny-hop with two wheels. Explain one foot forward - one foot back (3 o’clock & 9 o’clock)

10. Now place an obstacle down on the pavement for riders to bunny-hop over. Could be a branch, a stick or anything. First try with one wheel at a time, then both wheels together.

11. Drink bottle game 1: Riding in a big oblong passing a person in the middle who hands out a bottle. Rider grabs it, then puts in drink bottle cage, turns around and hands back the bottle to another person in the middle.

12. If grass is dry: riders to pair off and ride close together, getting their elbows and/or shoulders to touch each other. Start to push each other around.  If on tarmac, start out with interlocking arms on handle-bars first to build confidence.

13. Once this is mastered, riders to ride around in a big figure-8 over the court, having turns at pushing the other rider around the corner.

14. Two abreast riding through cones: set cones out in a long straight line, further apart than usual. Get riders in pairs riding through the cones together, always keeping their handle-bars in line with each other.

15. Box Game: Ever-decreasing sized box. Riders are ‘out’ if the go outside the box or put their foot down. Can use elbowing or shouldering.

16. Emergency Braking: as per usual Pedal-Ready way, but if possible using one brake at a time first, then using two brakes. Discuss which brake is more powerful.

17. Drink bottle game 2: two teams riding in two circles opposite ways, but coming together along a line. Pass drink bottles to each other, then put into cage.

18. Wheel touching: only do this if riders are confident enough and the grass is dry enough to ride on. Not for tarmac.

19. Drink bottle game 3: Riders in a big circle come around to a line of bottles. As they ride past, they try to pick up and put into their bottle cage. Then later try to put back down on the ground once they’re good enough.

20. Limbo game: time for some real fun.