Cycling courses for kids
Cycling may include competitive racing or non-competitive recreational cycling. There are several categories of bike racing such as mountain bike racing, track cycling, road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, BMX and cycle speedway. Recreational cycling might include mountain bike trails, freestyle BMX, artistic cycling, cycle polo or riding on a bicycle path with friends and family.
Learning to ride a bike is an important milestone in your child’s development. Most children will be ready and willing to learn to ride between the ages of two and eight, with the average age to learn of around five years. A cycling class will teach your child first how to ride a bike without pedals, get on and off the bike, to scoot and glide, steer and turn. Then your child will graduate to a bike with pedals which will require learning how to slow down and stop, and of course most critically balancing.
Cycling is one of the most prevalent sports in the world. In China for example, bicycles outnumber cars at least 10 to 1. According to the World Economic Forum, pre-COVID more than 50% of the global population knew how to ride a bike and the pandemic sparked an escalation in biking as a travel alternative and a newfound hobby promoting physical and mental health. The suspension of public transport in quarantined areas of the Philippines meant that commuters were forced to use bikes. In Malaysia and Hong Kong, the governments closed many sporting venues so cycling was one of the few sports still allowed during lockdowns. Bike inventory shortages have been widely reported across Asia.
Competitive cycling has always been popular across Asia thanks in part due to the Asian Cycling Championships for road bicycling racing and track cycling. Japan and Korea have recently topped the overall medals tally at the Asian Championships although following the Tokyo Olympic Games, Hong Kong proudly boasts two Olympic medals in cycling thanks to Sarah Lee.
The benefits of cycling for children include
- having pure and simple fun
- encouraging an active lifestyle which establishes healthy practices for adulthood
- enhancing cognitive development
- improving social skills when cycling competitively or in groups
- increasing engagement levels and confidence
- physical benefits such as strengthening bones
- protecting against future cardiovascular disease, cancer and metabolic diseases
- better quality sleep which improves a child’s resiliency and concentration
- learning how to deal with success and rebound from failure, and build character when participating at the level of competitive cycling
- being able to go from A to B without help from mum and dad