Barriers and Breakthroughs
Similar cycling education programs have been criticized as being ineffectual, due to short program length and no on-road training. For instance, a study conducted of a Toronto cycling education program for Grade 4 students found it to be unsuccessful in improving safe cycling behaviour, knowledge, and attitudes among the grade 4 children.
The program was delivered in a school yard over the course of 90 minutes, in which students moved through 6 stations that each focused on a different aspect of safe cycling (i.e. safety equipment, riding in a straight line, etc.). The short duration of the training was an impediment to fully instilling the cycling knowledge and skills in the youth. Additionally, delivering the training solely in the school yard did not prepare youth to ride safely on road, as riding in a straight line in a car-free environment is less demanding than riding in a straight line on-road.
Discomfort and fear of on-road riding has been identified as an important barrier to developing as stronger cycling culture in North America. Programs that do not provide youth with an opportunity for safe on-road training will likely be unable to reverse the common fear and discomfort towards on-road cycling, as they do not connect the in-class teachings with actual practice.
The program administered by the CRD can be seen as a successful model in that the overall length was adequate and half of the training was delivered on-road. The success of the on-road portion can be attributed to the safe conditions created by the instructors. Groups of 6 students were led through the on-road training by a Lead Instructor and an Assistant Instructor. In the Report to Funders, the CRD reported that the on-road portion received higher satisfaction rates than the in-class portion.
However, despite the well constructed and organized program, a challenge was faced in ensuring that all students had adequate equipment for participation. A Bike Mechanic was present on the first day of training to inspect the student’s bicycles and safety gear and provide any required tune-ups. However, not all students had access to bicycles that were road-ready, and thus had to share with other students. When expanding the program into other schools, ensuring access to safe and road-ready bicycles may be a significant challenge. This challenge may be surmounted by establishing a supply of bicycles to be loaned to students without adequate bicycles during training.