Slow race
Ready when: Ride a straight lane, seated and standing (b6) started.
What you are learning
Riding very slowly in a straight line without putting a foot down. Riding slowly is harder than riding fast; it teaches balance and gentle use of the brakes.
Words on this card Handlebars, Brake lever
- Handlebars
- What the hands hold to steer.
- Brake lever
- The levers on the handlebars that slow the wheels. Each lever works one wheel; check which is which.
Set up
A start line and a finish line 10 m apart; chalk lanes.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Start in your lane, fingers over the brakes, eyes on a point at the finish.
- Pedal a small push, then squeeze the brakes a little; push again.
- Keep the bars almost still and inch forward.
- At the finish, stop and balance for a moment before a foot goes down.
Your part while they practise
Judge the race: the last over the line without a foot down wins.
Step by step
- Ride from start to finish as slowly as possible, in a straight line.
- Fingers over the brakes, eyes on a point ahead.
- At the finish, stop and balance for a moment before a foot goes down.
How much: 5 races 8 min a session 3 days a week On your own: time the 10 m with a phone and try to take longer each race
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Slow race
Two or three riders side by side in their own lanes; a foot down or leaving the lane means out.
Who plays: 2 or 3 riders against each other; you judge and time.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Riders line up, one in each lane
- On "go" all ride toward the finish as slowly as they can
- A rider who puts a foot down or leaves the lane is out
- The last rider over the line wins. 5 races
- Fair play
- A grown-up rides with one hand behind the back.
- Points
- The seconds taken to reach the finish; the winner of each race also scores 3 bonus seconds.
- Fouls
- The race ends for that rider and scores nothing
- A foot down
- A wheel leaves the lane
- Stopping dead for more than 3 seconds before the finish
- Winning
- The most seconds after 5 races.
- 10 seconds for 1 star
- 15 seconds for 2 stars
- 20 seconds for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A wider lane.
A narrower lane; balance 3 seconds at the finish.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child looks down at the wheel
Eyes on a point ahead
Look at the finish line. - they grab the brakes and topple
Small brake, small pedal push
Little and often on both.
Self-check
10 m slow and straight in a time you note; beat it next week.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains balance at low speed, brake control.
Basic is done when the child rides a minute unaided, stops on a call, and rides a narrow straight lane seated and standing and a slalom of cones without a foot down.
awiseathlete.com/sports/cycling/cycling-b7