Celebrate Bike to School Week with these tips

Editor’s note: This article was updated March 12, 2021.

Every year, Canadians celebrate Bike to School Week. You can take part by encouraging your child or student to ride to school during this week and beyond. When done safely, cycling to and from school leads to children who are healthy, happy, and ready to study from fresh air and exercise.

Here are five tips to support your child’s biking adventures to school:

1. Safety first. Watch these videos to make sure your child wears a properly fitted helmet and knows how to bike safely on the road.
2. Help your child brush up on his or her pedalling skills. Also make sure that the bike is adjusted properly and tuned up.
3. Tie loose pant legs with a string or elastic to ensure clothing doesn’t get caught up in the gears.
4. Find a safe route. Go to Google Maps with your child and find one or two bicycle-friendly routes to his or her school.
5. Ensure your child has a bike lock and knows the combination. Check to see that the school has bike racks or a safe area to lock his or her bike.

If you want to read more, we have many articles on how to help your child enjoy biking safely.