This blog was co-written by BYCS and Outride.
Introduction
The increased use of cycling for transportation has a number of benefits for individuals, communities, and the planet. There are a number of barriers to increasing the use of cycling. One of these challenges is the seasonality of cycling, especially for people new to cycling.
Amongst organisations who promote and support the uptake of cycling, there is often an increase in activities as the weather gets nicer and then a decline in activities as periods of poor weather set in. In many contexts, though, this pause can mean 5-6 months with no engagement, resulting in reduced retention of skills and knowledge, reduced interest and stimulation to cycle, and reduced connection to the cycling community. This often results in higher attrition in programmes and longer periods before new cyclists can begin cycling regularly.
There are, however, a number of examples of organisations who, with a range of creative solutions, have figured out how to maintain engagement with new cyclists, even during periods of less-than-ideal weather. In this blog, we highlight a number of these inspiring examples in order to hopefully stimulate other organisations to continue their engagement with participants throughout periods of inclement weather, hopefully leading to higher uptake of cycling.
Examples
Bike Bridge (Germany)
In Hamburg, a city in northern Germany, where winters are particularly cold, we occasionally utilized an indoor sports facility to practice cycling skills, such as maintaining balance with balance bikes, navigating bike slalom courses, and integrating traffic regulations in playful and creative ways. In some areas, you can even find indoor bike parks that are ideal for hosting training sessions during the winter months.
When indoor cycling practice isn’t possible, we often focus on other indoor activities such as pilates, yoga, and dance classes, that our participants expressed interest in to keep in touch with them and keep them physically active during the colder, darker months of the year.
Arcy Canumay and Waterloo Bike Bus (Canada)
A creative strategy is to make it fun for everyone to keep riding their bikes. We had a really cold bike bus ride last November 22nd with a wind chill (Feels like) -3 C. We sang to the music while biking to keep everyone warm. We had so much fun that day!
Safety is the main priority for the Waterloo Bicycle Bus. We make sure that we are seen and heard by people around us. Our lead parent established a weather standard for a go or no go for the bike bus. If the temperature is 2 C (or higher) and clear or 15 C (or higher) and raining lightly then the bike bus will run that day. Each parent will still decide if they will let their kid(s) join us but most kids want to join.
Outride (USA)
Outride is a non-profit organization that provides research, cycling programs, and funding to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of biking. One of their main programs is Riding for Focus, a school-based rider education program that promotes cycling as an outlet for students to improve wellbeing. Schools are provided with everything they need to get their students riding, including bikes, helmets, curriculum, and teacher training. The program is now in nearly 400 schools across the United States and Canada, ranging in geographical locations from California to Florida, to Maine and Minnesota, to British Columbia and New Brunswick.
Many of the schools Outride works with endure long, harsh winters, yet still have thriving cycling programs. Below are a few examples of how different teachers have found creative ways to keep their students engaged over the winter months.
Jeff Sanders, Sullivan STEAM School, Minneapolis (USA)
During the winter months, when outdoor biking may not be feasible due to snow or cold, we continue to engage students in a variety of cycling-related activities. These include working on bike maintenance skills like cleaning and adjusting equipment, helmet upkeep, and hands-on projects like building “Frankenbikes” from old parts. Students also participate in indoor bike rodeos, where the students design, implement, and ride obstacle courses in our gymnasium (Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-JpHLN4lGA).
We may also practice trip planning using Google Maps to calculate distances and times, taking into account different riding abilities. Additionally, we host events throughout the year such as staff maintenance classes led by BikeMN and Family Night, where students introduce their parents to the joy of biking, often teaching them how to ride for the first time. These activities keep students connected to cycling while developing practical skills and engaging the community.
Natasha Lattin, Irving Middle School, Pocatello, Idaho (USA)
The Department of Transportation has provided us with decks of cards with traffic safety and road rules. When the weather is really bad, we may take some time to do trivia sessions with these cards, a fun way to encourage students to learn about rules of the road while riding. We may also take some time to encourage students to create achievable goals for riding during the semester. For example, working towards riding a certain distance, tackling a local hill, or just getting more comfortable riding their bike.
We have 5 stationary trainers set up in the classroom that students can ride when they want to get some energy out. The trainers are also a great way for students who have never ridden before to get a feel for what it feels like to be on a bike, learn about shifting gears, and feel the pedaling motion. We hope to acquire more trainers to be able to run sort of a “spin class” session during the winter months to keep students active and engaged.
Ben Rollenhagen, Physical Education and Sport Faculty, Central Michigan University (USA)
Ben Rollenhagen is one of the original creators of Outride’s Riding for Focus curriculum. He’s worked with hundreds of educators to implement school cycling programs, and shares a few insights from what he’s learned below:
In the “off-season”, some teachers have experimented with using indoor cycling trainers while the students watch interactive videos. When riding isn’t an option, two common themes come up: cross-training with other fitness initiatives (e.g. balance, strength, and coordination development that supplement cycling) and “flipping the classroom” by covering other benefits of cycling with the students (e.g. learning about riding in adverse conditions, route planning, nutrition and hydration, connections with STEM, and maintenance). Teachers may even bring in pedestrian training and do riding etiquette while walking.
Share Your Ideas
Organizations around the world have found innovative ways to keep participants engaged, active, and connected to cycling even when the weather is less than optimal. From setting up riding courses indoors, to skill-building workshops and cross-training, the strategies shared here highlight how program providers can overcome barriers due to weather. Such initiatives not only help sustain interest, but can also reinforce a sense of community among participants.
We hope the examples shared here inspire you to think creatively about how you can engage your participants in cycling throughout the entire year. But we know that there are many other great examples out there, and we’d love to hear from you! What strategies have you used to encourage cycling during extreme weather, whether it’s cold winters, scorching hot summers, or extended periods of rain? Send us an email (alex@bycs.org) and we will update the blog!
About BYCS / Outride
BYCS is an Amsterdam-based global NGO guided by the belief that bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world. We envision an urban future in which half of city trips are by bicycle by the end of the decade. Our mission is to nurture, strengthen, and scale community-led cycling initiatives globally, through a focus on what we call “the human infrastructure of cycling”, as we strive towards this bold vision that we call 50×30.
Outride provides research, cycling programs, and funding to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling. Since 2012, we have partnered with nearly 400 schools, and provided funding to over 250 community cycling programs, impacting over 50,000 youth annually.