How to Register
Courses are listed in the table below - click the link for your chosen course/date and complete the online form.
Click on the Venue to locate it on a map
Contact us / Further information
| The Next Courses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Fee | Date | Venue | Status |
| Essential Skills (men and women) | $0 | Sunday 30 June 2013 | Rouse Hill Town Centre | Registration Not yet open |
| Safe Commuting | $0 | Sunday 30 June 2013 | Rouse Hill Town Centre | Registration Not yet open |
"Bike for Life" is a Bike North initiative, offering professional coaching and advice to the community. The courses are heavily subsidised by Bike North, though a small fee may be charged to help cover the costs of venue hire, food and drink at courses. We offer the bike riding and bike maintenance courses listed below, sessions are scheduled over the year.
See below for more information on these courses and to see if one is right for you! If you have further questions please email us or phone Bike 4 Life on (02) 8188 2084 (Option 1).
About the Courses
| Essential Cycling Skills | |
|---|---|
| Who should do this course? | This course is designed for those people who can ride a bike, but who would like to improve confidence and basic skills to enjoy riding more often. |
| Pre-requisites | You just need to be able to balance and ride a bike. |
| What's in the course? | The course covers the basic skills required to ride a bike on shared user paths or cycleways and quiet back streets, with practical emphasis on increasing confidence. Starting, stopping, cornering, one handed riding (for signalling) slow riding, manoeuvring...There will be a session on basic maintenance where everyone will get the chance to change a rear tyre, and topics such as cleaning the bike and checking it for problems will be discussed. At the end of the day a Q&A session with the coaches should help to consolidate the information from the rest of the day. |
| How is the course structured? | There are three parts to this course.
|
| Do I need to be fit? | As this course is designed for people who wish to improve and increase their cycling, only limited physical fitness is expected to complete the course. During the course you will spend several sessions riding around on a flat surface, practising skills. The buddy rides will stretch you a little further, though they often include a "coffee stop" for a break and to discuss anything which has come up during the ride. |
| What do I need to bring? | A mechanically sound bicycle and an Australian Standards approved helmet. |
| Safe Commuting & Road Cycling | |
|---|---|
| Who should do this course? | For those people with good basic skills but who need to develop skills and knowledge associated with riding on roads and commuting by bicycle. |
| Pre-requisites | You should have basic skills such as starting and stopping, cornering, signalling (one handed riding), looking behind etc. Puncture repair and basic maintenance. |
| What's in the course? | Dealing with intersections both controlled and uncontrolled and including roundabouts, manoeuvring in tight spaces, how to cope with motor traffic, equipment, tools and strategies for safe commuting... Maintenance to keep your bike roadworthy and safe. |
| How is the course structured? | A single day course. |
| Do I need to be fit? | It is assumed that you will have average or slightly better fitness. During the course you will be riding on (quiet) roads including some climbing and descending. |
| What do I need to bring? | A mechanically sound bicycle and an Australian Standards approved helmet. In addition you may wish to bring any toolkit you normally carry on rides. |
| Essential Maintenance | |
|---|---|
| Who should do this course? | Learn to replace an inter-tube on a ride after a puncture Deal with simple on-ride mechanical issues such as realigning a slipped chain, keeping your bike in reasonable running order, cleaning the frame and components / chain lubrication. Learning to spot wear and other problems before they become serious |
| What's in the course? | The BN volunteers will assist participants to practice on their own bikes
|
| Is there something particular you want to learn? | The course form provides a space for you to let us known if you have something you particularly want to learn about the mechanics your bike. The BN volunteers on the day may be able to cover this / help you "tweak" your bike. |
| What do I need to bring? | Your bicycle and an Australian Standards approved helmet. Participants should bring the toolkit they normally carry on rides. If you do not have a repair kit (including recommended tyre levers), there will be some for sale at the course. |
| How is the course structured? | 3hour session with tea break, drinks/food provided You work on your bike with the assistance of BN volunteer mechanics Bike North will provide additional bike tools/ cleaning gear etc for participants to use on the day. |
| Advanced Maintenance | |
|---|---|
| Who should do this course? | If you are wanting to able to make adjustments to brakes, gears, chain or wheels, and handle on-ride mechanical adjustments. |
| What's in the course? |
|
| What do I need to bring? | Your bicycle that you might want to make adjustments to make your cycling a smother / more efficient ride. Australian Standards approved helmet. The toolkit you normally carry on rides. |
| How is the course structured? | 3hour session with tea break drinks/food provided You work on your bike with the assistance of BN volunteer mechanics Bike North will provide bike stands and additional bike tools for participants to use on the day |
Accredited Coaches
Checking the bike
Bike for Life courses are Our taught by Cycling Australia Accredited coaches. You can Meet the coaches here. Bike Mechanic courses are coordinated by Bike North coaches and volunteer mechanics.
Bike North Easy Rides
These are social rides of approximately 18-25 km and average 15/16km per hour over the ride with some catch-up stops and a longer coffee shop stop. Checkout the Bike North Rides Calendar for detail and description of the different easy graded rides. Contact the Ride Leader of the ride you intend to join and let them know you have come from the Bike for Life course.
Practising your skills and increasing bike fitness.
A little more air in that tyre
For those who need to increase their basic fitness on the bike there is nothing better that getting out and riding, so we encourage participants to practice on their own or with friend who can already ride confidently. Once you have finished the buddy rides - you may want to do a couple of rides of about 15 km in distance around cycle friendly places like Sydney Olympic Park/Centennial Park/ Parramatta Park, before going on a Bike North easy ride of 25km. Alternatively you could do some regular shorter rides around your local streets/cycle paths.
Cycle fitness includes a number of things and is not just about speed of riding. For beginner cyclists - cycle fitness is more about being able to physically tolerate being on a bike for an hour or two (including getting your bottom used to your bike seat and your hands/wrists used to the hanging on to the handlebar) and maintaining concentration when you are getting fatigued (eg paying attention to smooth stopping and starting towards the end of the ride not just the beginning).
A Bike North easy ride at Olympic Park
Further information
Please email bike4life@bikenorth.org.au
OR Call the Bike 4 Life information line : (02) 8188 2084 (Option 1).
Last update: 12/05/2013 — Copyright © 2005