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On the heels of its successful spring program, Cycling BC introduces summer bike camp for kids

The iRide Summer Camp begins on July 6, running until August 14.
The iRide Summer Camp begins on July 6, running until August 14.
The iRide Summer Camp begins on July 6, running until Aug. 14.

This past spring, more than 10,000 B.C. schoolkids received the best kind of pre-summer education possible, or at least one that’s pretty high on the list. Under the tutelage of Cycling BC’s certified, exhaustively-trained coaches, these kids learned the ins and outs of safe cycling—a good skill to learn in one of Canada’s best, most beautiful provinces for biking.

Building on that success, Cycling BC is expanding the program for summer. They’re calling it the iRide Summer Camp.

It’s a summer camp with one goal: to introduce young cyclists—between 8 and 13—to the multifaceted world of cycling, but critically, to do so while keeping cycling fun. Expect fewer in-class seminars and more practical, hands-on sessions about how to maintain your bike properly, to ride trails, to pedal on a velodrome, ride BMX and more—all while keeping essential teaching about road skills as part of the curriculum. The difference here is that British Columbia’s kids can learn these skills in a way, way more fun environment than a school’s pylon-festooned parking lot. Instead, kids will learn at the Burnaby Velodrome just outside Vancouver, using nearby mountain bike trails, BMX park and the velodrome itself.

Not only that, but essentials such as helmets—not to mention bikes—will be provided to the kids, with the option to purchase that equipment when the camp comes to an end. Registration is open now, costs $125 and those camps are filling up quickly, Cycling BC says.

For parents, here’s the real perk: the camps run weekly from July 6 to Aug. 14, Monday to Friday. What better way to get the kids out of the house than on a bike?