Change 4 Life: Pupils saddle up for Bikeability training in Chester

Jul 2 2009 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

Change 4 Life: Pupils saddle up for Bikeability training in Chester

SCHOOLCHILDREN across Chester have been putting wheels in motion for a cycling initiative to help them Change 4 Life.

Year 6 pupils have signed up to complete Bikeability training – a cycling proficiency course which aims to get as many youngsters on their bikes before they head to high school.

Gareth Lewis, Bikeability training co-ordinator, is delighted with how eagerly the schools took the scheme on board.

He said: “I am really pleased how all the schools have taken it on board, they have seen all the benefits of training. It has been really easy to persuade them to do it.

“Our target is to double the number of cyclists in the Chester area, to get more people cycling more often, and one of the ways we can do that is from the Bikeability training.”

Everyone who completes the Bikeability course receives a certificate and, as well as being safe on the roads, the training helps to keep participants fit and healthy.

The course is in two stages and, once completed, children are able to cycle to and from school to keep their overall fitness levels up. Cycling can also contribute towards children’s 60 minutes of physical activity that gets their heart beating faster than usual every day.

And youngsters at Overleigh Primary School who had completed the training were able to showcase what they had learned in a demonstration held before the penultimate stage of the Tour Series began in the city centre last Tuesday evening.

The Tour Series featured many of the world’s top sprint cyclists battling for honours in a series of races across the UK.

For more details about Bikeability, visit www.cyclechester. com/training.htm.