Empowering Adventure: Beyond Boundaries Biking Programs
Think back to when you learned to ride a bike. The freedom and empowerment you felt taking off on your own and the independence that came with this new form of transportation. For many Beyond Boundaries participants, learning to ride a bike seemed impossible.
This year, we’ve piloted a new “Learn to Ride” program with WeeWheel. Thanks to generous donations from a private family foundation and a Capital Trail Outdoor Equity Fund grant, we built a fleet of bicycles suitable for riders of all levels. Combined with WeeWheel’s state-of-the-art facilities, we’ve been working to teach our participants a new skill while giving them the same sense of freedom many of us felt with our first bike ride. The impact has been incredible–many participants graduated from newbies to confident bike riders in just a few weeks.
“The bikes we’re using are from Strider, and they’ve been a great partner for the program. We decided to start this year with a pilot program with the Autism Society of Central VA (ASCV), working with six middle schoolers. We’re also partnering with Weewheel. They specialize in teaching kids how to ride at all levels and have an incredible indoor facility with tracks and obstacles,” explains George.
The Learn to Bike program meets at WeeWheel for a weekly dedicated lesson. By focusing on balance and braking, the participants can explore bikes and balance independently.
“Henry has always really enjoyed his scooter, and he’s good at balancing on things in a daredevil kind of way. Given his love of balancing and being outside, we thought that learning to bike would be a good fit,” says Kate Fletcher, mother of one of the participants.
Our Learn to Bike program teaches participants independence and empowers them to become competent cyclists. As we expand our biking programs, we hope to have participants join us on rides on both the Capital and Fall Line trails.
“So we are doing this in conjunction with the Capital Trail Foundation, and we are working on growing the community of cyclists in Richmond, and we want to get people the skills needed to take advantage of these trails. I’d love to see some cycling clubs start where we can take people who have learned to ride into the next step of their riding,” George says.
As the participants continue building their skills, they can explore more of the WeeWheel facility, trying different tracks, obstacles, and difficulty levels.
“I didn’t know WeeWheel even existed, but everyone there is so nice, and having that space available, the room with the obstacles, is the highlight of their week every week; it’s been a delight seeing our kids graduate to the bigger room. All of their parents smiled and were amazed by the program's effectiveness. To see Henry learn to bike is kind of a miracle. I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Kate says.
For George and the team at Beyond Boundaries, it’s exciting to see our core values of Access, Community, and Empowerment come to life.
“Learning to ride a bike is a fantastic way to promote independence and self-sufficiency, and it also allows you the opportunity to get outside, build fitness, and have fun. Riding bikes can also be a huge social tool. Being able to join in activities with peers is huge,” George states.
Our Learn to Bike program is still developing, but we’re excited to see the progress unfold! Contact us to volunteer or donate if you’d like to get involved. See you on the trails!