Odd as it may seem in a city of wide open spaces, weaving riding tracks and sunshine, teachers are stepping in to help children re-discover the freedom of riding a bike in Canberra, .
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Earlier this year The Canberra Times reported large numbers of children had stopped riding their bikes. The findings baffled cycling lobby Pedal Power, because in all other categories in a national participation survey for cycling, Canberra comes out on top.
The head of a junior school in North Canberra, Keith Roberts, who first felt the wind in his face as an eight-year-old riding to and from school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, wants to reverse the ACT trend.
Parents of children at Brindabella Christian School's Charnwood campus have told Mr Roberts fewer children ride bikes these days because making the time is difficult. Most parents drop their children off at school on the way to work in the city.
"They are happy to go down to the park with their children and throw a ball around, or take them down to the lake for a picnic, but exercise to and from school on a bike is just too hard," Mr Roberts said.
Throughout this year Mr Roberts has been coaxing children to ride bikes and spend more time exercising. "The hope is they will put down their iPads, get outside in the sunshine and play."
"We have signed up for the [ACT] Government's initiative to get children to walk and ride to school. We recently launched our program at school and I was surprised to see how few children can in fact ride a bicycle," he said.
Given 15 bikes and scooters for the government program, the children are getting their balance and confidence, improving their peripheral vision and gaining a better idea of how to judge traffic around them.
Pedal Power ACT executive officer John Armstrong says teaching children to ride well and to do it in a safe manner is as important as swimming lessons are to all Australians.
"Many states offer cycling education programs into the schools," Mr Armstrong said. "This has been identified as an important area to be reviewed by the ACT Government as part of their commitment to the outcomes of the Vulnerable Road User Inquiry handed down in August, 2014."
Mr Roberts aims to have children on bikes by the end of this year, or early next year. "We will walk, and walk and walk and at school, practice how to ride, ride ride," he said.
Fathers or grandfathers are accompanying children on some of their walks. A celebrity squad comprising a police officer, fireman, Liberal Member for Ginninderra Alistair Coe and Mr Roberts daughter, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee accompanied the walkers this week.
