You're cycling along Richmond’s beautiful dyke system, towards your end goal of Garry Point Park where the majesty of the Pacific Ocean awaits.
And then it happens.
The undeniable – and unfortunate – hissing sound that signals a flat tire. With no experience changing a tube, your ride might be over, do you call an Uber? There’s a simple way to keep going.
HUB Cycling is offering a series of how-to courses at Richmond’s Thompson Community Centre for anyone aged 18 to 65 from July to the end of August.
The upcoming courses are designed for quite literally everyone: those who never learned as a child; new riders who have a fear of falling or cycling in the city; or others who simply couldn’t afford lessons. The upcoming HUB lessons alleviate any price pain points with a fee of just $15, plus GST.
“Perhaps they’ve never ridden a bike before and want to learn or they know how to ride a bike but are looking to improve their cycling skills,” explains HUB Cycling’s StreetWise manager Alexis Thibeault. “And then we have other customers who are looking to get more comfortable with riding on the road or would like to learn basic bike maintenance skills such as how to fix a flat tire.”
HUB Cycling is the go-to charitable cycling non-profit organization in Metro Vancouver and has spent more than 25 years removing barriers to cycling in the region while cultivating active transportation's health, environmental and economic benefits for everyone.
“Cycling is a skill that opens up many doors in the city and can be very useful both as a form of active transportation as well as for leisure – learning to ride is a very rewarding experience for all who have taken our courses,” Thibeault says.
The Beginner Bike Skills dates run July 6, 20, Aug. 10 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will be placed in small, interactive groups to learn and practice fundamental bike handling skills such as balance, braking, steering and pedalling.
Intermediate Bike Skills dates include July 6, 20 and Aug. 10 and 24 from 2 to 4 p.m.. It’s here that participants expand upon their cycling skills through drills, basic road cycling skills and the rules of the road.
Basic Bike Maintenance dates include July 25 and Aug. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will learn maintenance tips that can be done at home to prolong a bike’s life, as well as how to properly lock a bike to prevent bike theft or change a flat tire.
You're always in good hands with HUB as each instructor goes through a two-day training specific to these courses on top of a full season of experience leading the Bike to School programs. Bikes and helmets are provided, though those in maintenance courses are encouraged to bring their own; wear comfortable clothing and bring water.
“Participants who are nervous can be assured that we have used the methods from these courses on hundreds of other adults in the Metro Vancouver area,” Thibeault says. “All participants can go at their own pace, as well as take as many breaks as required.” Based on surveys and instructor feedback, at least 75% of first-time riders were successfully cycling by the end of the two-hour course.
Ready to ride with confidence? Book your spot in a course today! Whether you're learning to ride for the first time, improving your skills or mastering bike maintenance, HUB Cycling’s expert instructors will guide you every step of the way. Visit bikehub.ca and follow Hub Cycling on Facebook.
