If you haven’t been on a bike for a while, or want to take your confidence and bike handling skills to a new level, then Adult Bike Skills training with Paul Odlin is for you.

These sessions are fully funded by Christchurch City Council and range from providing the basics such as how to fit a helmet and using gears correctly, to helping you travel through intersections, and navigating on-road cycle lanes.

Paul provides personalised advice in a supportive environment with the aim of giving you the skills and confidence to ride across different road environments. The workshops are done in small groups of four to six people and you can also arrange a group session of your own with whānau, friends or colleagues.

Sessions are open to anyone aged 16 years old and over. 

Visit christchurchcyclecoaching.co.nz/workshops(external link) to register for a free Adult Bike Skills course or to enquire about a group booking.

If you are new to riding, haven't been on a bike for a while, or are looking to develop your bike handling skills, then this relaxed practical session is for you. It's for those who can already ride a bike, but want to practice bike control, including using the brakes and gears correctly.

It will get you riding independently with ease and confidence in a traffic-free environment. This session will take 45-60 minutes.

This session will cover

  • Learn how to check and fit a helmet.
  • Basic bike introduction and check.
  • Braking, using gears correctly, bike control.
  • Bike handling skills, look backs and signalling for those looking to progress to the next level.

Take your riding to the next level by embarking on shared paths and quiet roads. This course goes through how to choose safe routes, on-road bike handling skills and how to communicate with other path/road users.

The course will start with practising some basic bike skills and a summary of the Park Rides bike skills course, before heading out to explore the local area by bike. By the end of the session you can expect to have learned skills which you can utilise to ride on shared paths, separated cycleways and quieter roads. This session will take 45-60 minutes.

This session will cover

  • An understanding of road signs and road rules and their relation to bike riders.
  • Learn about riding on a shared path and quiet roads including:
    • positioning
    • passing side roads and parked cars
    • turning left into and out of intersections
    • turning right into and out of intersections
    • travelling straight through an intersection and route planning

This session is for people who already ride on the road and would like some tips and pointers to be able to ride more confidently and safely in heavier traffic.

This course will include a summary of the Park Ride and Neighbourhood Ride courses and begin on quiet streets to cover basic road position and turning left, right and straight through minor intersections. It will then progress to busier roads and cover riding in on-road cycle lanes, negotiating roundabouts, traffic lights and more complex intersections. This session will take 45-60 minutes.

This session will cover

  • Riding in multi-lane roundabouts, traffic lights and on-road cycle lanes.
  • Turning right in heavy traffic/hook turns.
  • Complex intersections.

General

  • Registration is required for all courses to attend (due to limited capacity).
  • Registrations close at least 48 hours before each session.
  • Location and other details will be sent to you once registered.

On the day

  • Please try to arrive 10 minutes before the course start time.
  • Courses are weather dependent.

What to bring

  • Your bike and helmet.
  • Comfortable clothing.
  • Appropriate shoes with a closed in toe such as sneakers (no jandals).
  • Sunscreen or rain jacket depending on the weather.
  • Water bottle and snacks.

Group Bookings

Get in touch with our instructor Paul Odlin to arrange a group booking.

Group bookings range from four to six participants depending on the course option. Each course can be tailored to suit the knowledge of the participants.