Whoops and yells of “I did it” regularly rang out through the trees at the Montavilla Community Center park during the six-session Tadpole Learn to Ride 2026 series! Out of the twelve kids aged 4-7 who attended at least one session, 5 kids were pedaling with confidence by the end, doing laps around the gravel path and across the grass.
While not strictly a mountain bike camp, most of these kids had bikes with knobby tires. We worked on balance, pushing off and pedaling – or just paddling along on balance bikes on pavement and off. We emphasized fun and adventure, with guidance along the way.
Each Saturday morning session was 90 minutes long, divided into groups for ages 4-5 and 6-7. Kids often learn effectively in small groups because it’s fun and they see other kids ride. This can work especially well for kids who are almost ready but not quite!
Our goal for this series is to work on learning to ride. Some of the kids were on bikes with training wheels, and they removed them during class to give balance a go; most of these kids got it down. Some of the youngest kids tried a pedal bike from our Littles fleet of 12”, 14”, and 16” loaner pedal bikes, but weren’t ready to give up their balance bike yet! But the idea got planted in their heads.
Three of the older kids were already proficient riders, so they got a mountain bike skills lesson from Coach Myles. They worked on standing up, riding over bumps, turning, ratcheting, and racing fast as well as slow.
Coach Elaine worked with the others, introducing braking, balance, and pedaling in a step-by-step fashion. Parents of the kids were on hand to provide additional support, potty breaks, snacks, and encouragement as needed!
We emphasized fun, effort, and curiosity, along with safety, of course, to spark adventure, whether or not each child was pedaling independently by the end. The kids made friends, learned a lot, improved noticeably, and had a great time. With five new riders and four more well on their way, we’d call that mission accomplished!