Cycling Skills Course—structured, progressive, and fun. Skills for Life!

Four-Step Progressive Lesson Plan Bike Skills

One: Bike Basics & Handling Confidence

Theme: “I go where I look” – Mastering the Foundations

Bike Familiarity:

• “Just like driving a car”: Understanding how bikes respond.

• Where are my brakes? (Front vs. rear and how to use them)

• Hand positions on the handlebars

• Shifting basics – when and why we shift

Control & Confidence:

• “I go where I look” – head and body alignment

• Starting gear setup

• Clipping in and out: Lead foot technique

Drills:

• Start-Stop: clip in/clip out practice

• Start-Stop with shifting

• Turning focus: looking ahead and through the turn

• Start-Stop + turn left / right

• Cornering basics

Group Ride Simulation:

• Ride a square with 4 corners – “Follow the Leader” drill with stops

• Serpentine line: looking, turning, flow

Lesson Two: Control & Cornering Under Load

Theme: “Ride smooth. Ride aware.”

Warm-up: Parking lot review ride, follow the leader

Single-hand control:

• Reaching for bottles – eyes up, one hand down

• Progressive one-hand riding drills

Cornering Technique:

• Inside-outside-inside line, body position, use of drops

Cone drills: in and out, slow-to-fast

Applied Skills:

• Shifting before, during, and after corners

Intro to Group Riding:

• Communication basics

• How to ride in a small group (3–4 riders)

• Follow the leader with rotating leaders

Lesson Three: Group Riding & Advanced Maneuvers

Theme: “Ride with others. Ride with trust.”

Warm-up: Follow the leader (group cohesion)

Advanced Turning:

• Serpentine in a confined box (tight turns)

• Hot dog turns (out-and-back with 180° pivot)

Group Riding Drills:

• Two-by-two riding

• Touch drills – safe contact with shoulders/elbows to build confidence

• Intro to double pace line riding (how to switch)

Lesson Four: Flow, Tactics & Terrain

Theme: “Ride the road. Ride the rhythm.”

Rolling Turns:

• Practicing smooth group rotation (through-and-off)

Tactical Movement:

• Attacking from a group and safely slotting back in

• Position changes mid-corner

Terrain Work:

• Hills: shifting early, standing technique

• Descending: safe lines, braking zones, body position

Optional Add-ons / Considerations:

• Daily debriefs with Q&A and reflection.

• Video review if possible for cornering or group riding form.

• Pre-ride checklists: tire pressure, brakes, saddle height, cleats, etc.

• Encourage journaling: “What did I learn today?” – helps solidify skills.