When I retired from road racing in 2014, I traded race numbers for school gyms, parking lots and a lot of small bikes. For the next 11 years at Cycling BC, I coordinated, then managed, then directed the youth program that started as iRide and grew into what is now Canada’s national grassroots program, HopOn.
It changed how I think about coaching, and it changed how I ride.
From iRide to HopOn
iRide brought free rental bikes and trained instructors into schools, so every student could ride, not just the kids who already owned a bike. Over the years the program grew to reach more than 10,000 kids a year in British Columbia. In 2021, Cycling Canada launched HopOn as a national introductory program modelled on iRide, and in 2022 iRide took on the HopOn name in BC.
What it taught me
Functional movement comes first
Watching thousands of kids learn to ride made one thing obvious: riding is a set of basic movement skills stacked together. Balance, braking, looking ahead, shifting your weight, and getting on and off the bike safely. When those foundations are solid, the “advanced” skills come quickly. When they’re missing, no amount of fitness makes up for it. That is just as true for a Masters rider as it is for a grade four student.
How people learn matters as much as what they learn
Building instructor training for the program pushed me to understand the learning needs behind every session: short demonstrations, lots of practice time, games that make repetition fun, and feedback that is specific and kind. Good sessions meet riders where they are. That thinking later shaped my master’s research on how coaches learn, and it shapes every plan I write today.
Slow-speed skills rebuilt my confidence on dirt
As a road racer, I was comfortable at 50 km/h in a tight bunch, and surprisingly uncomfortable at walking pace on a rough trail. Teaching slow-speed skills every day, like track stands, tight turns, controlled braking and balance drills, made me practise them too. Since retiring from road cycling, those skills have given me far more confidence riding on dirt and gravel. It’s a reminder that “basic” skills are never really finished.
Thank you
To the instructors, teachers, schools, partners and families who made iRide and HopOn possible: thank you. Every one of those sessions made me a better coach.
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