The course started Monday evening and will continue for the next three days at the parking lot of the Stephen’s Lake Park Activity Center, hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Only two students were enrolled for the course by Monday night and they were taught by two PedNet staffers, Eric Bunch and Pam Thorne. Thorne has taught children and adults over the last couple of years but this was Bunch’s first time teaching children after receiving his certification as a League Cycling Instructor from the League of American Bicyclists this past March. This is also the first BikePro class in which the teachers are being paid as part of the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program grant awarded to Columbia.

The class started at 5:30 pm and the students were shown how to inspect the air pressure of their bike tires, the brakes and their chains and cranks. Then the bike riding began.

"Two of the most important things you’ll learn in this class are starting and stopping," Thorne said to the children.

As skills developed over the next hour, more tasks were added to the list: the children had to maintain a straight path while keeping a safe distance from cones and tennis balls set to represent cars and curbs, and then they were taught to scan and signal for turns.

The lessons were punctuated with a short true/false style quiz and ended with two races, the first for speed and the latter for steadiness.

Parent Michelle Marshall said she read about the class in the paper and thought it could help her daughter Rachel with cycling safety.

"She’s a pretty good bicyclist but I’d feel more comfortable with her on the road and trails with some formal safety training," said Marshall.

Rachel appeared to enjoy the class, despite having summer school and swimming lessons earlier in the day.

"My favorite part was winning the race," said Rachel.

Convincing her to attend was not particularly hard, either, Marshall said.

"It seems to have more authority if it comes from somebody other than your parents," she said, laughing.

In the final class on Thursday evening, Thorne and Bunch will take the students on a six to seven mile ride on the road from the Stephen’s Lake Park area down Old 63 into a residential area and back.

The two were only slightly disappointed by the low registration number.

"The small [classes] go faster and smoother," said Thorne.

Bunch also noted that the children’s classes have more to do with fun than the larger issues of transportation.

"I personally enjoy the adult classes the most because it encourages that mode-share shift," said Bunch.

But Bunch and Thorne agreed that it’s positive to start kids biking at a young age.

"Just to see how easily you can get around by bike," said Thorne.

Reported by: Zach Shlachter