What you'll do
Ride for transportation, exercise or competition! If you like traveling, tinkering or racing, you probably like cycling. Along with taking you from place to place using no fossil fuels, bikes can teach you about safety skills and keep you fit.
Levels of learning
Get started with 4-H'ers in your area
- Find a club near you or contact your local 4-H office for more info.
Get started on your own
- National 4-H bicycle activity books (for sale)
- Discover 4-H mountain biking activity book (free download)
- The health benefits of cycling (Victoria, Australia government)
Extending your learning
Do a presentation for your 4-H club, school class, or local government on:
- The health benefits of cycling to individuals and to communities
- Make a poster showing how a bike helmet should fit
- Do a demonstration on biking safety or repair
- Is there a program in your area to help low-income people afford bikes? If there is, volunteer your time there.
- Find out what plans your city or county has for adding bike lanes or bike paths to their transportation mix.
- Plan and run a bike rodeo to teach bike safety and riding skills.
- Encourage your school to install bike racks so students and teachers can ride to school.
Fairs and exhibits
Make a poster or video or give a talk about:
- Road safety and proper cycling gear
- How to repair or maintain a bicycle
- The physics and aerodynamics of cycling
- The role of the bicycle in feminist history
- What are the personal health benefits of cycling?
- What are the public health benefits of cycling?
- Materials used to make bicycles
- Which cities in the U.S. have the most bicycle commuters? Why? (one is in Minnesota!)
- What is a judge looking for? (evaluation sheet)
Future study and careers
Bicycle designers may study product design in college. Kinesiology is the study of human movement, including sports. To repair or sell bicycles, you'll learn on the job.
You could have a job selling, repairing or designing bicycles. Transportation planners decide where bike paths and bike lanes will be.
Reviewed in 2018