Does a cycle training course improve cycling skills in children?

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the short-term effects of cycle training on basic cycling skills in children from the 4th grade of elementary school. Furthermore, the influence of gender, socio-economic status (SES) and initial cycling skills level on the effects of the cycle training was investigated. Methods: Five participating schools were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 3) or control condition (n = 2). Children's cycling skills were assessed, using a practical cycling test, at baseline and immediately after the intervention. At baseline, all participating children received a short parental questionnaire on child's demographic and family factors. After the pre-test, cycle training took place only in the intervention schools. Repeated measure analyses were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the cycle training. Results: The cycle training had a statistically significant effect on children's total cycling skill (F=46.9, p < 0.001). On mounting the bicycle and start to cycle (F=2.6, p=0.11), cycling one handed (F=2.0, p = 0.16), and cycling on a sloping surface (F=1.5, p=0.23), no statistically significant effects were detected. On all other cycling skills, time x condition interaction effects were statistically significant. Gender, SES and initial cycling skills level had no significant influence on the effects of the cycle training. Conclusion: This study showed that a cycle training of only three sessions was effective to improve children's cycling skills at short term and that cycle training within a traffic-free environment seems to be a useful first step in the development of safe cycling behaviors. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.