A Fleet Finds Its Riders
Last year, we told you about a new mobile bike fleet that hit the ground rolling across Southern Alberta: a mix of subsidized and donated bikes (and a trailer) that gave kids in Treaty 7 territory access to land they'd never explored on two wheels before. That fleet was made possible through the Calgary Foundation, the Government of Alberta's Community Initiatives Program, and hands-on support from Ridley's Cycle in Calgary, who worked with us to find a great price on bikes and taught our team basic bike maintenance so the fleet could stay on the road (or trail) all season.
A year later, that same spirit of "yes, let's figure it out" showed up in an unexpected place: a kindergarten classroom at TaOtha Community School.
When the Youngest Voices Lead
This spring, we shared the story of TaOtha's littlest riders in a blog called Trailblazers of TaOtha. It's worth revisiting here, because it captures exactly what a bike fleet like this one makes possible.
Last fall, when Spirit North rolled into TaOtha with our fleet of bikes, the kids were thrilled. But the bikes were too big for the kindergarteners. Rather than sit it out, the youngest students at TaOtha did what any born adventurer would do: with support from their teacher, Dana, they wrote a letter to their principal, Mr. Green. It said simply, "We want small bikes."
Mr. Green listened. Smaller bikes arrived before the snow did, and soon, TaOtha's youngest riders had gone from training wheels to two-wheel balance right alongside their older classmates.
“It feels like everything we’re trying to do came together in that one moment. It’s about building those relationships where a student feels empowered to ask for an opportunity, and we (the teachers, the principal, their mentors) simply say ‘Yes.’”
None of this happens without a bike fleet built to reach schools like TaOtha in the first place, which is proof that the donors who back our Southern Alberta travelling fleet aren't just funding equipment, they're funding the moment a five-year-old finds their voice and their balance in the same breath.
For Lexie Obey, Spirit North's Southern Alberta Regional Coordinator, that moment never gets old. “Teaching and watching kids learn how to ride bikes is the most magical part of our programming. You get to watch self-belief build in real time as all the skills fall into place, and the progression of what's possible on two wheels feels endless,” she says.
Looking Ahead
Now the kids are asking their next question:
"When can we ride again?"
This June, Spirit North (supported by two PMBIA instructors) brought the students from TaOtha and Nakoda Elementary together at Black Mountain to ride some brand-new bike trails. Students from both schools enjoyed a day of adventure on the land: laughing together, challenging themselves, and continuing to find their own version of "I got this."
Deep Roots in Northern BC's Bike Programs
While Southern Alberta's fleet is newer, Spirit North's bike programs in Northern BC have been building momentum and community trust for years.
Program facilitator Chris Paulson has watched a new generation of riders find their footing this season, with no two journeys alike. A key to that has been the run (balance) bikes: kids not yet ready to pedal can ride alongside their peers on run bikes, moving freely between the two as confidence builds. The moment it clicks is unmistakable, and Chris says the kids' rallying cry just before they take off pedaling is simply, "I GOT THIS."
“What’s remarkable is that the whole school gets engaged in the new pedaller’s journey and when they do get those first pedals in, the adults all have a tear in their eyes.”
Brake control and trail skills open up bigger adventures still. After weeks of laps around the schoolyard, one group finally launched onto the trail system bordering their school. About a kilometre in, the group stopped and a Nadleh Whut'en student laid their bike down, chain-side up, and declared: "This is an adventure!! A real-life adventure!!" The ride was made even more memorable by fairy doors and forest forts the class had built along the trail in the weeks prior.
As Chris puts it: "Adventure begins where safety resides." Before hitting the trails, every rider works through safety awareness training (weather, wildlife, terrain, and trail etiquette rooted in IMBA's universal trail responsibilities) so that when the apprehension lifts, kids feel genuinely empowered to ride into the forest.
