Bikepool-A School-Based Program to Teach Children How to Bike.

Abstract

Background: Cycling contributes substantially to public health and sustainable mobility. For children and adolescents, safe participation in active transport depends on the acquisition of age-appropriate cycling competences. Schools offer a unique setting to promote cycling skills with broad and equitable reach. This study evaluates bikepool, a large-scale, school-based cycling program implemented across the German federal state of Hesse.

Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted using a quasi-experimental pre-post design. Cycling competence changes were measured in secondary school students (N = 182) with a standardized skills test developed for this study. Self-reported cycling frequency was assessed via questionnaires in an intervention group (n = 109) and a control group (n = 112). Subgroup analyses examined whether intervention effects differed by initial skill level.

Results: Students' safety-related cycling performance improved significantly following participation in the program across most test components. The largest absolute gains were observed among students with the lowest baseline cycling competence. In contrast, participation in the program was not associated with higher self-reported cycling frequency compared with nonparticipating students.

Conclusions: As a large-scale, school-based program, bikepool can significantly improve students' cycling competence across several safety-related cycling tasks. However, competence gains alone did not translate into increased cycling frequency, underscoring the need for multicomponent strategies that include supportive social and environmental conditions. Beyond intervention effects, the study points to blind spots in cycling-related physical activity research, particularly the lack of standardized assessments of cycling competence and limited surveillance of children's ability to participate safely in active mobility.