The Young Cyclist's Companion

'A comprehensive guide geared to the young cyclist. With its perky design and friendly tone, this manual provides readers with pretty much all the information they need to be confident and competent cyclists. The copious cartoon illustrations are mostly inclusive--cyclists of various ethnicities and skin color are depicted, The four main chapters ( The Right Bike for You ; Maintaining Your Bike ; Cycling Technique ; and Stepping It Up a Gear ) are laid out in easily understood pockets of information that include the anatomy of a bike, how to choose a bike for your needs, how to take care of it, how to ride safely and efficiently, and riding with a club. The information, with its practical delivery and fun, confident approach, obviously comes from direct experience. Kids will learn how to fix a flat, keep their bike in good shape, brake properly, and cycling safely on roadways, among many others, and the whole is sprinkled with quirky quotes from professional cyclists. The book is directed toward both boys and girls (and it does mention that competitive road cycling is male-centric, with the men's teams getting more attention and money--a commendable aside). While the measurements in this U.K. import are usually given in metric and some spelling is British, this shouldn't make any appreciable difference to American readers. The British hand signaling, however, differs from U.S. custom. A clear, fun, accessible, accurate, and encouraging guide for kids who love to bike'. -- Kirkus STARRED REVIEW A great non-fiction book for budding cyclists, well supported by photographs and illustrations. It's bright and catchy with a glossary that explains the specific vocabulary too. This would be a great gift for children who have shown interest in cycling'. -- Reading Zone 'With a clever blend of introductory explanation and more in-depth tips for budding enthusiasts, this comprehensive hardback guide to owning and riding a bicycle will appeal to a wide range of children in KS2. The information is well presented using a range of forms. With a contents page, timelines, cutaway and spider diagrams, labelling and annotations, radial charts, bullet points, numbered lists, fact boxes, captions, headings, subheadings, and a glossary and index, this is a useful text to use for teaching how to set out non-fiction information writing. The sections on bike maintenance, cleaning, road safety, what to do if you have an accident, hand signals, and how to go downhill safely are practical and particularly relevant to KS2 children taking cycling proficiency courses. It's not all dry information either - there's a fun element both in the bright page designs, funky cartoon characters and the chapters on wheelies and bunny hops. With many schools organising cycling proficiency courses in the second half of summer terms, as well as the uptake in cycling since lockdown, The Young Cyclist's Companion is an excellent addition to KS2 libraries and highly recommended for budding cyclists aged 7-11'. -- School Reading List 'The Young Cyclist's Companion is a brisk guide for the aspirant bike rider all the way from choosing a first bike to techniques for wheelies and bunny hops and the finer points of riding in a group. Peppered with inspirational quotes from pro cyclists as well as the likes of Freddie Mercury and Albert Einstein, it includes lots of practical advice on equipment, maintenance and road safety as well as fun facts from the history of bikes and bike racing. Whether you want know how to adjust your brakes to perfection, corner at speed or which side of your helmet straps the arms of your sunglasses should be on, all the key elements of riding and looking after your bike are covered with infectious enthusiasm. At 38 pages long it's short enough to be easily digestible for young readers and riders but those pages are packed with a surprisingly large amount of useful and entertaining information. Best of all it makes you want to get out and ride'. -- Bikemonger 'As we teach our children how to ride their bike, do we also aim to teach them the mechanics and care for their bike? I know I didn't but these would be skills useful to have for any age! Delving into this brilliant sized companion, readers will find history of the bicycle, tips for choosing a new bike and styles to choose from, not to mention road safety! With a mix of photos, illustrations and diagrams the pages are unique and interesting for all young cyclists. For those looking to invest more time and energy in cycling, there are pages about techniques, racing and group riding. A handy glossary in the back will tackle that new vocabulary and make the book easier to navigate. This would make an ideal starting point for Bike ability in schools and a fantastic gift for young cyclists. Buying a bike for someone as the summer approaches? Perhaps add a copy of this book to the gift!' -- My Shelves Are Full 'It'll be interesting to see to what extent the U.K.'s new-found love of cycling is sustained in years to come. So this book - a fantastic foray into the world of cycling and all things 'bike' for children, could not have come at a better time. Author, Peter Drinkell, makes a bold start with his opening gambit: Allow me to be a boring old fart for a moment and tell you about my first bike. He then goes on to say that This book is there for any young person who has been similarly bitten by the cycling bug. But don't be mistaken in thinking that this is a book only for the purists amongst us: it really is a book for anyone who happens to be into bikes, however much. This book would make the perfect gift and would also be a brilliant addition to upper key stage 2 book corners, especially with a view to children taking part in cycling proficiency!' -- The Literacy Tree