First meters of Brainport Bike School completed!

The Brainport Bike School is the place to learn to ride a bike. Whether you've never ridden a bike before or are a bit insecure in traffic: at the school you'll learn to ride a bike like a local! Imke Marks, project leader of the Brainport Bike School, talks about the first lessons.

The first meters of the Brainport Bike School were made at the Velosoof in Eindhoven. 'A beautiful location where cycling is really central', says Imke. 'Participants could sign up for a tour through the city or for the lesson 'I've never ridden a bicycle before'. It was great that we had a relatively large group of participants right away. Some were a bit scared at first but that feeling quickly turned into enthusiasm!'

Practice at your own level

These first evening meetings started with a theory lesson given by a specialized trainer together with volunteers. 'This is very important, especially because traffic - especially in the city - can be very busy,' says Imke. 'After the theory we continued with practical lessons. The trainer had expected to be able to go through the exercises faster, but many participants needed more time. That just shows how big the difference in cycling cultures is. One of the trainers emphasized this again by saying that there are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands! Fortunately, the small delay was not a problem and the atmosphere remained good. We think it is important that everyone can practice at their own pace.'

Cycling means freedom for many people

These first lessons are part of the pilot phase of the Bike School. The pilots are a collaboration between Brainport Bereikbaar, Fontys and ASML. After this pilot phase, Brainport Bereikbaar and the participating companies will look back on the lessons. 'The goal is not only to get more people on bikes – which contributes to their mobility – but also to give them a sense of freedom. The motivation to learn to cycle differs per participant: young people want to be able to cycle to work, for example, while older people want to rediscover cycling in their free time. For them, it is often about a renewed sense of independence. Finally, for all participants, the lessons also help them to feel at home in the Netherlands. If you can cycle, you belong!'