- Home
- News on cycling education and bicycle encouragement
- Cycling School Leuven measures impact: How to make cycling lessons more effective
Cycling School Leuven measures impact: How to make cycling lessons more effective
What makes a lesson series effective? What factors make participants learn to cycle independently? De Fietsschool analysed five years of data from cycling classes in Leuven. That analysis led to a handy report with five recommendations for anyone offering cycling education.
Why this analysis?
City of Leuven has been offering cycling lessons for adults, youngsters and newcomers for over a decade. As a permanent partner, De Fietsschool provides lesson content and guidance. But we wanted more: not just to teach, but also to understand what works.
In other words: what makes a participant able to cycle independently in traffic after a series of lessons?
Collecting data to measure impact
To map the impact of cycling lessons, data are needed. We therefore collected data in Leuven, lesson by lesson, on:
- participants' attendance
- milestones in their learning process, such as "getting on the pedals" and "first time on the street"
- and their cycling level at the end of the lesson series
Between 2020 and 2024, this provided information on as many as 619 participants.
Five recommendations for even better cycling lessons
By analysing the information about the participants and their results, we learnt what really counts in teaching someone to cycle independently in traffic. Five recommendations emerged from our analysis.
1. More lessons = more likely to succeed
Less than six lessons rarely succeed. From 10 lessons, the success rate rises to 62%.
What helps? A series of 12-15 lessons, allowing for absences due to illness, work or family circumstances.
2. Consistent attendance pays off
Attendance is directly linked to the end result. The more often someone comes to class, the more likely they are to succeed.
What helps? Tracking attendance, reminders and a warm group atmosphere.
3. The first lesson makes the difference
61% of participants who hit the pedals in the first lesson later cycle independently.
What helps? A good didactic approach, lesson bikes tailored to each participant, sufficient practice space and a strong team of instructors and volunteers.
4. Out on the streets quickly
Those who practise in real traffic before the fifth lesson are more likely to learn to cycle independently.
What helps? Learning the road code early in the lesson series, practising on the street in small groups and guidance with clear feedback along the way.
5. Age plays no role
Striking: age does not appear to be a predictor of whether someone will be able to cycle independently after a series of lessons. Whether you are 19 or 59: with the right approach, everyone can learn to ride a bike.
What helps? Don't just focus on young adults. Also focus on target groups that often fall by the wayside, such as the elderly.
Hadvaten for your cycling school - Cycling School
The figures from Leuven are more than statistics. They are an inspiration and practical compass for anyone who wants to make work of cycling lessons with lasting impact.
Would you like to start your own cycling school in your municipality or organisation? Or map the impact of your operation to know whether your investment pays off? Then De Fietsschool is ready to support you with training, teaching materials, tools, impact measurement and reporting.
Want to know more? Download the full report
Want to know more about the data from Leuven, and the insights we glean from it? Then be sure to dive into our report.