BikeNWA is launching a new bicycle education program for kindergarten through first grade at Springdale Public Schools. 

The first fleet of new Strider 14x bikes were assembled by staff and physical education teachers at Linda Childers Knapp Elementary School. 

The bikes are part of a pilot program in six Springdale schools aimed at introducing bicycle education to students in kindergarten. 

“So Strider bike is a bike that doesn’t have pedals. It is focused on balance. So the students, instead of worrying about pedaling and generating that forward motion, they’re worried more about balancing the bike, which is a harder skill to learn than pedaling,” said Anya Bruhin, program manager for Washington County BikeNWA.

The program’s instructional units are scheduled to launch in early February, and if all goes well, the program may expand to additional school districts in the coming years. 

Additionally, the program includes four larger bikes for those students in grades first through fourth who may not yet have learned to ride, and for those who have special needs.