E-Bike Skills

Ready to make the transition to an e-bike?

E-Bike Skills is a course for people who have mastered the basics of riding a bike and are looking to extend their skills to e-bikes. Although very similar to the standard bicycle, e-bikes have some key differences when it comes to handling and care, as well as some different rules and regulations. All of this will be explored within this two hour course. Please see our FAQs below for what cycling level is required to take part in E-Bike Skills. 

This small group 2 -hour session will start with a discussion on e-bikes in general, a refresher skills session, and then progress to a Road Ride in the local community. When riding on the road our courses maintain a 1:6 instructor-to-participant ratio to ensure optimum safety and plenty of instructor attention. 

The E-Bike Skill Practice session includes:

  • Basic bike fitting and safety checks
  • An off-road skills session to practice shoulder checks, speed control, and basic maneuvering. 
  • A pre-planned Road Ride (of about 8 km) where you'll learn about the safest place on the road to ride, how to maneuver your e-bike effectively, how to communicate with other road users, safety tips, e-bike specific regulations, and more.

Upcoming Courses:

For Vancouver:  All Vancouver courses run out of the Trout Lake Community Centre, and registration can be found on the Vancouver Recreation Portal. Please fill out our course interest form if you would like to be sent a reminder email when registration opens. 

Trout Lake Community Centre Course Schedule:

  • Thursday, June 13th - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, June 27th - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, July 18th - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, August 8th - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, August 22nd - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

For information on adaptive cycling programs at our StreetWise Cycling Education Centres, please visit Spinal Cord Injury BC’s Adaptive Cycling webpage.

FAQs

What skill level is required to take part in the E-Bike Skills?

In order to take part in this course, you should have basic bike handling skills (you should be able to start, stop and pedal on a bike for at least 100m) and a basic understanding of the rules of the road. If you do not have basic bike handling skills, you can acquire them by taking our Beginner Bike Skills course. If you do not have a basic understanding of the rules of the road, we ask that you take our free online course, StreetWise Cycling Online course before joining an Intermediate Bike Skills lesson. 

Where are lessons held? 

Vancouver: The lessons will take place next to Trout Lake Community Centre, on the Trout Lake close field (link to google maps location here) 

Do I need an e-bike and helmet?

If you have your own bike and helmet, please bring them to the lesson. If you don't own a bike or can’t transport it to the lesson location, we will have a fleet of 6 bikes and helmets that participants will be able to use for the duration of the lesson. 

How can I get my e-bike to the lesson spot?

Depending on the style of bike you may be able to bring your bike inside a personal vehicle, on a vehicle's bike rack, on a bus bike rack, or Skytrain car. E-bikes that are 50 punds or less, and have a standard wheel build, can go on the bus bike rack however, if possible, you will need to remover your battery. If it's your first time using a bus bike rack or bringing a bike on transit - check out TransLink's helpful tips beforehand. All Metro Vancouver buses are able to take 2 bikes on their front racks. 

How can I get to Trout Lake Community Centre?

Trout Lake Community Centre is located in the southwest corner of Trout Lake Park (3360 Victoria Drive). You can find transit options via Google Maps . There is free parking available outside the Community Centre (located near Victoria and 15th). Nearby cycling routes can be found here.

Do you offer lessons for more advanced skills?

Yes, Advance Your Ride is a 2-day course for people that want to increase their skills and knowledge about riding in a wide variety of urban street settings. You can sign up here to be notified when we run an Advance Your Ride course.  We will also be running webinars on a range of topics, starting in April 2023. You can find dates and recordings of the webinars here. 

If you have any more questions, please contact streetwise@bikehub.ca