SPOKES & SKILLS

Spokes & Skills is a youth cycling program created by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County. Designed for middle school-aged youth, the program teaches participants the skills and confidence to ride safely while encouraging healthy, active lifestyles and a lifelong love of cycling. The program runs at no cost to participants or their families.

Spokes & Skills welcomes youth of all experience levels, including many participants who have never ridden a bike before. Over six interactive sessions, students build foundational riding skills alongside bike safety fundamentals, proper helmet use and head safety, trail and road etiquette, basic bicycle maintenance, and traffic awareness. Each lesson combines hands-on instruction from trained volunteers with supervised group rides, allowing participants to put their new skills into practice in a fun, supportive environment.

As their confidence grows each week, participants progress from their first ride to completing group rides of five miles or more, culminating in a celebratory graduation ride.

Thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters, every participant receives a properly fitted bicycle and helmet to keep, removing barriers that often prevent young people from enjoying the lifelong benefits of cycling.

Spokes & Skills is made possible through partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County, the Bike Exchange, the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association (GMTMA), Capital Health, and a dedicated team of volunteers who share their time and expertise with the next generation of riders.

Together, we’re building safer cyclists, healthier communities, and creating opportunities for youth to experience the freedom and joy of riding a bike.