Bike-riding is an all-time favourite pastime of Australians, young and old, etched into the hearts of many.

We are all on our own bike-riding journey and for those looking to take the next step, it can be difficult to know where to look, or what is the best option to pursue.

To address this issue, in early 2020 Cycling Australia (now part of AusCycling) launched a strategy to build participation in bike-riding through a dedicated participation brand - Ride Nation.

Ride Nation’s aim is to encourage more people to enjoy riding their bike – regardless of age, circumstance, skill level and location. We believe riding a bike is a key life skill, which will become increasingly important in the future as we look to play our part in improving environmental sustainability and encourage riding a bike as a means of getting around.

We want to build a connected network for bike-riding, endorsing bike-riding programs and activities being delivered in various locations around the country, and build value-add partnerships to support these programs to achieve greater reach.

Our focus is on improving systems for consumers to better navigate the bike-riding environment and to feel comfortable with undertaking riding activities that suit their needs, as well as seek to progress with their experiences. We want to remove barriers to access bike-riding - from perception to practicalities.

Ride Nation will be the destination for riders to learn and connect as a community.

A Digital Marketplace

We have developed a digital "marketplace" to become the destination website where bike-riders of all abilities who are interested in learning to ride, skill development, tours, or trialling a club, can connect with deliverers. Through the marketplace users can search, book, and pay for programs that suit their needs. Specifically, the Ride Nation marketplace:

• Offers deliverers of bike-riding an opportunity to partner with us to extend their reach and streamline their processes.
  
• Provides an entry point to customers to access the riding information relevant to them at every stage of their journey.
  
• Allows a smooth and trustworthy sign-up and transaction process for both customers and providers.
  
• Is supported by a national social media marketing campaign aimed at attracting a new audience to the site.
  

A learn-to-ride Bike Education Program delivered in schools Australia-wide

We deliver 3 levels of bike education programs in schools across Australia. Our programs focus on developing riding skills and encouraging students to become more active on their bikes within the community, including riding to and from school. We do this through:

• Simple labels for the 3 levels of programs to indicate purpose, place, and progression – Skills, Confidence and Explore.
  
• Each level consisting of 4 hours and structured to suit the school’s schedule. For example, 4 sets of weekly one-hour sessions, or 4 hours in one day.
  
• Providing coaches with a toolkit that contains the lesson plans to achieve set outcomes.
  
• Providing teachers with the opportunity to undertake training and become AusCycling accredited instructor. This empowers teachers to deliver the program themselves, with an accreditation lasting 4 years, and access to the coaching toolkit of lesson plans.