Bike Shoulder Check Drill
In pairs, a cyclist rides along a straight chalk line and, when passing a cone, turns their head to look back and call out the color of the card their partner is holding up, without swerving. It's the basic skill for changing lanes or turning safely on the street.
How to play
- Chalk 4 straight 100-foot lines, 10 feet apart, with a cone halfway along each. Form pairs: one cyclist and one signaler with three colored cards (2 min).
- Demonstrate the move (2 min): look back over the left shoulder by turning only the head, keeping arms relaxed and eyes returning forward quickly.
- Round 1 (4 min): the signaler stays at the start. Passing the cone, the cyclist looks back and calls the color the signaler holds up. They score if they call it right and the wheel stays within a hand's width of the line.
- Round 2 (4 min): partners switch roles. The signaler walks along the side of the line recording any swerves.
- Round 3 (5 min): after looking back, the cyclist must give the left-turn hand signal and hold the line for another 15 feet. Each partner does 3 passes.
Rules
- Buckled helmet and cruising speed for the whole drill.
- Only one cyclist per line; the next one goes when the previous rider reaches the end.
- Safety: signalers wait off the line, never in front of the cyclist.
Variations
Easier
Look back while stopped with one foot down, then while riding very slowly.
Standard
Look back while riding past the cone and call the color without leaving the line.
Harder
The signaler holds up a number of fingers, and the cyclist looks back over both shoulders in the same pass.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: signaler and observer, or practice the head turn on a stationary or adaptive bike.
- Low vision: large cards in high-contrast colors.
- Inexperienced riders start stopped; students who master it ride a little faster.
Learning goals
- Look back on a bike without losing their line.
- Combine the shoulder check with a turn signal.
- Recognize the importance of looking before making a move.
Equipment for a class of 25
- bikes: 8
- helmets: 8
- cones: 8
- chalk: 4
- cardstock: 36
Teacher tip
Most students turn their shoulders and pull on the handlebars when looking back; tell them to keep their elbows loose. This is a great step before riding on real streets.
PatioLab has "Bike Shoulder Check Drill" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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