Bike Slalom with Shrinking Cone Spacing

Three bike slalom lanes with cones getting closer together, to learn to combine steering and leaning. Each rider progresses at their own pace and finishes with a timed run whose data the group analyzes.

How to play

1. Set up three slalom lanes with cones 4 m, 3 m and 2.5 m apart in the widest part of the schoolyard (3 min).
2. Slow passes in the 4-meter lane: steer, lean the bike slightly and look two cones ahead (6 min).
3. Free progression: move to the next lane after three runs without touching a cone or putting a foot down (6 min).
4. Test: run time plus a 2-second penalty per cone knocked over or foot down; two attempts recorded on the sheet (6 min).
5. Analysis in groups of three: how speed relates to errors and which lane gives the best balance between them (4 min).

Rules

• Helmet required and buckled.
• Start only when the rider ahead has finished the lane.
• Return to the start in a separate return lane.
• Timers stand 6 feet past the finish, never in the riding line.

Variations

Adaptations

• Hearing impairment: the start is signaled by dropping an arm.
• Nervous riders: always work in the 4-meter lane at their own speed.
• Limited mobility: runs the stopwatch, records data and calculates group averages.

Learning goals

• Combine steering and leaning to avoid obstacles.
• Match speed to the difficulty of the task.
• Analyze personal time and error data.

Equipment for a class of 25

• bikes: 10
• helmets: 10
• cones: 30
• stopwatch: 3
• worksheets: 10

Teacher tip

If there are not enough bikes, ask the local police or city hall (many run bike safety programs with loaner bikes) or a cycling club, or let students bring their own with parent permission; with 10 bikes, work in groups of three that rotate. While some ride, others time and reset cones, so nobody stands around.

More main activities for High School