About Bike and stay
A better way to school – for everybody every day
human powered motion
We’re here to inspire more families to swap a hectic, car-centred lifestyle for a life of regular exercise and outdoor adventure
young families
We’re here to help young families get active as they travel. We say ‘ride before you can walk’ because the early years are the best time to start kids moving
active school commute
We’re all about active travel and there are a lot of great reasons to make it a regular part of your family’s life
what is bike and stay?
Bike and Stay is here to help young families get active for the school run.
We believe that doing is the best way of teaching and raising tomorrow’s cyclists starts today.
There’s a mountain of evidence about what children (and their grown-ups!) can gain when they start walking and riding to school and childcare.
But we understand that there are obstacles that stop many of us getting started with active travel.
From route planning apps to tips on hauling 100 kg without a car and everything in between, we’ve got loads of resources to empower you to become a Bike and Stay family today.
Especially aimed at the early years, we’re here to help you get your littlest people moving.
Safely tucked into their stroller, bike seat or trailer or cruising along in the bucket of a cargo bike, there are loads of ways to get little ones — and the rest of the family — out of the car and enjoying human powered transport. ‘Today the pram, tomorrow the world!’
And the younger children are when you make the switch, the greater the chance that they’ll grow up seeing active transport as a natural choice for themselves – hey, that’s just how their family roll.
Resources to help you
FAQs answered
WHO IS bike and stay?
Bike and Stay was founded way back in 2011 by active travel enthusiasts and Dutch Cargo Bike business owners, Emmy and Jurgen Heikamp.
With three young children (including twins!) and a house next to a primary school and a preschool, the pair know how intense the school run can be.
After witnessing the stress of heavy traffic, scarce parking spaces and hurried greetings and farewells they decided there had to be another way.
And so, Bike and Stay was born.
Emmy and Jurgen hope Bike and Stay can inspire more families to swap a hectic, car centred lifestyle for a life of regular exercise and outdoor adventure.
And Bike and Stay is made up of all the families who choose to use active transport to get around every day.
They’re the ones you see:
- patiently helping a toddler on their balance bike for their first wobbly ride to childcare
- loading up the electric-assisted cargo bike with kids, school bags, sports gear and science projects
- leading a pack of primary school kids on bikes as they whiz home on their ‘riding school bus’
- pushing a pram with a sleeping toddler inside and a scooter carefully balanced on top
- riding along with a baby in the bike seat and an older child zipping ahead
- all the people who passionately support active travel in their schools and communities, even if they’re not able to ride or walk themselves.
Keen to get started?
We’ve put together this nifty How To guide
WHY is bike and stay?
Bike and Stay is all about helping young families get active as they get from A to B. Here are a few of the many, many, MANY reasons to become a Bike and Stay family today
Why children thrive with Bike and Stay
- Fun!
- Improved physical and mental health – It’s a fact, fresh air and exercise are great for kid’s bodies and brains!
- Increased physical activity – Most Australian kids aren’t getting enough
- Empowerment – Young children start to gain the skills they’ll need to get around on their own when they’re older
- A healthy habit for life – Establishing riding and walking as the natural choice sets children up for life
- Safety – With Bike and Stay, children learn road rules firsthand from an early age, with a trusted adult
- Enhanced concentration – Studies show children who walk or ride to school are better able to focus when they arrive
- Improved social and emotional skills – The more opportunities kids get to move their bodies the better they are at processing those ‘big feelings’
- More time out of doors – Who doesn’t love some fresh air and sunshine? As well as much needed vitamin D, time outside may help reduce the likelihood of some children becoming short sighted
- Connection to place – Kids get to know their neighbourhood much better when they regularly travel in it
- Less time being ‘sedentary’ in a car – The more opportunities children get to be outside moving their bodies, the better
- Strong family connections – Sharing the experience of walking and riding together is a great way to connect
Why parents and careers love Bike and Stay
Less car stress – If you’re keen to skip traffic jams and parking dramas Bike and Stay is for you!
Easier mornings – When fun and adventure await kids are usually a lot easier to get out the door
Reduced car costs – Less wear and tear, petrol costs and parking fees? Yes please!
More time in the morning – If you ride or walk you can skip the traffic and leave home a little later. Mmmm, sleep ins…
Incidental exercise – Imagine a world where you got regular, enjoyable exercise without carving out extra time for it… Bike and Stay is that world!
Live your values – When you choose human powered travel you show your kids that it’s important to you and it becomes important to them too.
That ‘feel good’ feeling – Considering all the benefits that human powered travel offers there’s a reasonable chance you’ll feel a bit chuffed about becoming a Bike and Stay family. Or is it just all that fresh air and exercise talking…
Room for all abilities – Bike and Stay is about getting into active travel in a way that works for you. A little or a lot. Near or far. On foot or on a custom e-bike. By using active travel yourself or by talking up all the things you love about it with others.
Shift the gender divide – For mothers and other female-identifying care givers, biking, scooting or skating for the school commute doesn’t just get children where they need to go it’s a reminder of what women and girls are capable of (hint: anything)
Go one-car or no-car – Many families find alternatives like electric–assist cargo bikes so useful they don’t need a second car!
Why everyone flourishes with Bike and Stay
Healthier environments – Less cars on the road means reduced pollution. Simple.
Safer roads – Less parking dramas, traffic accidents and road rage means a safer and easier trip for those of us who will always need to drive (due to a disability, for example)
Safer neighbourhoods – Peopled places are friendlier, safer and more welcoming. When you walk through your neighbourhood, rather than drive past it, you help make it a nicer place to be.
Better infrastructure – As more people choose to ride and walk, councils have more reason to invest in infrastructure. That means more bike and walking paths, safer crossings and more treed and open spaces for everyone to enjoy
Contact Us
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