Impressive turn out at the club's first Go-Ride session

23 kids took part in the first traffic-free kids club session last night. Boys and girls aged between 6 and 12 participated in three fun activities and then finished off with a two-lap handicap cyclo cross race.

Kids secretary Ewen Fulton, Welfare officer Kerstin Bonau and kids club President David Mason, handled the paper work while the coaches, Andy Dunlop, Simon Fagan and Matthew Ball organised the routines.

The evening session started at 6.30 at the Linlithgow Leisure Centre and the majority of the kids even cycled to the start with their parents.

Each week the format stays the same, the evening begins with a bike, helmet and clothing check to make sure cycles are safe, to check the kids have a CE standard helmet (fitted correctly) and to check they aren't wearing clothes that can get caught in their bike's moving parts.

Following on, one of the coaches takes the riders through a fun warm up, normally consisting of gentle exercise and a game of tag or simon says

This week, we split the riders into three age groups, with each group rotating around the three activities.

Simon set up a Scooting and Running drill, to get the riders used to handling their bikes. Andy ran a Funnel Game, which gets the kids used to riding side by side and in a group. Matt looked after a Stop Box activity, which improves braking and stopping.

The two lap cyclo-cross race, around the perimeter of the field, caused a great deal of excitement amongst the riders. To even out the ages, the younger riders were set of before the older ones.

After the dash for the line, the riders recovered with a gentle warm down, before heading home for a well earned rest

Many thanks to everyone who supported the evening, the riders and parents and especially all the coaches and organisers who have given up a lot of free time in getting the club of the ground

Find out more about the kids club here: http://www.westlothianclarion.co.uk/kidsclub