Outride + BikePGH getting middle schoolers on bikes at Pittsburgh Public Schools

Eighth grade students at Allegheny Traditional Academy practice starting and stopping during Joshua White’s P.E. class.

As we begin the 2026 – 2027 school year, BikePGH is working with Pittsburgh Public Schools to secure Outride Riding for Focus programs to provide middle schools with bike fleets, helmets, and in-school curriculum

Since 2021, BikePGH’s Education Department has been working with Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers and administrators to apply for and receive Outride Riding for Focus bike education programs. This incredible program awards eligible middle schools with a free fleet of high-quality Specialized mountain bikes and helmets as well as a rigorous curriculum so that bike education can be taught to every student during their Physical Education class.

Access to bike education in school can “strengthen brain health, foster resilience, and improve wellbeing across the lifespan.”
Esther Walker, Outride Executive Director

At BikePGH, we believe that this access also helps develop safe habits in young people and builds the awareness of bike safety in school communities. Bike education programs such as Outride Riding for Focus in middle schools and All Kids Bike in elementary schools are integral to helping us achieve our goal of having every Pittsburgh Public School student experience some form of bike education before they reach high school.

As of the 2026-2027 school year, the following Pittsburgh Public Middle Schools have an Outride Riding for Focus program and bike fleet:

Allegheny 6-8
Arsenal 6-8
Creative and Performing Arts 6-12
King K-8
Science and Technology 6-12
Sterrett 6-8.

Do you have a student attending a middle school that needs an Outride program? We can help them apply this winter (note: applications typically close in February / March). Contact education@bikepgh.org for more information about applying for the Outride program.

Assembling In-School Support

As fun and rewarding as it can be, getting an entire class of students on bikes can be a daunting task. That is why BikePGH education is supporting teachers in implementing their programs by helping to assemble and maintain bikes, helping to plan and schedule lessons, and pushing into gym classes to support teachers and students.

We’re also connecting schools with our friends at Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League (PICL) to create more opportunities for students to ride outside the school day in school or region-based mountain bike teams.

We are thankful to Outride’s Community Impact Grant which paid to train eight new League Cycling Instructors at our 2026 seminar to support ongoing work in schools. The grant also helps us to pay instructors to support teachers and provide bike maintenance, as well as to buy tools and parts that can be hard for schools to acquire on their own.

Volunteer mechanic, Jason Furda, assembles a Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike for Allegheny Traditional Academy’s bike fleet.

Highlighting Safety

With further support from the federal Transportation Alternatives Set Aside program, we were able to teach bike safety lessons with a new educational video and provide over 700 bike helmets and rechargeable light sets to participating Pittsburgh Public schools between fall 2025 and 2026 a great compliment to schools with existing Outride programs!

Educational video produced by Crosswalk Media with funds from the federal Transportation Alternatives Set Aside program.

Looking Ahead

PICL Team Development and Outreach Coordinator, Lauren Kress leads Sterrett Academy sixth graders in a MTB “Try-It” event.

As we begin the 2026-2027 school year, Bike Pittsburgh education is working with teachers and administrators at Pittsburgh Public Schools to apply for Outride Riding for Focus programs and finding opportunities to support ongoing school programs. We’re also looking forward to support from the Thrive Outside partnership to help promote bike education in select Pittsburgh Public Schools this year. If you’re a Pittsburgh Public Schools parent, student, or family member who would like to see more bike education in your school- email education@bikepgh.org We’d love to hear from you!

Lastly, as consolidation of Pittsburgh Public Schools looms next year we want a commitment to bike education and safe routes to school to become a district priority as more students may lose access to busing and families and students alike look for more affordable and sustainable transportation solutions. Active transportation to school (i.e. walking, biking, and rolling) can be an active solution in the future as it has been in years past one that schools should embrace and support, not treat as an afterthought.