Summer Bike Camp

Powered by Kiwanis Club of Traverse City

Our summer programs for kids are designed to get kids active, engaged, and confident! You’ll find our youth bike camps in action in six counties with more than 1,000 openings at locations in Traverse City, Elk Rapids, Glen Arbor, and more. Join us for a single four-day week or meet your childcare needs with recurrent sessions all summer long. Every summer bike camp team is led by trained adults and structured to keep things fun!

We’d like to thank our title sponsor, Kiwanis Club of Traverse City, and our supporting sponsors, Traverse City Orthodontics, TBA Credit Union, the DALMAC Fund, and HP Foundation. Their financial support helps us keep this program financially accessible for our region’s kids.

Does your rider need to borrow a bike for Summer Bike Camp? Please fill out this form to reserve a bicycle the week before your rider’s week of camp begins!

What to Expect at Summer Bike Camp (Besides Fun!)

Summer bike campers explore their town on their bike and discover many beautiful places. In addition to making new friends, staying active, and having the best summer ever, young riders learn:

  • How to bike safely and follow the rules of the road.

  • How to map out safe routes in your community.

  • How to make basic bike repairs and other maintenance skills.

  • How to handle their bike on natural surfaces trail.

Summer bike camp may include light off-road riding on fun trails close to our starting points. As their experience grows, young riders may also ride up to 10 miles in the morning. Put your child in a position to succeed with a healthy breakfast, water in their water bottle, and plenty of snacks in their bags.

Ready for the Ride

For your child to have a successful camp experience, they need to be able to ride age-appropriate distances. Our staff and coaches spend plenty of time placing riders in the right teams. As a rule of thumb, your child should be able to comfortably ride the following distances.

  • 1st-2nd grade: 3-4 miles

  • 3rd-4th grade: 5-6 miles

  • 5th-6th grade: 7-10 miles

  • 7-12th grade: 11-20 miles

Please note that registration for any given week of camp closes the week prior. Please plan your registration accordingly.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Thanks to our generous donors and sponsors, Norte is proud to provide youth scholarships to ensure that all families can participate in our programs.

We encourage families to apply for scholarships prior to registering at Scholarship Application.

No bike? No problem. We have program bikes available for participants who need one. You can also check out a bike for the long term through our Bike Library.

COACHES WANTED!

Norte Youth Cycling seeks passionate, positive, and dedicated individuals to join our coaching team. As a coach, you will work with a small squad of young riders, focusing on motivating and mentoring them and ensuring their safety and well-being. Experience coaching is not required. We provide training for all coaches.

If you are passionate about helping children stay active and learn to ride bikes—and are ready for some fun—we want to hear from you. Let’s go, coach!