Cycling books for children and teens
From learning to ride a first bicycle to tackling BMX courses and setting off on long-distance adventures, these cycling books for children and teens celebrate life on two wheels. The selection includes picture books about confidence and friendship, practical guides to cycling and bike maintenance, historical adventures, and teenage fiction involving cycle racing, independence and travel. There is also an illustrated true story about cycling and disability rights. This list features books by Shirley Hughes, Chris Hoy, Sarah Dessen, Robert Cormier, Haifaa Al Mansour, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros, Clementine Beauvais, Simon Mole, Gabrielle Kent, Alastair Humphreys, Ella Dove and Laurie Ann Thompson.
Cycling books for children and teens – our recommendations
Cycling picture books for 3-7 year olds
Two Wheels by David Gibb, illustrated by Brizida Magro
A little boy dreams of having a bicycle with two wheels, just like his cycling-obsessed dad. First there are training wheels and a tricycle, but he is determined to learn how to balance and pedal independently. His father helps him practise, offering encouragement as he gradually discovers what riding involves. Written for 3-7 year olds, this picture book captures a familiar childhood milestone through a close father-and-son relationship. Brizida Magro’s illustrations accompany a story about persistence, learning and the freedom of riding a bike.
I Love My Bike by Simon Mole, illustrated by Sam Usher
Learning to ride a bicycle is the subject of this rhyming picture book by children’s poet Simon Mole. A girl discovers the excitement of pedalling, balancing and moving under her own power, helped along by her father. Her distinctive bicycle, decorated with a flame on its frame, becomes part of the adventure. Sam Usher’s watercolour illustrations convey the movement and changing emotions of a first cycling experience. The story brings together family support, outdoor play and the satisfaction of mastering something new after repeated attempts.
Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Best friends Frank and Bert are going for a bicycle ride, and Bert is convinced he knows exactly what he is doing. His enthusiasm is tested when his bike starts wobbling, and the pair encounter a rather daunting hill. Frank wants to help his friend, but learning to ride also involves finding confidence and trusting one another. This highly engaging picture book uses visual humour and expressive animal characters to tell a story about friendship, encouragement and developing a new skill.
Experiences Matter: Hippo Rides a Bike by Sue Graves, illustrated by Trevor Dunton
Hippo receives a bicycle for his birthday and cannot wait to start riding. He expects to master it immediately, but balancing and steering turn out to require practice. Frustration soon follows, until Aunty Hippo encourages him to keep trying. This illustrated story for young children introduces perseverance through an everyday experience many families recognise. Part of the Experiences Matter series, it also includes suggestions for activities and conversations, helping adults discuss with younger children disappointment, confidence and the feelings that can accompany learning something new.
Oceans of Kindness by Laura Bingham, illustrated by Laura Wall
Laura Bingham’s real-life bicycle journey across South America is retold for 3+ year olds in this illustrated adventure. As she travels through Argentina towards the Atlantic Ocean, Laura draws on her determination and the kindness of people she meets. Her ambition is to complete a 7,000-kilometre expedition, relying on the generosity of others along the way. It’s an immersive window into an extraordinary cycling challenge.
Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls
Born in Ghana with a disability affecting one of his legs, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah grows up determined to pursue the opportunities available to other children. As a young man, he undertakes a remarkable bicycle journey across his country to challenge attitudes towards disabled people. Laurie Ann Thompson tells his story in this memorable picture-book biography for 4+ year olds. Emmanuel’s achievements provide a starting point for discussing inclusion, independence and the importance of changing public perceptions of disability.
Cycling books for children aged 7-12
How to Ride a Bike with One Leg by Ella Dove
Maya Bright is heading to Paris on a school French exchange, with plans to visit the Eiffel Tower, make macarons and explore Disneyland. Hoping to become a disability influencer, she shares the experience with her social media followers, but sightseeing with a prosthetic leg is more challenging than she wants them to realise. Paired with Levi, a wheelchair user who has little interest in social media, Maya discovers that carefully curated posts can complicate real-life friendships. A fun, thought-provoking and ultimately encouraging read for 9-11 year olds, it’s ideal for KS2 book clubs.
The Boy Who Biked the World: On the Road to Africa by Alastair Humphreys
Ideal for reluctant readers in upper KS2 and lower KS3, this enthralling story follows Tom, a boy who wants to travel everywhere and see everything, using a bicycle as transport. A real page-turner and great for anyone interested in cycling.
Princess BMX by Marie Basting, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino
Princess Avariella, known as Ava, lives in the magical kingdom of Biscotti, where royal life means endless rules and expectations. A mysterious portal transports her to Camden in London, where she discovers BMX riding and a very different kind of adventure. She makes friends, learns cycling tricks and begins to find her own talents. When danger threatens her home, those new friendships and skills become important. This humorous fantasy for 7+ year olds combines a fairy-tale setting with BMX culture.
Knights and Bikes: The Rebel Bicycle Club by Gabrielle Kent, illustrated by Rex Crowle
Back on the island of Penfurzy, Demelza and Nessa are ready for another adventure involving bicycles, friendship and local legends. Their Rebel Bicycle Club becomes caught up in a new mystery, with secrets to uncover and challenges to face. Inspired by the world of the Knights and Bikes video game, Gabrielle Kent’s second novel brings together a distinctive island setting, childhood independence and an energetic partnership between its central characters.
On Your Bike: All You Need to Know About Cycling for Kids by Chris Hoy
Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy introduces children to the practical side of owning and riding a bicycle. Illustrated instructions explain how to look after a bike, check its condition and tackle jobs such as changing a tyre. The book also contains cycling facts, quizzes, checklists and advice designed to help children develop their knowledge and confidence. With material covering both everyday riding and the wider world of cycling, it is a useful reference for children who want to understand how their bicycle works and how to care for it. Highly recommended.
The Young Cyclist’s Companion by Peter Drinkell, illustrated by Thomas Slater
Children who already enjoy cycling can develop their knowledge through this illustrated hardback guide for 7-12 year olds. Peter Drinkell explains how to choose a bicycle, find the right fit and carry out basic maintenance. Riding techniques include cornering, using gears and developing control, followed by information about training and cycling with others. Thomas Slater’s illustrations appear alongside photographs, facts and references to professional cycling. The result brings together practical advice and cycling culture in a format designed for young riders looking to become more independent. Highly recommended for KS2.
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes
Florence in 1944 provides the setting for Shirley Hughes’s wartime adventure. Paolo, a young Italian boy, longs to escape the restrictions of living under German occupation, and his night-time bicycle rides lead him towards the dangerous activities of the Resistance. His mother and sister are also drawn into events that demand courage and difficult decisions. This historical novel for 9+ year olds uses Paolo’s growing independence and love of cycling to bring readers close to the experiences of one family living through the Second World War.
The Green Bicycle by Haifaa Al Mansour
Wadjda lives in Saudi Arabia and dreams of owning a green bicycle so that she can race her friend Abdullah. Her ambition brings her into conflict with expectations about how girls should behave, but she begins looking for ways to earn the money she needs. Haifaa Al Mansour’s gripping story for 8+ year olds centres on a determined girl whose enthusiasm for cycling becomes connected to questions of freedom and opportunity. Set against the routines of family and school life, the story invites discussion about gender expectations, friendship and personal ambition.
Cycling books for teens
Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais
Mireille, Astrid and Hakima become friends after being subjected to a cruel online popularity contest at their school. Instead of allowing other people’s judgements to define their summer, they decide to cycle to Paris. Their journey brings unexpected publicity, encounters with strangers and plenty of opportunities to challenge the labels imposed on them. This contemporary teenage novel combines a bicycle road trip with friendship, humour and questions about appearance, social media and identity. Cycling provides the three girls with a shared purpose and a way to reclaim their independence.
Bike Thief by Rita Feutl
Sixteen-year-old Nick needs money to replace a television his younger sister has broken before their foster parents discover what happened. A scheme involving stolen bicycles draws him into increasingly difficult circumstances, as he is pressured to dismantle and rebuild bikes for sale. His own fixed-gear bicycle, made with his father, also becomes part of the danger. Bikes, loyalty and responsibility are central to the story.
Adrenaline Crush by Laurie Boyle Crompton
Seventeen-year-old Dyna has built much of her identity around adventurous sports, particularly bike racing and rock climbing. A serious fall leaves her recovering from an injury and reconsidering the risks she once enjoyed taking. As she attends rehabilitation sessions, two very different relationships influence how she thinks about her future. Laurie Boyle Crompton’s contemporary YA novel brings together the physical and emotional challenges of recovery, the excitement of extreme sports and the complications of teenage romance.
The Velocipede Races by Emily June Street
In the fictional city of Seren, cycle racing is a major public spectacle, and eighteen-year-old Emmeline Escot wants to compete. As a young woman from a privileged family, she faces strict expectations about where she can go and what she can do. Her twin brother Gabriel is already involved in professional racing, but Emmeline must find a way to pursue her ambitions in secret. This powerful alternative-history YA adventure places bicycle racing at the heart of a story about independence, opportunity and challenging social conventions.
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Adam believes he is travelling by bicycle to visit his father in hospital. As the journey unfolds, fragments of memory and conversations gradually reveal another story involving his family and a dangerous past. Robert Cormier’s psychological teenage novel moves between Adam’s physical journey and his attempts to piece together what has happened to him. The bicycle trip gives the narrative its forward movement, while questions about memory, identity and secrecy build the suspense. This YA text offers useful scope for discussion of narrative structure and unreliable recollection in KS3 and KS4.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Auden has spent much of her adolescence concentrating on studying and keeping herself apart from other teenagers. During a summer with her father and his new family in a seaside town, she meets Eli, a fellow insomniac with a past connected to competitive cycling. Their friendship introduces Auden to experiences she missed as a child, including learning to ride a bicycle. Sarah Dessen’s stunning YA novel blends family relationships, first love and the freedom of trying unfamiliar things.
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Cycling resources for teachers
- Bikeability – Learn with Bikeability – A collection of classroom resources linking cycling to literacy, science, design and technology, and personal development. Activities include persuasive writing, bicycle materials, cycling journeys and work based on the Highway Code.
- Bikeability – Cycle training for schools – Information for schools in England about organising cycle training, available support and curriculum-linked resources. The guidance also explains how schools supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities can access training.
- GOV.UK – The Highway Code: Rules for cyclists – Official road safety guidance covering cycle equipment, positioning, junctions and safe behaviour. Teachers can use it to support discussions about cycling decisions, road awareness and travelling responsibly.
- Wheels for Wellbeing – Guide to Inclusive Cycling – A guide explaining the importance of cycling for disabled people, including different types of cycles, access barriers and inclusive approaches to cycling. It provides useful background for assemblies, PSHE discussions and school travel planning.
- Walk Wheel Cycle Trust – Active Travel School Plan resources – Practical material for schools in Wales developing plans to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling. The resources can support pupil surveys, discussions about journeys to school and wider sustainability projects.
- Cycling Scotland – Bikeability Scotland for schools – Guidance on the three levels of Scottish school cycle training, from equipment checks and bicycle control to road positioning, communication and safer journeys.
- Nosy Crow – Free children’s book activity sheets – Includes downloadable activities for Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike, featuring a bicycle maze, spot-the-difference exercise and colouring activity. Useful for extending a shared picture-book reading session.
BISAC JUV032180, JNF054040. | Thema YNWY, YFR.
