iCan Bike

What is iCan Bike?

iCan Bike uses adapted bicycles, a specialized instructional program, and trained staff to enable individuals with disabilities to learn to ride a two wheel bicycle. Riders attend one 75 minute session each day for five consecutive days where they learn to ride while accompanied and encouraged by volunteer spotters. Over the course of the week, the bikes are continually adjusted in an effort to  challenge riders balance as they gradually discover the skill and joy of riding.

The goal of iCan Bike is to teach individuals with disabilities to ride a two wheel bicycle and become lifelong independent riders.  This achievement, in turn, creates a gateway of opportunity, helping each rider gain assurance and self-reliance in many other aspects of their lives.  Parents, teachers and therapists describe the results as miraculous.  Many of the riders have tried for years to learn to ride a bicycle without success.  In just one week of the iCan Bike camp, about 80% of the riders will learn to independently ride a two wheel bike.  The remaining 20% make tremendous strides toward that goal.  Success in learning to ride a bicycle is a major milestone in anyone’s life.  When learning has become a struggle, the accomplishment and its impact can be much greater.  We observe that learning to ride a  bicycle infuses riders with confidence and an improved self-image that has a positive ripple effect into many other aspects of their lives.

Rider Requirements

Each iCan Bike Rider must meet all of the following requirements

  • be at least 8 years old
  • have a disability
  • walk without an assistive device (e.g., walker or cane)
  • be able to side step swiftly to both sides
  • be able to wear a properly fitted bike helmet at all times when on a bicycle
  • have a minimum inseam measurement of at least 20” when measured from the floor wearing sneakers
  • not exceed 220 lbs.
  • have thier own 2 wheel bicycle that they will transition to in the latter part of the week  (see the link below about selecting the right type of bicycle)

Registration & Cancellation Policy

The Miracle League of CT iCan Bike program is one of our most popular programs each year.  It also one of the few programs where we must limit the number of participants.  Each year we must turn away folks who would like to have their child learn to independently ride a bike because the week’s sessions are full.  In the past few years we’ve run into a problem in which folks have registered their children for the program and then withdrawn at the last minute, or just haven’t shown up for the scheduled time, when it’s been too late to fill the spot that their child had reserved.  We fully understand that things come up which causes someone to register and then need to cancel, but when that happens it means that someone else who wanted that spot may not be able to fill it because alternate plans have been made.  It also causes a loss of revenue for the Miracle League of Connecticut which impacts all our other programming.  For these reasons we will institute a cancellation policy for our iCan Bike program effective with the 2020 program.  Please read the policy below before registering your child.

  • All registrations, regardless of the date they were processed, will not be finalized until payment is received either by credit card or check.  Your child will not be confirmed for a slot in the program until payment is received. If you are requesting financial aid your registration will not be confirmed until you have submitted the financial aid request form.
  • Registrations that are withdrawn before May 15th will receive a full refund.
  • Registrations that are withdrawn between May 15th and 30 days before the start of the program (June 22, 2024) will be subject to a $50 administrative fee, the remainder of the registration fee will be refunded.
  • Registrations that are withdrawn after June 22, 2024 are non-refundable unless we can fill the registration slot, if we are able to fill the slot a $100 administrative fee will be charged and the remainder of the registration fee will be refunded.
  • All refunds will be issued in the manner that they were paid in a timely manner.

Beyond the financial impact on The Miracle League of CT, cancellations for this program, (especially late cancellations) deprive other children with disabilities the opportunity to learn to independently ride a bike.

iCan Bike Links

West Hartford July 22-26, 2024

Social Story Book

Selecting the Right Bicycle & Helmet