Shadow
Observe lessons and learn the sequence, language and tone.
About Ready to Pedal
About Ready to Pedal
Meet founder Ilana Kanovsky and learn how an occupational-therapy-informed teaching method became a growing team of child-focused bike instructors.
26 yearspediatric occupational-therapy experience
Meet Ilana Kanovsky
Ready to Pedal began with one child who needed a different explanation.
Ilana first adapted bike instruction for her own daughter. That experience grew through pediatric occupational-therapy sessions, a boarding-school riding program for boys with learning differences and families looking for a calmer way to teach during the COVID era.
By the second season, demand had grown beyond what one instructor could serve. Ilana began training other therapists and child-focused instructors in a repeatable method built around balance, confidence, motor learning and individualized teaching.
My favorite part is watching a child who was nervous or convinced they could not do it realize that they can.
B.A. PsychologyM.S. Occupational Therapy · NYUPediatric OT · birth through age 21
How the work grew
From one adapted lesson to a trained multi-location team.
- The first adaptation
Ilana changes the teaching approach to help her own daughter learn.
- Clinical experience
Bike riding becomes a meaningful goal within pediatric OT work.
- A school riding program
Students with learning differences gain physical and social opportunities through riding.
- Community demand
Local families seek outdoor learning, and word of mouth spreads.
- A trained team
More than 15 instructors expand the method across multiple markets.
The Ready to Pedal team
Warm with children. Serious about the method.
Not every instructor is an occupational therapist—and the website will never imply otherwise. Instructors are selected for their ability to work with children and are trained to follow the Ready to Pedal progression while adapting instruction appropriately.
See the Teaching MethodTeach with support
Progress from observing to teaching alongside experienced staff.
Receive coaching
Get hands-on feedback on cueing, setup, safety and progression.
Stay connected
Larger events include experienced coordination and guidance.
What every lesson should feel like
Professional enough to trust. Warm enough for a child to try.
Encouraging
Confidence grows through success, not pressure or embarrassment.
Observant
Instructors look for what is blocking progress rather than repeating the same cue.
Structured
Every step builds toward greater control and independence.
Individual
The method stays consistent while the teaching responds to the rider.
Meet the method in motion