Children are engaged by finding out about science in the real world (Harlen, 2010). Many children will be cyclists or will have seen or heard about the success of British cyclists in the Olympics and the Tour de France. This makes cycling a good hook to draw children into learning science. It is also a good cross-curricular topic, with strong links to subjects such as physical education and science, as well as road safety and sustainability. Cross-curricular topics are more successful when they are authentic and hold equal fascination for teachers and children (Barnes, 2011), and is the reason why, as keen cyclists, the authors used the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ through Yorkshire as the springboard for their planning. The activities described in this article match to the new National Curriculum for England and include different types of enquiry (research, fair test and pattern seeking) so children can see that working scientifically is not just about "fair testing." They also allow children to develop their independence by carrying out their own enquiries and having time to discuss results, as suggested in the Ofsted report (2013) "Maintaining curiosity." The activities involved reflective clothing and gyroscopes and were trialed by the authors in a range of classes and year groups.