camp counselor

camp manager

instructor

swim instructor

gestionnaire paie et administration du personnel

Pedalheads

I started PedalHeads in the summer of 2023, so some things might have changed. However, I'm still going to share my overall experience and thoughts:

Pros: Easy to get in, a great first job, you meet great people and get to explore the local biking trails in your camp area, super fun and active in general



Cons:

Near useless training - on the "Training Sessions", and even on the online training sessions, they don't tell you about how the camp is going to be run day-to-day, and what you can and can not do. With how much the parents are paying (Often 500+ dollars a week) the instructors get very little training and preparation. While I can't say every detail because I signed an NDA with Pedalheads in my job contract, I will say a few things; On your first day, you just get your group of kids and are supposed to entertain them for 3 hours at a time. Instructor cones? Report cards? Levels? Huh? What's that? Never heard of it before. Unless you have a friend who already works at your camp who can guide you through everything, your first week will be an absolute nightmare, as you're barely trying to figure out how the camp works.

Bad upper management - Even though I'd say recently it has improved a little bit, the management at Pedalheads has always been lacking. Your local camp manager has to log all your hours manually, because the app where you can do it yourself, ADP, never works. Also, you most likely won't be paid for the job training unless you email them that you weren't paid yet. Recently, Pedalheads has started working on fixing these issues, but the management won't always have your back.

Low Pay: For your first job as a teenager, the pay at Pedalheads is just minimum wage, which isn't too bad, and it goes up by 50 cents by every year you come back. However, compared to the summer camps ran by the city, it's extremely low. 

Lots of accidents waiting to happen: When taking kids out on road rides, you can't ride on the sidewalk, but on the bike lanes, even if it means right next to a highway or an extremely busy road. That's not a big deal though. However, something I did want to point out, there are some camps where kids "Transition" between swimming in the morning and biking in the afternoon. In these camps, the instructors are just simply trusted to go into the change room with the kids in there changing, which is something really, really bad waiting to happen.



Overall, if it's your first job, go for it. It's a great way to get experience and meet great people, and stay active during the summer. However, there are a lot of flaws with the company itself, and be prepared to deal with a lot of problems.

I absolutely adored this job, even though it had a lot of pitfalls. I was sufficiently trained to complete everything expected of me and I felt very confident in my ability to do that by the end of the first week. Morale and happiness are consistently at an all time high, because kids are fussy and if you aren't entertaining them they won't listen. I loved this, it kept everything really light and fun. I enjoyed the grind, this job was extremely mentally and physically draining, in fact I was busy from 6am till 6pm with everything I had to do to set myself up for success. But it felt rewarding and created rigid structure which helps a lot for a person like me.

I will say, do not expect to be paid fairly at Pedalheads. When I was working here, I was paid minimum wage, when I felt at times I deserved at least $18-20/h. This is why you see almost zero year-to-year employee retention ( returning bonuses are a 50c hourly increase as of 2022 ) and why none of the onsite staff are above the age of 23. Supervisors and managers get paid a little more but I can't speak for that since that was not my position.

Do not expect days off, schedules are weekly so you're either on from mon-fri or you're off. Emergencies and other situations like having a fever are obviously an exception though  You can ask for maximum 2 weeks off but honestly I had coworkers who had 3 or 4.

If you actually put effort in during the hiring process and you truly do enjoy working with kids, these guys will hire you no question. they've done unreasonable amounts of expanding and now they're short jobs and they're short money. You will most likely get hired.

It gets really hot out there, they will not close for the heatwave unless it's like deemed dangerous. I remember working in 30° weather. It wasn't the worst though, the first priority is the kids so we had plennnnnty of sprinkler time and we had a running game of dumping buckets of water on other counselors. Honestly work environment was probably the best point of this job, that was one of the happiest summers of my life.

You might be scared after all of the information given to you during training. Honestly, I ditched my manual during the first hour. As long as you can prove your kids have the required skills for the level you're at, then you can do that in any way possible. Making up games on the fly is really easy, and don't be afraid to ask for advice from coworkers and managers.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I had a great time working as a Supervisor at Pedalheads. I had a great team and an incredible manager. Any assistance I needed was always listened to, the training was well planned out, and made sure that everyone understood everything. It's a great job for the summer. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Personally, I didn't find too much to be stressful since I had an amazing team with me, who helped chip in when things would get tough. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture at Pedalheads are very welcoming and understanding of everyone's needs. The culture is amazing. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As a supervisor, the typical day would be arriving before the start of the shift to set up the campsite (tent, table, bins, cones for biking activities, and blocking off entrances and exits to the camp with cones), greeting parents when they come to drop off their kids, bringing the kids to the instructors, getting a get-going game started when everyone has arrived. 

If not teaching a class as a supervisor, check on the instructors to make sure everyone is doing well, and help out if you see them needing help. Make sure water breaks and snack breaks are had during the day, make sure everyone re-applies sunscreen, take a lunch break, and repeat again after lunch. 

At the end of the day, make sure that the parents sign out their kids with the instructors with the Order ID number emailed to them. Help take down the cones and everything, and bring everything back inside.

pros: coworkers were around the same age as me making it more fun to bond over misery. some kids are really funny and it was an okay way to stay active instead of staying home during the summer.
cons: training does not prepare you for the reality of the job at all. the funny thing is, at training they teach you everything BUT how to teach the kids. i was a last minute hire so i was only shadow trained. the first day is going to be very stressful and you might even cry if you get really bad kids. if you teach anything over level 2 it’s not that bad, but you’re left with the pressure of teaching kids how to bike by the end of the week. parents will expect a lot from u considering they pay about $500 a week for the camp, yet instructors are getting paid minimum wage (which i believe is absolutely cheap and capitalist of them considering the amount of work we do) kids are annoying so expect to be mentally and physically drained the the end of the week (especially your back)
hours are not guaranteed at all. the same people were getting 40/week
management to very last minute and disorganized, sent out schedules at like 10pm on a sunday. this year there was a heat wave but i was constantly pushed by my manager to get the kids on their bikes instead of taking a break. honestly i could go on about the cons, believe all the negative reviews you see. would only come back as a manager or supervisor. 

I think your overall experience depends on the location and management, I was really lucky having a such an amazing team and manager. The downside of this job is that you’ll literally be working rain or shine( they basically never cancel camp and you’re expected to continue biking rain or shine), it was awful working outside in the rain or when there was an extreme heat warning( I even developed heat stroke one week). It was also slightly annoying that they provide you with 100% cotton shirts that you are required to wear everyday which are super unbreathable especially in extreme heat. It can also be challenging dealing with children as sometimes you would get children with extreme behavioural issues (which can be mentally and physically exhausting). Also be aware this is a super physically demanding job, as you will be expected to teach children biking skills and even at times depending on what skill level you have be expected to hold children while they learn to ride without training wheels which can be back breaking. Hours were also 100% dependant on the manager and it seemed like the same few people would get full time hours every week. As the summer goes on and there are less registrations be prepared to work as little as 3 hours a day or none at all. 

As a bike instructor week is a different schedule. It’s a job that works on your patience and adaptability, while still supporting you and appreciating you. However it does depend on what site you’re at and who your manager is. I was lucky to have an amazing manager my first summer. The hardest part of the job is when you have to work with difficult kids, but it’s a good way to work on patience and problem-solving. My two favourite parts of the job are, first,  themed Fridays where we don’t have to wear the uniform if we dress up to the theme. On these days we also have the Parade where the campers can show off the skills they’ve learned. My other favourite is watching the progress of the campers while cheering them on as they accomplish new skills. The job is very positive and very fulfilling.

I worked at Pedalheads for 3 years and overall it is a good job if you’re the outgoing type and enjoy working with kids. In my experience, the company offers a ton of resources and support during your employment. All the staff I've encountered are super friendly and there is a bunch of opportunities during/outside of work to get close with your team. In years with a great team, I loved coming to work and found it very fun. The hours are usually really great but are given out based on your performance and staff availability (the better your performance, the more likely you are to get your preferred hours)

The job is quite demanding and will require you to be energetic, patient and active all day. This is especially applicable if you work with the young campers who come in to learn how to ride without training wheels. There are a lot of expectations to fulfil. One thing I'd have to say is to be prepared to deal with difficult campers and parents, as well as work outside on your feet all day. 


It's somewhat like a summer camp, though definitely my most intense job with kids. Ultimately, you have a lot of responsibility handling a group of 2-6 kids and teaching them bike skills in crowded parking lots. It can be frustrating since it is an ambitious camp - to teach bike skills, from getting off training wheels (roughly half of registration) to hand signals and road riding. It is priced accordingly (close to 500 for all-day weeks) and yet you're paid minimum wage. Beyond that, hours aren't guaranteed, meaning you have a very real chance of spending several weeks at home come August.

Other staff have usually been great, and my coworkers have gotten stronger and stronger each year. Bosses have mostly been great. Unfortunately, the rules often feel set up in a way that are hard on instructors. It is disorganized, and I know several returning instructors who were recommended for supervisor/site manager and forgotten about due to the company's disorganized nature. 

It's a very fun job, but it just feels really demanding and like your hard work is lining someone else's pockets.

I've worked at Pedalheads during the summer for multiple years. I have to say, the more you come back, the more you enjoy it. 

Starting out can be rough because a lot of the training you receive doesn't fully prepare you for how camp really is. It can seem very daunting at first. But once you figure out your rhythm, it can be a lot of fun. However, it can be tiring. You need to be very energetic and enthusiastic all the time, so most people are exhausted by the end of the day. 

It is very rewarding, and is a good job for any one who is thinking about working with kids in the future. You not only learn how to effectively teach and deal with kids, you also learn how to talk with parents. If you're lucky, your co-workers will become like a small family. Building those relationships is key. Additionally, it's one of the few jobs that guarantees you full time hours during the summer (only for supervisors and managers).

Overall, its a great company to work for and you will learn a lot. 

Working at Pedalheads was delightful as my first ever job experience!

I specifically taught the Future Newbies course, and it went very well!  We started with receiving online training and in-person training, and have several helpful materials provided, including guidebooks and report cards, to create lesson plans.  Management was super approachable and understanding whenever we needed help, and were super open to providing constructive feedback.   I feel that working with kids and providing feedback to parents has actively helped with my social skills.  There were a whole bunch of team bonding events for the staff that were very fun.

Overall, I had an amazing time, and I would highly recommend this job as an excellent first job.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Camp counselor 80 salaries reported	$17.62 per hour
Camp manager 60 salaries reported	$22.09 per hour
Instructor 47 salaries reported	$16.84 per hour
Swim instructor 15 salaries reported	$22.57 per hour
Gestionnaire paie et administration du personnel 19 salaries reported	$22.03 per hour

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