Is 2007 the PPTC "Year of the Family"?
by Kevin Brugman
I was struck by how many of the articles dealt with children and bicycling in the January issue of Pedal Patter. Besides this monthly column, Pat Childers wrote about his experiences with Bike Rodeos over the past 15 years and leading rides specifically for children. There was also a job vacancy for a Youth Bike Program Director for Bikes for the World. Finally there was an article by Craig Degenhardt that should be mandatory reading for every parent buying a bike for their children.
As I look over the riders at many of the rides or at the annual meetings, I imagine that many of us are at an age when we learned to ride as children to play with our friends. We used our bikes as transportation to our friend's house, to the baseball/football/playground area. Sometimes we just got on our bikes to ride somewhere to get away from Dad, Mom, sisters, brothers or life in general. Bicycles were our tickets to freedom. I still see kids wanting to ride to get away from it or to it. They will ride to the playground down the street or around the block to get away from family life. But the days of heading out for a day of riding without supervision may be gone forever in the Washington DC area. So how do we encourage the next generation of cyclists?
Pat has taken the step of introducing children to biking through the Bike Rodeos. There are a lot of kids that come to the rodeos as a day of escapism. Safe riding, seeing the police as friends not someone to avoid, exercise are all things kids crave. Not just want, but CRAVE! If you are involved with or hosting a Bike Rodeo this year, please let me know at least 6 weeks in advance and I will try to reference it in this column.
Pat and Julie took it a step further and took children out for rides. Even these children know the difference between being out riding a bike and going for a bike ride. For many of these children, this is an adventure escape from everything.
Bikes for the World is an outstanding organization that arranges for unused bikes in the US to be gathered up and sent to third world countries. I read once that there are more bikes sold per year in the U.S. than automobiles. If this is true, then there are a lot of unused bikes in garages and back yards. This program provides cheap, efficient transportation to hundreds around the world and generates local enterprise. Now they are expanding to youth programs. No longer will bikes be something just for adults, they will be available to children for fun, for getting out of the neighborhood, to meet more friends and find out that the kids down the road are just as fun as the kids next door.
Finally, Craig's article on bike helmets was right on. As much as I want the local bike stores to get as much support as possible, I recognize that many bikes and helmets are bought at large discount stores. Unfortunately, these shops do not have the staff, time, or expertise to properly fit helmets to children or adults. Even for those who do buy a children's helmet at a bike store and get the staff to properly fit the helmet, children grow fast and what fit six months ago, now needs to be readjusted. I frequently see bike stores offer free bike adjustments when you buy their bikes, I would bet that many would be willing to help with helmet adjustments as well. Just do not go in at the busiest time and insist on an immediate refitting. After all they want return customers as well.
So what else can we do as PPTCers to make 2007 the year of the family? First, if you have children, go out for bike rides with them; offer to take a neighbor's child out with you for a ride. Do local rides around the neighborhood. A half mile may be all some of the smaller ones can do to start with, let the rides expand as experience grows. Second, arrange to ride with other families; there are a few PPTC specific family rides held every year, plus there are some D-rides that are short enough or slow enough to encourage multiple families with children. Third, lead a ride yourselves; get the children involved with organizing the ride. I am getting my own two boys into organizing some family rides this summer and figuring out how to make them more fun. Their number one suggestion: Bring their friends along! Be the Johnny Appleseed of biking. Fourth, get involved in community events helping children ride. Assist or lead a Bike Rodeo, get involved with one of the groups leading youth rides, or find some other way to preach the gospel of bike riding.
Let's make 2007 a year of growth for family biking.