Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition

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Biking programs for youth

photo of BMX riders

Young bikers at Santa Barbara's BMX track in a regional race. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

  • On a year-round basis, there are several programs that specifically address the needs of our youth. Kids can join Echelon's Junior Teams for road racing. They can enjoy BMX racing at either the Santa Barbara or the Santa Maria tracks. Further, students at San Marcos High School can join their school's mountain bike club. Finally, there are ongoing "Earn a Bike" programs at Bici Centro where kids can learn about bike maintenance and on-street safety while earning a bike of their own.
  • Bici Centro Youth Bike Program, Ed France, 617-3255
  • Echelon Santa Barbara, Mark Purcell
  • Santa Barbara BMX, Bill Carson, 564-8859
  • San Marcos High School Mountain Biking Club, Dave O'Donnell, 898-1419
  • Santa Maria BMX, Mike Porter, 938-1348

2009 Summer Programs

  • Dates TBD, Youth Earn-a-Bike Program, sponsored by Bici Centro of Santa Barbara. For ages 12-16. The summer program consists of a four-week session, followed by an intense two-week session. Forty hours time are spent with participants on street cycling skills, bike maintenance, working on their own bicycles, and group bike rides. The cost includes Bicycle Coalition membership. Learn about it at www.bicicentro.org.
  • June 7, Bike Festival Kids Race, sponsored by Shimano. This race is part of the two-day Santa Barbara Bike Festival. Race time is 1:00 PM. Festival entrance and Kids Race are free; car parking is $5. Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara. Details at www.santabarbarabikefest.com.
  • June 8-12, June 22-26, and July 6-10, Bike Skills & Safety Program, sponsored by Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation, our Bicycle Coalition, and Bici Centro. For ages 10-14. Three hours a day 9:00 AM-1:00 PM, for five days. Each day is another bike adventure. Pedal to different parts of Santa Barbara as a group while learning skills to be used for life. Bicyclists must bring a bicycle, helmet, tire patch kit, tire levers, bike pump, snack, water, and comfortable riding clothes. Starts from Santa Barbara Junior High School's rear parking lot at Ortega Street. Registration includes a year membership in our Bicycle Coalition. Details here.
  • June 15-19, and other weeks starting on July 6, July 27, August 3, and August 10 , Mountain Bike Camp, sponsored by Elings Park. For ages 7-15. Great cross country and downhill mountain bike trails have been developed in Elings Park South. Experienced instructor Jacob Seigel-Boettner will guide your child through the basics of trail etiquette, bike maintenance, and riding skills and will prepare participants to compete in future races at Elings Park. A functioning mountain bike and helmet are required. Daily 9:00-12:00 noon at Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara. Registration details at elingspark.org.
  • June 22-26, and every week through August 10-14, BMX Summer Camp, sponsored by Elings Park. For ages 5-12. BMX camp is an opportunity to learn BMX riding or refine current skills. The camp is for riders of all abilities to improve basic skills and introduce track etiquette, while putting safety first. Each participant must bring a helmet and a functioning bike. The instructor is Chantel Blanchet, a BMX State Champion, West Coast Champion, National Age Group #1, Grand National #1, and World #1. Daily 9:00 AM -3:00 PM at Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara. Information and registration at elingspark.org.
  • July 16 and 18, Street Skills for Cycling Class, sponsored by our Bicycle Coalition. For ages 14 and older, (those 14 and 15 must be accompanied by an adult ). Learn how to ride confidently with traffic in an urban setting. The class will help you foresee problem situations, be visible day and night, position yourself safely in traffic, cross freeway bridges, equip your bike, and lots more including on-road bicycling on July 18th. The class is being held at the Granada Garage Bikestation, 1219 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara. Online info and registration are here. Direct any questions to CycleSmart@sbbike.org.
  • July 13-17 Kid's Triathlon Camp, sponsored by Momentum 4 Life. This camp is for children ages 7-12 who can swim 25 yards in a pool and ride a two wheel bike. The co-directors are Marcie Kjoller and Dawn Schroeder. Camp takes place at UCSB, 2:30-5:00 PM. Limited to 150 participants. For more information and registration, go to momentum4life.com.
  • July 18, Santa Barbara Kid's Triathlon, sponsored by Momentum 4 Life. Not a camp, but a single event. This is the fourth annual kid's triathlon, open to children aged 7-15, to help them establish a healthy foundation for life. Limited to the first 200 applicants. Details at www.sbkidstriathlon.com.
  • If you know of other ongoing youth bike programs, please tell us.

Bike to School Day

photo of kids with bikes

Nearly 150 kids biked to Vieja Valley School on Bike to School Day 2002 shown here. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

  • The Bike to School Day 2009 events will take place on May 19th. They are arranged school by school within our county. Events are being arranged at individual South Coast and Solvang schools. These South Coast schools participated in 2008, and will likely repeat it this year: César Chavez, Monroe, El Camino, Ellwood, Hollister, Goleta Family School, Monte Vista, Cold Spring, Hope, Vieja Valley and Isla Vista. Bike rodeos and bicycle safety instruction are being offered at César Chavez, Ellwood, and Brandon prior to Bike Week. Contact South Coast coordinator Kim Stanley-Zimmerman at ksz@linkline.com, or Solvang coordinator John Padfield at jpadfield@mac.com.

Santa Barbara Middle School teaches bicycling

photo of kids circling on bikes

Santa Barbara Middle School students circle on the playing field upon returning from a tour. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

  • For good reasons, the Santa Barbara Middle School calls itself "the bikingest school in the country." Their school logo has a bicycle wheel in it, and their active bike tour program that has been part of their core curriculum from their start in 1976.
  • Whenever students return from a bike tour, there is a ceremony at the school. Hundreds of parents, family and friends show up to cheer the riders. Over a hundred welcoming signs are posted along the approach roads and the entry drive to the school. The student support is apparent and touching.
  • For all cyclists, it's heart warming to see hundreds of students bicycling with assurance—and pleasure. For more information about the private school (grades 6-9), visit their web site www.sbms.org. Read an article about the school by Ralph Fertig. A shorter version was published in the League of American Bicyclists' Spring 2002 magazine.

How to Teach a Child to Ride
by Sean Coffey & Bill Strickland, Bicycling magazine, December 2001

  • Holding onto the seat and running beside your wobbly child is frustrating (for both of you), takes too long, and is guaranteed to produce at least a skinned knee. Here's how to teach your kid to ride in one session—in less than an hour.
  • Find a gentle slope in a grassy field. Lower the seat so your child's feet can touch the ground when he's seated. Have him coast down, using his feet as outriggers for balance. Repeat this until he masters it, then have him raise his feet after he starts down the hill. Explain that he can put his feet down at any time to regain stability. Repeat this until he coasts down steadily without using his feet. Raise the saddle slightly, and coast down several times with feet on leveled pedals (at 3 and 9 o'clock), then incorporate pedaling.
  • You've just passed the torch.