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Biking programs for youth



Young bikers at Elings Park BMX Raceway, here
in a regional race. Photo by Ralph Fertig.
- Year-around Youth Programs
- There are many programs
that specifically address the needs of our youth. Young cyclists
can join Echelon's Junior Teams for road
racing. They can enjoy BMX racing at either Santa Barbara's Elings
Park or the Santa Maria tracks. High school students can join the
local SoCal High School Cycling League's cross-country
mountain biking team. Our Coalition offers ongoing bike programs
at South Coast schools where kids can learn about bike maintenance
and on-street safety.
- SB
Bicycle Coalition Youth Education Programs, Christine
Bourgeois,
899-3728
- Pedal Power: Grades 7-12.
After-school program where participants learn bike mechanics, build
street riding skills and confidence, and go on
rides around Santa Barbara. $175 for
18 hours of instruction over 6 weeks.
- Super Cyclers: Grades 4-6. After-school
program where students become better riders on the road: bike handling
skills, rules of the road, traffic awareness, and neighborhood rides.
$80 for 8 classes.
- Junior Cyclers: Grades 1-3. After-school program
where younger riders improve their bike handling skills through
fun games in a safe, off-street environment.
$60 for 6 classes.
- Bici
Centro, Ed France, 617-3255
- Echelon
Santa Barbara, Scott McIntyre,
684-3038
- Elings Park
BMX Raceway,
Richard Huvard, 312-0922
- South Coast High School MTB Team, Jeff
Harbison
- Santa Maria
BMX, Mike Porter, 938-1348
2010 Summer Youth Programs and Events
- May 1, June 26 and August 28, Kidical Mass Santa
Barbara,
sponsored by Marin Sigurdson. There are three "Kidical Mass" family
bike rides in the South Coast. They start at different locations,
go to different places. Details at www.kidicalmasssb.blogspot.com.
- June 14-18 and June 21-25, Summer Cyclers,
sponsored by Santa Barbara Parks &
Recreation, our Bicycle Coalition, and Bici Centro. For ages 10-14.
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. At Santa Barbara Junior
High School, 9:00 AM-12:00 noon. Phone 564-5495 or go to sbparksandrecreation.com/summerfun.
- Every week, June 14-August 2, Safety
Town, sponsored
by Soroptimist of Santa Barbara. For upcoming kindergarden and first
graders. Learn bike and walking safety, plus challenging situation
behavior. Takes place at 5 schools—Foothill, Franklin, Aliso,
El Camino and Isla Vista. Week-long sessions, 8:30 AM -12:00 noon
daily. Register online here.
- July 5-9, July 12-16 and July 19-23, Mountain
Bike Skills Camp,
sponsored by Elings Park and Bici Centro. Ages 7-14. Experienced
instructors guide bikers through the basics of trail etiquette,
riding skills and bike maintenance. Participants are required to
bring a functioning mountain bike and a helmet. Daily 9:00 AM-12:00
noon. Register at www.elingspark.org.
- Every week, June 7-August 6, BMX
Summer Camp,
sponsored by Elings Park. Ages 5-12. The BMX camp is designed
for riders of all levels and abilities. The instructor is Chantel
Blanchet, a BMX Pro. Improve basic skills, learn track etiquette
and get a great workout in the beautiful outdoors. Daily 9:00 AM-3:00
PM. Register at www.elingspark.org.
- May 20 & 22, and July 15 &
17, Street Skills
for Cyclists 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 the second day. 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 streetskills@sbbike.org.
- If you know of other Santa Barbara county youth bike
programs, please
tell us.
Bike to School Day



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 2010 events took place
on the morning of May 18th. They are arranged school by school within
our county. At least 21 schools hosted
events. They are: Foothill, Monroe, Peabody,, Monte Vista, Ellwood,
Harding, Cleveland, Hope, Vieja Valley, Washington, Kellogg, El Camino,
SB Community Academy, Hollister, Adams, and Mountain View Elementary
schools. Plus Goleta Valley, Santa Barbara, and La Cumbre Junior
Highs; and San Marcos and Santa Barbara High Schools. Contact South
Coast coordinator Kim Stanley-Zimmerman at kim@coast-santabarbara.org. She
can put you in touch with the individual school bike "champion"
organizer.
Santa Barbara Middle School teaches bicycling



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.
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