Kids on Bikes in Parks
On a nice spring morning Violet Crown Sports Association hosted Kids on Bikes in Parks in downtown Boggy Creek Park. The free event was co-sponsored by children’s bike company Woom which provided bikes and helmets to anyone who wanted to try a new bike or hadn’t brought one.
Each kid was given $20 ‘Mellow Bucks’ for the local bike shop Mellow Johnnies and a racing number when they checked in. Kids of all ages and skill levels rode the grassy course. Four-year-old Aaron tore across the cyclocross course like a natural. Other kids, like seven-year-old Ariel, were just getting started and were learning how to ride a bike that day. Parents and volunteers were available to offer support and coaching.
At the top of each hour, the kids line up at the starting line for a cyclocross race. “I am not going to go easy on them,” declared a six-year-old girl on a yellow bike. Once the whistle is blown some kids take off, others struggle to get peddling. The course zigzags around the park marked with yellow caution tape. At the end the winners get prizes.
Violet Crown has been part of the Austin bike community for the last forty years. According to their website, the “mission at VC is to bring together cyclists of all ages, types, and abilities to promote the sport of cycling.” Kids on Bikes in Parks was created to expose children to the sport and build new generations of racers and eco-conscious commuters.
The bike club wants to continue to support events like this throughout the year. The pandemic got a variety of people interested in bikes again. With free opportunities like Kids on Bikes in Parks, the momentum can keep growing.
“It’s a little expensive to get the insurance for the permits from the City of Austin,” said Violet Crown president David Comer, “but we want to keep doing events like this.”
The event caught the eye of two Austin ladies on their electric commuter bikes who said it was great to see kids learning more about bikes. The women give off old Ausitn vibes with their streaks of gray hair and rainbow tassels on their handlebars. Austin has a long history of bike lovers. It’s likely one of the reasons Woom chose Austin for its HQ.
At the Woom tent employees were showing parents how to fit kids for a bike. Recently, it’s become popular to learn how to ride a bike on what’s called a balance bike. The idea is that learning how to balance on two wheels from the start makes for a smoother transition than if you start with training wheels.
“You want to consider a kid’s inseam, and skill level when you are picking a bike,” explained the Woom employee. “How much control do they have? Are they using pedals? When they are first learning it’s best for their feet to reach flat on the ground.”
By the end of the event, 51 kids showed up to ride bikes in the park. Eighteen of which were walk-ups.
“I was just riding by. This is awesome,” said a parent of one of the walk-ups.
“Thanks so much for doing this,” said another parent who heard about the event from a friend he races bikes with.
At the end of the event, one lucky family won a raffle for a new Woom bike so their kids can continue to ride bikes in parks.
The next Kids on Bikes in Parts is located in Kyle at Gregg-Clarke Park on Saturday, August, 5th 8 am -10 am. Bring your kids and have some free summer fun. Register here.