During my 32-plus year Extension career my goal has always been to provide educational programs that help improve a person’s quality of life and lead by example. The focus of my column today is to review important bicycle safety rules and encourage families to participate in upcoming bike events that are planned in our area.
The fact that school is out means you will see more young riders heading to their summer activities on bicycles. Instead of making in-person visits to the elementary schools in the area the past couple of years we created a short video that highlights bicycle safety rules. You can access it at the following link: https://youtu.be/vdaRPTky1SE I hope you will take a few minutes and share the video with your kids or grandkids. In the video you will see my husband, John, and I in our hi-vis jackets and helmets. While I feel wearing an approved bicycle helmet is a must, I see a lot of cyclists going without that protection. Statistics show that the number of head injuries is reduced drastically when a properly fitted helmet is worn. Make sure all riders are fitted with a bike helmet and that you review the rules with young riders. Bicyclists need to ride with traffic, and acknowledge traffic signals. Some dangers to watch for include motorists backing from a parking stall or someone opening their car door in your traffic lane.
Two upcoming bicycle events are planned in Ellinwood and Great Bend to share bicycle safety tips as well as having fun. The community of Ellinwood will have a Bicycle Rodeo for kids of all ages on Saturday, June 11th. Information will be out soon via social media with the details. I know we will be bringing 25 helmets to be given away on a first come first served basis.
Another event, the “Family Fun Bike Ride” is in it’s second year as an activity at the Barton County Fair. Come to the runway just west of the Armory Saturday, July 9th, at 7:30 a.m. Again, we will have bicycle helmets for riders of all ages available at no cost. You can watch for more details about this fun event on our Cottonwood website.
Every Friday night during the summer there is a community bike ride in Great Bend that leaves from the Jack Kilby bandshell area at 6 p.m. We go at a relaxed pace and do a loop around Vet’s park. Consider joining us!
I hope you will make participating in one of these bike events a priority this summer. Bicycling a great family activity in the months to come!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.
