Wednesday, May 2 by silvia
May is National Bike Month, and the week of May 13 is Bike to Work Week. A number of events are planned in West Windsor and neighboring communities; one (or more) is sure to be right for you. We’ve also included a few for walkers. (Note that not all events listed below are organized by the WWBPA)
May 5: West Windsor Walks to the opening day of the farmers’ market. Join us at 8:50 a.m. in the parking lot at the back of Maurice Hawk Elementary school for a leisurely stroll of just over a mile. We’ll start walking at 9 a.m. and are excited that the route this year will take us along some stretches of sidewalk that weren’t there last year. Kids will be challenged by a game of “I Spy.” People in wheelchairs and kids in strollers are welcome.
May 6: Bring your child (up to age 10) and bike to a free bike skills class at Plainsboro’s Founders Day. Princeton’s police department is sponsoring a separate bike skills class that includes a bike obstacle course on May 19; call 921-2100, ext. 1848 for details.
May 11-12: Adults aren’t being left out. This skills class, offered through the West Windsor Recreation Department, is for those who want to boost their confidence when riding on the road. Cost is $50, but the WWBPA will reimburse $25 of the cost for members. Plus we’ll cover the other $25 for the first five members who write a review of the class that we can use on our website.
May 12: Buy a bike at Bike Exchange in Ewing and get a free helmet from Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association. Learn more about this and other GMTMA events during National Bike Month here.
May 14-18: National Bike to Work Week. Register for a free T-shirt and a raffle with GMTMA.
May 15: Bikers Breakfast at the Princeton Junction train station, sponsored by the WWBPA and Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, starting at 6 a.m. Grab a drink and a snack on us. Want a bike locker? We’ll tell you how to get one.
May 16: The WWBPA is supporting one of three area Ride of Silence events to honor cyclists killed or injured on the roads. Meet at 6:45 p.m. in the Municipal Center parking lot; the silent one-hour ride will leave at 7 p.m. We will have a West Windsor police escort and a funeral hearse courtesy of Mather Hodge. We suggest you wear a black armband and turn on your front and rear lights. We will stick together for the entire 10-12 mile route. Last year, more than 12,000 cyclists took part in events around the world.
May 19: Tour historic Trenton with the Trenton Cycling Revolution. More information about this 15-mile ride and registration at www.trentoncycling.org.
May 26: BikeFest, West Windsor’s bicycling extravaganza, with rides for people of all abilities, from 1.5 miles to 40 miles. Register at www.westwindsorbikefest.com. Say “hi” to the WWBPA after your ride!
June 16: The WWBPA holds a free “learn to bike” class for kids who want to get off training wheels at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market. Watch the video of last year’s class. Note: This is a members-only event.
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Tags: bicycle, bike safety, Learn to BIke, National Bike Month, Plainsboro, Ride of Silence
Posted in Bike Rodeo, Bike Skills, BikeFest, Farmers' Market, National BIke Month, Plainsboro, Princeton Junction train station, Ride of Silence |
Tuesday, April 10 by silvia
Adults on bikes
Not everyone learns to ride a bicycle as a child. But it’s never too late to learn and join your family on their outings. The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance is holding a special “learn to bike” class for adults of all ages (as well as mature teens) on Sunday April 29. We will use the same pedal-free balance technique that works so well in our “learn to bike’ classes for children. The class will be held between 10 a.m. and noon in the Vaughn Drive parking lot off Alexander Road (by the Princeton Junction train station) and is free.
Most people learn to ride their bikes while taking the class, but even if they don’t, they leave with an easy, crash-free, and low-stress way to teach themselves to ride. You can read about a Bike New York class here (they taught us!)
Just bring a bike and helmet. You must be able to rest your feet flat on the ground while sitting on the bicycle seat. If you don’t have a bike, please tell us so we can make arrangements. No helmet? The WWBPA sells them for just $10.
This is a small class and participants must pre-register via wwbikeped@gmail.com
This is not a class for those who know how to bike but want to become more confident cyclists. The West Windsor Recreation Department is offering a class for you in May called Traffic Skills 101. The WWBPA will offer a “learn to bike” class for kids in June. Watch for details.
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Tags: Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills |
Thursday, September 29 by silvia
The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance taught another 17 kids to bike without training wheels on Saturday by using a low-stress technique taught to us by Bike New York: take off the pedals and training wheels, lower the seat, learn to glide (and balance) and then put the pedals back on. It’s amazing to see how quickly some kids get it! And others just need a bit more time and encouragement. We think it helps that they see so many others doing the same thing.
Did you see us at the farmers’ market? Check out our photos to see what it’s all about.
Many thanks to all our volunteers! Want to join our crew next year?
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Tags: farmers market, Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills, Farmers' Market |
Tuesday, August 30 by silvia
The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance is holding its second “learn to bike” class of 2011 to get more kids off training wheels and enjoying the freedom of two wheels.
We use a safe and effective method that teaches kids to balance on their bikes without pedals or training wheels. Then the pedals go back on and we review how to start and stop. No clutching the back of the seat! Children generally learn pretty quickly, though they may need more practice with mom and dad the next day. It works! We’ve already taught more than 50 kids. Watch the video.
This session is being held at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market on Sept. 24 and is being offered to WWBPA members only. Not sure if your membership is current? You should have received an acknowledgment letter from us in the past year. Or ask, and we can check our records.
Please help us spread the word about this great class with friends, neighbors and colleagues. (They just need to join before signing up a kid. Membership forms are on the website, and Google checkout is an easy payment option. Or see us at the farmers’ market on Sept. 10.)
Preregistration is a must. Email wwbikeped@gmail.com to sign up a child.
One last thing: This class requires many volunteers to help with everything from accepting registration forms to taking off pedals and training wheels. Interested in helping? Email us at wwbikeped@gmail.org. We’ll happily accept as much or as little time as you can offer.
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Tags: Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills, Farmers' Market |
Saturday, July 16 by silvia
We now have a video of our fantastic day in May when we taught about 50 kids to ride without training wheels. Watch it!
The next class will be Sept. 24. Watch for details.
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Tags: Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills, National BIke Month |
Friday, May 27 by silvia
About 50 area kids, generally ages 5 to 7, learned to ride bicycles without training wheels at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market on Saturday , May 21, as they took part in a free “learn to bike” class with the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance.
The class used a safe and effective method that teaches kids to first sit and “scoot” on their bike without pedals or training wheels until they learn how to balance. Pedals are then reattached, kids are taught how to start and stop and then, with a bit more practice, they are cycling without an adult needing to clutch the back of the seat. The method isn’t just for kids; the WWBPA also taught one adult on Saturday.
The response from the community – West Windsor and beyond – was incredible and exceeded the WWBPA’s expectations. The feedback from parents who brought their children has been overwhelmingly positive, and the WWBPA will be discussing plans for a future event.
Many thanks to Bike Exchange, which supports the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton by selling good used bikes, for the use of loaner bikes. We learned that it’s much easier to learn balance on a small bike (easier to touch the ground solidly with your feet), and we swapped bikes many times.
Now who left pedals behind?
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Tags: Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills, Farmers' Market |
Friday, May 20 by silvia
Remember how you learned to bike without training wheels? One of your parents was probably clutching the back of the seat and eventually let go.
The WWBPA is doing it differently: At our free class at the WW Farmers’ Market this Saturday, we’ll take off the training wheels and the pedals, and then lower the seat so the child can touch the ground while seated. Kids will learn to balance by scooting while seated and lifting their feet off the ground. Only then will we put the pedals back on and make sure they know how to start and stop before letting them try to ride.
We’ll be teaching from 9 a.m. til the market closes at 1 p.m. Stop by!
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Tags: Learn to BIke, National Bike Month
Posted in Bike Skills, Farmers' Market, National BIke Month |
Saturday, April 23 by silvia
Step one: Training wheels and pedals come off
Armed with some great training from Bike New York (a wonderful nonprofit group out of NYC), the WWBPA will hold a “learn to ride” class at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market (Vaughn Drive parking lot, off Alexander Road) on May 21 as part of our National Bike Month festivities. This class is aimed at children, but the same techniques work for adults.
Step two: Learn to balance
We will teach your child how to balance on a bike without pedals or training wheels. Then the pedals go back on and we demonstrate how to start and stop.
Step three: Start pedaling
Not all children will learn right away, but parents will go away with skills to teach their child — without breaking their back holding on to the back of the seat. We had great success using this method on our “test cases” during training. Some learned that day, and just about all were cycling within two days. See the approach in action on this Bike New York video.
This class is free and will run continuously. Space is limited so we recommend pre-registering. Please arrive before noon (the farmers’ market starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.). Minimum age is 5.
Bring a bike in good working order. A helmet is required. Don’t have one? The WWBPA sells them for just $10.
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Tags: Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills, Farmers' Market |
Wednesday, March 30 by sandy
Join us April 9 from 10 a.m. to noon, when Bike New York comes to Train the Trainers for our West Windsor Bikes: “Lose the Training Wheels” session at the Farmers’ Market on May 21, when we’ll teach children to ride bikes without training wheels.
We’ll start our training session at the West Windsor Library and then head outside. Please email us at wwbikeped@gmail.com so we can know to expect you and contact you if plans change because of bad weather.
Click here to read about the Balancing First Method.
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Tags: bicycle, bike safety, Learn to BIke
Posted in Bike Skills |
