Bike Rodeo
Photo courtesy of Stephen Matera
Organize your own community event! Bike Rodeos are a fun way for kids to build their biking skills and develop a greater understanding of bike safety.
WHAT IS A BIKE RODEO?
A Bike Rodeo, also called a Bicycle Skills Rodeo, is a fun, interactive, and non-competitive skills course designed for kids to improve their bike handling and traffic safety skills. Held within a controlled and safe environment, our Bike Rodeo can be used as a great introduction to bicycle handling for kids and families alike. The Rodeo is easily incorporated into any community event and is especially well suited for health and wellness, environmental education, and youth fitness themes.
A successful rodeo celebrates the joys of riding a bike while simultaneously strengthening bike handling skills and traffic safety. We encourage hosting a rodeo that includes additional bike safety resources for parents, guardians, and families to help get everyone involved.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Matera
Bicycle Rodeo Planning Timeline
Below is a recommended timeline to guide you as you plan a bike rodeo for your community
- One month in advance
- Decide when and where to have your rodeo
- Email ypa@cascade.org to reserve a bike rodeo kit for your event (optional, you can also make your own!)
- Rally and organize parent/guardian and community volunteers
- Two weeks in advance
- Review the bike rodeo instructions and other resources
- Begin to spread the word about your rodeo. Advertise!
- One week in advance
- Create a diagram/map of your bike rodeo in the designated space
- Confirm date and times with volunteers
- Plan and invite volunteers to a training session
- Prepare and print waivers
- Day of the event
- Set up bike rodeo stations and plan for the flow of the event
- Train volunteers
- During the Bike Rodeo:
- Make sure all bikes and helmets are checked before going onto the course
- Collect waivers from all participants
- Post Rodeo:
- Check the bike rodeo kit for all contents/materials
- Count all of your waivers to confirm the total number of participants. Share and celebrate with all involved parties (including Cascade)!
- Return the kit to Cascade Bicycle Club within three business days
Have fun!
VOLUNTEERS
In order to put on a successful and safe bike rodeo, you will need to recruit volunteers to help run the event. Most of these volunteer positions do not require any special knowledge and can be trained from the provided Bicycle Rodeo Instructions. It is good practice to ensure that event hosts are knowledgeable about bicycle and traffic safety.
TIPS
- This is an event for kids, but don’t forget to engage the parents!
- This event could tie in with another regularly-scheduled event at your school community - Earth Day celebration, family potluck, etc.
- Kids like to ride around after finishing all of the rodeo stations - try to establish a loop for them to ride around at your site. It is a good idea to monitor the loop to make sure that kids are moving at a speed that keeps everyone safe.
- Establish a "learn to ride" area with trained volunteers that can teach kids how to ride.
- Cascade can provide a bike rodeo kit and bike rodeo guidelines (including diagrams) free of charge. To reserve a rodeo kit for pick up, please contact us!
CASCADE BICYCLE CLUB SUPPLIES THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
- Instructions for organizing a rodeo (above)
- Bike rodeo kit (Must be reserved in advance.)
- Ideas for stations, activities and games
- Sample waiver form
- Helmet fit brochures by request
Not Supplied
- Staff and volunteers to run the course
Rodeo kits must be reserved in advance. We ask that you pick up and drop off you kit within three business days of your event. To reserve a kit and schedule a pickup or drop off time, contact amyk@cascade.org