You could host a bike rodeo. It might not be on a par with the event at the Cornwall Public Library. But it would help you keep your kids occupied during the long summer days without any school.
The library roped off its parking lot on the evening of June 14, and held three activities for bikers. The exercise that attracted the most kids was the “rodeo course.”
Following chalk arrows on the pavement, youngsters zigzagged around cones. The kids couldn’t go very fast, because the cones were about 10 feet apart. They were placed on the lines for parking spaces.
It wasn’t a contest. No one was timed. Kids simply tried to do it. One drawback was the wind on Friday night. It didn’t disturb the riders. But it blew the cones out of position and changed the course.
A tougher challenge was the paper route. Each youngster was given a satchel to sling over a shoulder. Inside the bag were three objects that resembled newspapers.
As the kids pedaled across the parking lot, they had to remove a paper and toss it into a laundry basket without stopping. It wasn’t easy, but some youngsters had an advantage. They had baskets attached to their handle bars, which made the papers more accessible.
The final test was called “Stopping on a dime.” We looked for the coin, but it wasn’t there. What we saw, instead, was a chalk bulls eye with a center that was about the size of a quarter. The successful bikers approached the target slowly. If they went too fast, they would pedal right past it.
The rodeo could be a do-it-yourself project. But the library had two advantages. It had a spacious paved area, and it also had volunteer help from Frank Lovell and the staff of Bryan’s Bikes.
He examined each bicycle to make sure the tires were properly inflated. He loaned helmets to the riders who didn’t have them. And he distributed hand-outs with tips on being a safe bike driver.
