FABB Blog

 

Bike to School Day is next Wednesday

To get you inspired for Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 7, here are a couple of Bike to School related stories:

Vienna ES bike parking

Record number of kids participate in Vienna ES Bike Friday - Vienna Elementary School holds Bike Friday every Friday from now until the end of the school year. Today 75 kids rode to school, which is 20 percent of the kids in K-6th grade. That's a record for their Bike Friday. Next week several Vienna and Reston schools are holding bike/walk challenges. See the summary from last year. Next week we'll be posting daily totals on the FABB blog.

Don't Be a Melon Head - Vienna Elementary School parent Sonya Marsden put together this video showing the benefits of wearing a helmet. Several kids demonstrate what happens when a watermelon is dropped inside a helmet vs. just being dropped. Melons were donated by Whole Foods Market and helmets were donated by Spokes, Etc. Don't Be a Melon Head.


Vienna Bike Rodeo - On Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. Kids can learn more about bike safety at the Vienna Bike Rodeo on Saturday.

Ages: Preschool - 6th grade

Bike Rodeo will be held at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. Bring your bike and participate in the Bike Safety Course, Bike Inspections and Safe Riding Technique Demonstration.

Sponsored by the Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation Department, Town of Vienna Police Department and Safe Routes to School.

Reston Bike Rodeo - If you can't get to the Vienna Bike Rodeo you can always visit the Reston Bike Rodeo on Saturday, May 10 from 1-4 p.m. at Lake Newport Pool parking lot.

Labels: bike friday, bike rodeo, don't be a melon head, helmet, vienna elementary school

posted by Bruce Wright at 2:07 PM permalink

 

Mark your calendars for events next week

Next week, the first full week of Bike Month, is packed with the following events (I've included this Saturday as well):

• Saturday, May 3 - Vienna Bike Rodeo from 9-noon at Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.
• Sunday, May 4 - Alexandria Spokeswomen lead their bike shop ride leaving from Jones Point Park at 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, May 5 - Safe Routes to School Workshop at Mt. Vernon Woods Elementary School from 12:15-3:30 p.m. facilitated by Mark Fenton, an expert on Safe Routes to School initiatives and walkable communities.
• Tuesday, May 6 - Healthy Community Design Summit at the Kena Conference Center from 8:30-noon. Mark Fenton is the keynote speaker.
• Tuesday, May 6 - Bicycle Master Plan briefing at Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee meeting at Fairfax County Government Center. Meeting starts at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, May 7 - Bike to School Day is celebrated at over 25 Fairfax County schools. Is your school holding an event?
• Saturday, May 10 - Reston Bike Rodeo at Lake Newport pool from 1-4 p.m.

Labels: alexandria spokeswomen, bicycle master plan, bike rodeo, bike to school day, healthy community design summit, safe routes to school

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:53 PM permalink

 

Volunteers need for Fairfax bike rodeo

FABB is leading a bike rodeo on Sunday September 23 2-4 PM in the City of Fairfax. Volunteers are needed to help with registration and with conducting the rodeo. The event will be in Old Town Fairfax across the street from Oasis BikeWorks and is part of “Discover Fairfax,” which is being organized by the Downtown Business Association. If you are interested in volunteering for the rodeo, contact Douglas Stewart at douglasbstewart@gmail.com or 703-407-2790.

Labels: bike rodeo, city of fairfax

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:58 AM permalink

 

Wolftrap Elementary bike rodeo video

Jenifer Madden has posted a good video of the Wolftrap Elementary School bike rodeo that was held on Sunday. The video is on her blog and is entitled Bike Rodeo Rustles up Kid Safety.

Trails for Youth conducted the rodeo that was paid for by a grant from Prevention Connections. Mechanics from Spokes, Etc. and bikes@vienna were on hand to check out the kid's bikes. FABB was there to hand out bike literature and discuss biking in Fairfax. FABB's Jeff Anderson, the crazy biker dad, was key to putting it together. Tomorrow he'll be leading Wolfie's Bike Train on Bike to School Day.

Labels: bike rodeo, jeff anderson, jenifer madden, wolftrap elementary school

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:49 PM permalink

 

Bike events this weekend

Paul's Ride for Life, The Bike Lane Cyclefest Expo, Spokes, Etc./Trek Bicycle Demo, and two bike rodeos are on tap for the weekend. FABB will have a table at Cyclefest so stop by and say hi. The weather forecast was gloomy but now looks much more promising although you'll need to dress warmly. Cyclefest, Paul's Ride, and Spokes/Trek Bicycle Demo will be held rain or shine. Why not check out one or more of these events (info from event web pages):

• Paul's Ride for Life—Saturday starting at 7am. Start at Reston Town Center Pavilion. All rides are out and back along the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail. The route is paved asphalt. The ride includes 10, 20, and 1/2 Century +2 mile options.
• The Bike Lane Cyclefest Expo—Saturday starting at 10am. Join The Bike Lane for our 6th Annual Cyclefest Expo. A day to celebrate cycling at Reston Town Center Pavilion! Cyclefest Expo is open for everyone from 10 am- 3 pm. Trek, Felt, and Niner Demos will be available from 10-2:30 pm. Kids Bike Rodeo, sponsored by Trails for Youth, will be from 12:30- 3 pm. Group mountain bike ride to Lake Fairfax, sponsored by MORE- 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
• Bicycle Safety Rodeo—Saturday from 1-4pm at Lake Newport Pool, Reston. Join the Reston Association, State Farm Insurance Co., and The Reston Bicycle Club for our Annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo. Children will complete 8 safety stations and earn their bicyclist’s license. Children must bring their own bicycles and helmets. No registration required. This event is canceled in the event of rain. Contact Ashleigh@reston.org or call 703-435-6577 for more information.
• Spokes, Etc./Trek Bicycle Demo—Sunday 10-3pm. Join Spokes Etc. and Trek Bicycles on Sunday, April 29th for a Bicycle Demo and Education event at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield, VA. Take advantage of this opportunity to take a brand new 2012 Trek bicycle for a real-world ride. Choose from mountain, road, triathlon and cyclocross bikes and ride them where they were meant to be ridden – on the trails, roads, and gravel paths.

Labels: bike rodeo, cyclefest, paul's ride, spokes etc., trek

posted by Bruce Wright at 2:40 PM permalink

 

Vienna Elementary School bike rodeo

Mayor Seeman and Bruce Wright (photo: Anne Pastorkovich)

Around 90 kids participated in the Vienna ES bike rodeo on Monday. The school is located adjacent to the W&OD Trail and close to neighborhood streets and many kids bike to the school. It was great to see so many kids having fun riding bikes and learning handling skills. Pat Childers of Trails for Youth was in charge of the rodeo. The event was sponsored by Vienna Elementary School PTA, Safe Routes to School, the Friends of the WO&D and the Town of Vienna.

Our friends from Spokes, Etc. and bikes@vienna were there to check out and tune the bikes. FABB was there to hand out the last of the county Bicycle Route Maps. The revised map should be available soon. Town of Vienna Mayor Seeman (right) was there as was Councilwoman Laurie DiRocco. Mayor Seeman said she plans to attend the Maple Ave Shopping Center bike rack ribbon-cutting event on Saturday. It's great to see so much support for bicycling in Vienna.

Labels: bike rodeo, town of vienna, vienna elementary school

posted by Bruce Wright at 10:02 PM permalink

 

Busy week ahead in Fairfax

There are several events and meetings this week that cyclists should be aware of:

• Monday, April 16 - Vienna Elementary School Bike Rodeo, 128 Center St. South Vienna, VA 22180 from 1-3pm. FABB will be there along with a mechanic from bikes@vienna who will do minor repairs on kids bikes.
• Tuesday, April 17 - Fairfax Co Parkway Repaving meeting at Robinson Secondary School, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032 at 7pm. Speak out for repaving of the parallel trail that is in bad condition and has never been repaved. Other meetings include April 24 at VDOT District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 and May 2 at West Springfield High School, 6100 Rolling Rd, Springfield, VA 22152
• Wednesday, April 18 - Pohick Valley Stream trail meeting at White Oaks Elementary School, 6130 Shiplett Blvd, Burke at 7pm. The trail is an important connector between Burke VRE and Rolling Road VRE stations. This is a chance to speak out in support of the trail.
• Wednesday, April 18 - FABB Monthly Meeting at Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna, 7:30-9pm. Tom Biesiadny, Director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, is our invited guest speaker.
• Thursday, April 19 - Vienna Green Expo at the Vienna Community Center from 6:30-9pm. FABB will be there along with the Vienna Bicycle Advisory Committee, bikes@vienna, and Spokes, Etc.
• Falls Church Bike/Ped Plan meeting is also on the 19th, at the Community Center, 223 Little Falls Street starting at 7:30pm.  This is a chance to provide feedback on the draft plan.
• Saturday, April 21 - Bike Rack Ribbon-Cutting and Family Event in Vienna at the Maple Ave Shopping Center, 11-1pm. Sign up to win a Breezer bicycle.

See the redesigned FABB Events Page for details.

Labels: bike racks, bike rodeo, fairfax county parkway trail, vienna green expo

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:11 AM permalink

 

Graham Road Elementary School Bike Day

Kids receiving new helmets.

Several FABB members were present yesterday for the first Graham Road Elementary School Bike Day in Falls Church. This event was organized by a group of local parents including Phillip Troutman and Betsy Scoto-Lavino after they successfully won a $2000 mini-grant from Prevention Connections. They used the grant proceeds to purchase equipment including bike repair stands, tools, pumps, as well as 100 helmets to support an ongoing bike to school program.

On Sunday, over 40 students brought along their bikes and participated in various biking stations and activities at the school including:

• A bike safety check and adjustment where they learned about the ABC-Spin Check and how to pump air and clean and lube their chain.
• A helmet check and fitting with many receiving a new or replacement helmet.
• An skills obstacle course complete with cones, hoops and slow biking challenge
• A two-mile group ride through the neighborhood with instruction about safe on-street riding
• Children were very engaged and many whole families attended and enjoyed the fun. 

Lining up for the bike ride.

The kids had fun and learned bike safety and handling skills. Currently, 90 percent of all the students walk to the school daily, the highest rating for any school in Fairfax. The school is set to relocate to a new building in the new school year which will increase the rate of busing for students.

 Graham Road ES parents plan to organize to make a Safe Routes to School application for the school in the next round of grant funding to improve walking and biking access to the new school building. Congratulations to the parents of Graham Road ES on their successful work acquiring funds and providing education and safety equipment to the students of this neighborhood.

Posted by FABB member Fionnuala Quinn.

Labels: bike rodeo, graham road es, prevention connections, safe routes to school

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:01 AM permalink

 

Bike rodeo this Saturday in Alexandria

According to Kingstowne Patch, "Cub Scout Pack 867 is sponsoring a Bike Rodeo for boys and girls on Saturday, August 13th at Bush Hill Elementary School. The school is located at 5927 Westchester Street, Alexandria VA 22310. This event will take place from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The Fairfax County Sheriff Bike Patrol officers will be on site to help assist in teaching bike safety and setting up bike riding obstacles. Spokes Bike Shop of Alexandria representatives will also be on site to help deliver bike maintenance tips for the children. Light snacks and water will be served for those attending. Be sure to bring your bicycle and helmet for this fun morning."

Labels: alexandria, bike rodeo

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:58 AM permalink

 

Reston Patch article on bike rodeo

It sounds like the bike rodeo sponsored by the Reston Bike Club in conjunction with State Farm and the Reston Association was very successful. According to the Reston Patch article Learning the Rules of the Road about 100 children participated:
Adam is a FABB member.

It's great to hear that RBC plans to support biking to school. For more info on our efforts to generate support for the Safe Routes to School Program visit the Safe Routes to School Fairfax County Facebook page.

Labels: bike rodeo, reston bike club, safe routes to school

posted by Bruce Wright at 12:24 PM permalink

 

Bike rodeo in Reston on Saturday

A Bicycle Safety Rodeo is planned on Saturday, May 7, ongoing from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (stop by anytime; course takes 20 minutes to complete) at the Lake Newport Pool Facility, 11601 Lake Newport Road. Join the Reston Association, State Farm Insurance, and The Reston Bicycle Club for the Annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo. Children will complete eight safety stations which include a bike inspection and earn their bicyclist's license. Children must bring their own bicycles and helmets. No registration required. If you have a bike you wish to donate for a child who may not have one, you can drop it off at this event. Bikes will be donated first to children who wish to participate in the Reston Kids Triathlon in August. Event will be canceled in the event of rain. Contact Ashleigh@reston.org or all 703.435.6577 for more information or weather-related cancellations.

Labels: bike rodeo, reston bike club

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:40 AM permalink

 

Bike rodeo at Clermont Elementary School

In response to the recent death of Rebecca Johns, the 9-year-old girl who was killed while riding her bike across Franconia Road, Fairfax County Police and Trails for Youth are holding a bike rodeo on September 25 starting at 9am at Clermont Elementary School, 5720 Clermont Drive, Alexandria. Bike checks will be performed and several kids bikes will be raffled off. See the bike rodeo flier. Rebecca lived on Clermont Drive.

Update: On the same day, Saturday the 25th, a Bicycle Safety Clinic will be held from 2-3 p.m. at 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke. A Fairfax County Policeman and a Registered nurse will speak about the safe way in which to handle a bicycle. For ages 7-11 with adult. Free. gsbikesafety@gmail.com.

Labels: bike rodeo, rebecca johns

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:12 PM permalink