The teens of the Concord YES Team and Central New Hampshire Bicycle Coalition worked together to teach more than 70 youths how to ride their bikes safely – and look cool doing it – at the Concord Boys and Girls Club last week.
The Concord YES Team is a program for high school students from the Concord area which develops stewardship through hands-on improvement projects and experiential learning opportunities around environmental issues.
YES Team high school students were trained to teach on-bike skills through CNHBC. The teens then planned and orchestrated an entire bike safety event with stations on helmet fit, what to wear, the ABC quick check, on-bike skills, and bike jeopardy as well as snail races (who can go the slowest on their bike) and advanced on-bike demos. And who said teens sit on the couch and play video games all day?!
The newly formed CNHBC Education Committee is working to provide increased trainings, incentives, and educational opportunities for all kinds of cyclists in the Central New Hampshire area, from families out for a fun Sunday ride to the daily commuter making her way down high traffic routes like Concord's downtown or Loudon Road. Cycling is enjoying increased popularity all across the country as improved access through bike paths and bike rental programs make this green, healthy – and don't forget fun – mode of transportation more attractive. Cycling is also an important mode of transportation for many residents unable to travel by car.
As more bikes take to the roads, cycling safely and sharing the road with motorists becomes an ever more important issue. Knowing the rules of the road, dressing bright and tight, and learning basic on-bike skills will help cyclists of all abilities stay safe and look cool.
That's what it's all about, right?
