Small Start to Something Big
Sometimes big things start with a small idea fueled by a couple of bagels and coffee. That’s the humble beginning of the Learn to Ride program, and what’s now become a very big part of growing Charlotte’s cycling community, one new cyclist at at time.
“This really came from the idea that there was a way to teach kids, and even grown-ups, an easier way to ride rather than just pushing the bike from behind,” said Dick Winters.
Winters is the Built Environment/Safe Routes to School coordinator in the Office of Policy and Prevention at the Mecklenburg County Health Department. That’s a lot of official words that declare biking and walking are part of his real job. He and Bicycle Sport owner Ben Cooley, and DC Lucchesi teamed up to put on the very first Learn to Ride at a middle school track. A handful of kids showed up in a cold, March rain and eventually pedaled away. It was dubbed an absolute success.
Since then, Learn to Ride events are offered several times a year, draw well over 100 kids and grown-ups, require dozens of volunteers, and now has its own event website, learntorideclt.com. The events have also earned the support of Trips for Kids – Charlotte, Sustain Charlotte, well-run media + marketing, and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.
Clearly, there’s a want and desire to learn to ride.
“Cycling is one of the things that make a community accessible, vibrant and friendly,” said Cooley. “The more people on bikes, the better it is for all of us.”
“We are all about having children and adults experiencing all aspects of recreation, and learning to ride a bike is fundamental to that purpose,” said Jim Garges, Department Director for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation. “When you hear a 4 year old shout to her parents, ‘I can ride a bike!’… That is sweet!”
The unfortunate fact is that fewer kids are riding bikes these days. Urban sprawl, concern for safety, distance, and lack of bicycle infrastructure all play a part in both a parent’s permission or emphasis on riding a bike.
Cooley believes learning to ride changes that.
“It’s not about selling bikes,” said Cooley, “when a kid learns to ride – whether his parents do or not – there’s now an entire household that’s interested in bike advocacy and bike safety.”
And that’s good news for the future of bicycles and their place in the flow of transportation, since those who do ride – for any reason – have a more positive opinion of the use of bikes beyond racing and recreation.
Dianna Ward is the executive director of Charlotte B-Cycle, the city’s non-profit bike sharing program. She believes new – and even returning cyclists – sometimes just need the encouragement to get out there on the bike.
“The best part is,” said Ward, “is that all these folks working to help them gain that courage and grow the cycling community work so well together!”
And honestly, it hardly seems like work.
“There’s just this level of satisfaction and achievement… not just for the new riders, but for anyone who volunteers,” added Winters. “And as long as people want it, and we’re still having fun, we’ll keep doing it.”
“Kids are smart, they’re intuitive, they like fun,” said Jordan Moore, Bicycle Program Director at Sustain Charlotte. “Can you imagine a fish that didn’t swim anymore because it grew up and learned to drive a water-car? That truly seems insane. Kids will embrace bicycles because it’s the closest thing we have to flying like a bird or swimming like a fish that’s free and healthy. So we should teach them. Every last one.”
The next Learn to Ride event is 11AM – 1PM on May 14 at 2145 Suttle Ave., Charlotte, NC 28208. It’s free, and open to kids and adults of all ages. For more information on how to participate, or volunteer check out LearnToRideCLT.com.