3rd Grade Bike Rodeo

Your contributions to our Lakeridge PTA and  PTA volunteers help support this program for our students. (Learn more about your impact here.)

 

 

about the 3rd-grade bike rodeo 

2024-25 Bike Rodeo Details

Every Fall, third graders are invited to participate in the Lakeridge Bike Rodeo. This bicycle event was developed by the Cascade Bicycle Club to promote safe bicycle riding. 

The 2024-25 annual Bike Rodeo will take place on Friday, September 20th from 9:30am-12pm. All third graders are welcome to participate. 

Please take care of the following items in preparation for the bike rodeo: 

• Return permission slips to your student's teacher by Monday, Sept 16th
• Adjust your child's helmet according to the handout provided by your teacher
• Check your child's bike tires
• Tape your child's name to both the bike and helmet
• Bring the child's bike to the rear of the Staff Parking lot on Friday, Sept 20th between 7:30am-9:15am
• Make arrangements for bike pick up after school

For more information check the letter that arrived home with your child.

Bike Safety Presentation

The students will attend a Mercer Island Police Presentation at the school on safe bicycle practices in advance of the Bike Rodeo. 

Bike Rodeo

During the Bike Rodeo students will complete a non-competitive skills course that will consist of some obstacles to improve their bike handling and traffic safety skills. The course will be set-up within a controlled and safe environment behind the Lakeridge portables

Police Officers will be onsite to perform helmet safety checks before riders may enter the course. Stations will be set-up to test skills such as riding slowly (to practice balance and control), scanning (looking over their left shoulder for oncoming cars or cyclists without swerving), dodging hazards in the road way (practice looking ahead and quickly avoiding hazards in the road like rocks and debris), following traffic rules and using appropriate hand signals (teach children to come to a complete stop at stop signs and to turn in the correct lane with the flow of traffic), and driveway ride out best practices (teach children to stop and look left, right, and left again at the end of their driveways before entering the street).

After attending both the presentation and the Rodeo your child will be able to ride his/her bicycle to and from Lakeridge Elementary (with your approval, of course!). 

Date: 

What to know:

• Drop Off: Labeled bikes and helmets can be dropped off before school on the day of Bike Rodeo.
• Make sure to bring the following:
  
  • Bike: make sure the tires are fully inflated, and label it with your child's name.
  • Helmet: helmets will be checked for a proper fit at the Bike Rodeo.
  • Bike Lock: bikes will be left outside, unattended, after the Bike Rodeo. 
• Pick Up: Your children can either ride home after school or you can pick up the bikes from school after the Bike Rodeo. Bikes will be parked on school grounds (unattended) after the rodeo.

volunteer

Join the fun and volunteer! We need many parents from each class to make the Bike Rodeo a success. To volunteer, sign up at welcome coffee,  curriculum night,  or send an email to enrichment@lakeridgepta.org and provide your name, phone number and your child’s teacher.

• My child is nervous about riding their bike during the rodeo. What should I tell them?
  This is a non-stress event. The primary reason for the event is safety education, not a test. Some kids get worried because there is a course to ride bikes and their friends are watching. They can choose to ride or not ride the course during the event. 

• Does my child have to bring their bike?
  No, but it is a lot of fun to have your bike. Several kids don’t have bikes each year and choose to bring a scooter or walk the course. If they have a helmet though, bring it so they can get fitted.

• Does my child need a lock?  
  You can use your own judgment. After the rodeo, the bikes are left UNATTENDED outside on school grounds. Locks are not part of the Bike Rodeo education. If you don’t use a lock, you do so at your own risk.