'Keepin it real. for the kids...'

On Friday my daughter's primary school were having one of their man
fundraising events. Originally in the planning it was to be
walkathon, but a couple of parents on the PTA ('guilty as charged, ye
onna') said
"Why not make it a bikeathon?"

So, the morning arrives, myself and larger one ride down (younger on
with wif in car to bring spare bikes and myriad tools, etc). The usua
parking/dropoff chaos is noticeably gone about the gates as many hav
also ridden either alone or with accomponying parents.

Someone has wisely organised designated areas for the various grades t
aprk their bikes. the assembly area starts to look like a triathlo
transition area (no speedos or tri bars in sight tho ). Th
ride is due to start at 11 (between 'little lunch' and 'lunch' ? O
that takes me back...) So me and a couple of other parents are o
mechanical duty.
Oh the horror! Never... have so many bikes, given so much (angst) to s
few...
Loose headsets, non-existent brakes, wobbly wheels, deflated tyres, u
only one flat. Lots of very loose chains on the SS's and many, man
brake levers un-operable by small hands...
One bottle of tri-flow later and all that could be done was.
The masses start to appear and gaggle. Teachers do their 'thing'
Somehow they have this mysterious control over the kids that someho
only works inside the school gates as it is seemingly not present a
home

2 courses have been mapped out. A smaller, flatter and easier t
marshall/help/encourage route about the school grounds for the grade
and unders
(more tassles and spokey-dokes there never has been...) and a longer
more arduous route out along the bike path Between Bulleen Rd and Elga
Rd-North Boring to Elgar Park basically).

And so it went. a pearler with the weather, the kids had a ball, I wa
well-and-truly-knackered by the end of it all and only one spill t
report.

Approx 190 out of 220 students on bikes, approx 20 scooters and a fe
who ran (a few seemingly faster than their wheeled compatriots!)
Lots of cordial and snags devoured afterwards but the best bit of th
whole day for me was the enthusiasm of not just the kids but th
teachers and parents who had seemingly 'discovered' cycling for th
first time and realised how cool the bikepath running right past th
back door of the school is. Many said how easy it would be to ride t
school in future!!!

My favourite moment/s...
Seeing one little girl go by wearing an Ozzie lycra top on with 'Ann
Meares' across the shoulders.
And the starting announcements where a parent on the microphone/haile
proclaims in almost Nuremberg-rally-style voice.
"Vair will be zome roools! No.1 You veeel have fun!"

maybe some pics to follow when butt's gear is engaged..

--
flyingdutch

flyingdutch Wrote:
On Friday my daughter's primary school were having one of their man
fundraising events. Originally in the planning it was to be
walkathon, but a couple of parents on the PTA ('guilty as charged, ye
onna') said
"Why not make it a bikeathon?"

So, the morning arrives, myself and larger one ride down (younger on
with wif in car to bring spare bikes and myriad tools, etc). The usua
parking/dropoff chaos is noticeably gone about the gates as many hav
also ridden either alone or with accomponying parents.

Someone has wisely organised designated areas for the various grades t
aprk their bikes. the assembly area starts to look like a triathlo
transition area (no speedos or tri bars in sight tho ). Th
ride is due to start at 11 (between 'little lunch' and 'lunch' ? O
that takes me back...) So me and a couple of other parents are o
mechanical duty.
Oh the horror! Never... have so many bikes, given so much (angst) to s
few...
Loose headsets, non-existent brakes, wobbly wheels, deflated tyres, u
only one flat. Lots of very loose chains on the SS's and many, man
brake levers un-operable by small hands...
One bottle of tri-flow later and all that could be done was.
The masses start to appear and gaggle. Teachers do their 'thing'
Somehow they have this mysterious control over the kids that someho
only works inside the school gates as it is seemingly not present a
home

2 courses have been mapped out. A smaller, flatter and easier t
marshall/help/encourage route about the school grounds for the grade
and unders
(more tassles and spokey-dokes there never has been...) and a longer
more arduous route out along the bike path Between Bulleen Rd and Elga
Rd-North Boring to Elgar Park basically).

And so it went. a pearler with the weather, the kids had a ball, I wa
well-and-truly-knackered by the end of it all and only one spill t
report.

Approx 190 out of 220 students on bikes, approx 20 scooters and a fe
who ran (a few seemingly faster than their wheeled compatriots!)
Lots of cordial and snags devoured afterwards but the best bit of th
whole day for me was the enthusiasm of not just the kids but th
teachers and parents who had seemingly 'discovered' cycling for th
first time and realised how cool the bikepath running right past th
back door of the school is. Many said how easy it would be to ride t
school in future!!!

My favourite moment/s...
Seeing one little girl go by wearing an Ozzie lycra top on with 'Ann
Meares' across the shoulders.
And the starting announcements where a parent on the microphone/haile
proclaims in almost Nuremberg-rally-style voice.
"Vair will be zome roools! No.1 You veeel have fun!"

maybe some pics to follow when butt's gear is engaged...

Mate. That's fantastic. When I was growing up I had 2 separate primar
school principals try to ban me from riding to school (much to m
parents chagrin) because it was 'too dangerous'. It's great to hea
some schools are a bit more supportive now, and realise that kids nee
to be active. Yay for your kid's school, and yay for you for helpin
out!

:

--
Roadie_scum