April 26, 2000

Bike Rodeo steers bicyclists toward safer riding

Traverse City Police Department and Brick Wheels gear up for Saturday event at Civic Center

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Saddle up, partners, and mosey on down to the Civic Center Saturday morning for a homegrown rodeo. Leave the horses at home, though, only two-wheelers can ride in this Bike Rodeo.
      The Traverse City Police Department and Brick Wheels are co-sponsoring the event, offering youth of all ages a chance to learn basic safety procedures, have their bikes inspected and register them with the police department. Officers from the department's bike patrol will also be on hand at the rodeo to discuss their bike patrol duties.
      The idea for the rodeo began this year because area police officers keep noticing that many bikers do not obey traffic rules or basic safety procedures. This puts both themselves and other bikers or motorists at risk. Many of the violators are youth who just may not know better, so the department wanted to offer a fun way for kids to learn the basics of bike safety.
      "For some reason bicyclists think they can rid through stop signs, zigzag through traffic or ride in the middle of the road," said Officer Dennis Padgett, the Traverse City Police Department's liaison at Central High School, who instigated the Bike Rodeo. "We knew we needed to do something to teach bike safety; we can't emphasize enough how important it is."
      The Bike Rodeo will address basic rules of the road for bicyclists - including hand signals, where to ride, when to yield and the traffic signals that bikers must obey.
      "I've seen my own nephew not using hand signals, weaving in and out of traffic and cutting across lanes of traffic," said Tim Brick, owner of Brick Wheels. "If nobody explains safety to kids they won't know. When they know, they really do embrace it."
      Members of the Central High School SADD chapter will help staff the Bike Rodeo and provide a safe-riding role model for younger riders. The police department will also have their Fatal Vision goggles on hand to give wearers a taste of how alcohol can impair vision and judgment, whether in a car or on a bike.
      "We have an awful lot of bikers in the school and what better resource to tap for help with this event than the school," Padgett said.
      An integral part of safe riding is having equipment that is in good condition, organizers said. The Bike Rodeo will include free bike safety inspections by staff at Brick Wheels, who will go over brakes, tires, gears and handlebars. They will make minor adjustments on sight and refer problems that require more attention to a bike mechanic to fix.
      "A lot of bikes get handed from one child to the next without anyone inspecting them," Brick said. "Something could get worn out like brakes or tires get dangerously thin and need to be fixed."
      The Traverse City Police Department will also register bikes at the Bike Rodeo. For the $1 fee, this registration helps track and return a stolen bike to its owner.
      The Bike Rodeo will be held from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. All events are free and open to the public.