A police-sponsored clinic to teach children the skills and precautions to ride a bicycle safely in Miami Lakes is back and better than ever.
The Miami Lakes Youth Activities Task Force and the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Miami Lakes section are hosting the 16th annual Bike Rodeo and Safety Day on Saturday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miami Lakes Town Hall, 6601 Main Street.
The free event provides children bicycle safety training and the opportunity to interact with various branches of law enforcement officers. Attendees will also see the police department’s motorcycle demonstration which has become a crowd favorite.
Free bike helmets, food, beverages and entertainment will be provided, along with the opportunity for kids to win new bikes and other prizes.
The Kiwanis clubs originated the idea of teaching safety to organized groups of children, setting up bicycle lectures and seminars, and then police departments took over the responsibilities, realizing the importance of bike safety among kids.
In a typical bicycle rodeo there are eight different stations with chalk courses that the children must master in order to pass the course.
The objective of each course is to make sure that each child knows how to operate his or her bike correctly.
The stations include mounting and dismounting the bicycle, changing direction and turning in circles, steering through tight spaces, weaving, having the ability to stop quickly, turning around, riding the bicycle very slowly while maintaining balance, and learning to maneuver tight turns.
A bicycle rodeo also includes a safety check for both the rider and the bicycle to help prevent injuries. The safety check for the rider is the helmet and bicycle fit. An ABC quick check is performed on the bicycle. The ABC quick check consists of checking for proper air in the tires, checking to see that the brakes work, and checking that the chains are on properly.
Miami Lakes Bike Rodeo and Safety Day is sponsored by the Town, Andy’s Police Supply and Miami Children’s Hospital.
For more information, contact Special Events and Committees coordinator Clarisell De Cardenas at 305-364-6100 or by email at decardenasc@miamilakes-fl.gov.