Green and Simple: The Simple Joy of Riding a Bike

A few years ago, perhaps more - when the economy was stronger and people had more money to spend on “nice-to-haves” - there was a great big stir about parents outsourcing duties that some felt were sacred territory. There were articles, blog posts, and TV reports about how parents were hiring experts to teach their babies to sleep, teach their toddlers to use the potty and rid their school-aged kids of lice. Parents were even hiring coaches to teach their children to ride bikes – gasp!

I remember reading about the last before my own kids were bike-riding age and wondering how and why anyone would want to outsource such a milestone. But, as the years passed, I began to appreciate the challenges in our own lives.

I could easily rattle off dozens of things I love about Old Town, including the brick side walks, access to the waterfront, the bike trails, and the fact that our bank, post office, favorite grocery store, the metro and library are all within walking distance. But, Old Town is not the easiest place for a kid to learn to ride a bike.

The streets are highly trafficked and the sidewalks service a continuous stream of pedestrians. Even the trails are full of speeding bikers, fast walkers and joggers, dog walkers, strollers and more. The street on which our family lives connects two busy roadways, so cars are often speeding through our neighborhood. It is no wonder that our kids, ages 5, 7 and 9 had not mastered their two-wheelers.

The two oldest would ride up and down the sidewalks on their training-wheel-equipped bikes, but because of the bumps, gaps and tree roots, they were reluctant to ride without the reinforcements. The trails are often too busy a place for training and our attempts to train at parks and empty lots were unsuccessful for a variety of reasons.

With so many other things to see and do, and because of their love of their scooters, learning to ride two-wheelers somehow got lost in the shuffle. I must admit that I was content with the low speed at which they traveled on four wheels. It made it much easier to keep up with and keep track of them. Still, I wanted them to experience the sense of power and freedom that comes with pedaling against the wind.

Imagine my delight a few weeks ago when I stumbled across information about a free program offered at Fort Hunt Park through the National Park Service where park rangers teach kids how to ride bikes.

Last Saturday was our big day and it could not have been better. Though there was a slight chill in the air, the vibrant blue sky, the amazing fall foliage, and the excitement in the air took the edge off. Vehicles packed with small kids and bikes filled the parking lot and began to unload. Rangers equipped with wrenches and other essentials were at the ready in a section of a parking lot that was partitioned off.

As the bikes hit the tarmac, the rangers introduced themselves and got right down to business. They first evaluated helmets to ensure a proper fit and then demonstrated the proper way to adjust helmets to keep kids safe. Then they checked the bikes and adjusted seats to ensure that each child could place their feet solidly on the ground while sitting on the seat. Next order of business was to remove the pedals from the bikes so that the kids could learn how to move and balance on the bikes without the pedals getting in the way.

The children were then all asked to arrange themselves in a line side-by-side across the parking lot, as though waiting for the click of the gun signifying the start of the race of their lives. Of course, this was anything but. There was no pressure and no competition … just a ranger demonstrating how the kids would use both feet to kick off and coast towards the other end of the lot and then the kids following in hot pursuit. The kids would repeat the bunny kick over the length of the lot, increasing the length of their glides as they went along.

There were at least a dozen kids who appeared to range in age from 4 to 9 years old scooting across the lot. I found comfort in the fact that our kids were not the last in Alexandria to learn to ride their bikes, nor were we the only ones seeking help.

Once a child demonstrated that they could glide steadily over the length of a couple of parking spaces, they would be ready for pedals. The kids were then shown how to put their own pedals back on their bikes by the rangers and then they were ready to roll.

Seeing the pride on the faces of the kids who were riding their two-wheelers for the first time was priceless. Kids were squealing, parents were beaming, and cameras were clicking. One by one, kid after kid mastered their glide and graduated to pedals and were soon riding circles around the parking lot. There were tears of pain as one took a spill or another got frustrated at not being able to control their bike. But, by golly, they were riding!

Not everyone ended the two-hour session knowing how to ride a two-wheeler. Several of the smaller kids were still working on their balance and their glide. But those kids and their parents left with pedal-free bikes and knowledge of effective ways to master the glide.

Leaving the session, I felt quite elated. Two of our three kids could ride their two-wheelers and were quite elated themselves. Even though our youngest did not learn how to ride, he learned what he needs to do to get there and we learned how to teach him.

At the end of it all, I did not feel guilty about outsourcing this particular task. In fact, it did not feel like outsourcing at all. It felt more like a partnership between the rangers, parents and kids: The rangers empowered parents with knowledge about how to best equip and encourage their kids. The rangers empowered the kids with knowledge about how to best learn to control and ride their bikes. The rangers then helped to facilitate the process with the parents and their kids. 

Thank you, National Park Service, for helping to teach our kids how to ride their bikes. I am thankful that we were able to get in on the last session of the season and that we have a few more weeks of great bike riding weather left to enjoy.

Stayed tuned to the National Park Service for announcements about their spring sessions. In the meantime, check out their other programs, which provide wonderful opportunities for families to connect with nature.