What should every bicyclist do before going for a ride?  (Answer 1 below.)

How many times should a bicyclist stop when exiting a driveway?  (Answer 2 below.)

Where should bicyclists ride?  (Answer 3 below.)

These are just a few of the things Grade 4 students learned during BikeEd, which was held February 20 – 22.

During the first class, students also learned the importance of proper helmet fit as well as the reason for having, and obeying, the rules of the road.  The Hawaii Bicycling League (HBL) instructor was interesting and engaging.  Students were also given word-find puzzles and other “homework” to prepare them for the bicycle skills portion of the course.

The next two days were spent on bikes practicing various skills such as the obstacle course, stopping without skidding and exiting driveways.  A slow “race” helped instructors assess students’ ability to balance on the bike and was challenging as well as fun. 

On-road practice included procedures for stopping at stop signs, making right and left turns and maintaining checkpoint.  Each skill was preceded by a short discussion of the steps involved along with the importance of following the procedures.  Each skill was practiced several times around the neighborhood.

Honolulu Waldorf School was selected as the first school to participate in the “Super Bike” art contest.  The winner will have his or her drawing posted on HBL’s website.  All students also received a BikeEd certificate of completion signed by Mayor Caldwell. 6-Point Bicycle Safety Check – handlebar, seat, chain, pedals, brakes and tires – to make sure they are in good working order and adjusted properly.

1.      6-Point Bicycle Safety Check – handlebar, seat, chain, pedals, brakes and tires – to make sure they are in good working order and adjusted properly.

2.     Twice – once before the sidewalk and once before the roadway.  Three times if there is a big vehicle blocking the view.

3.     The right side is the right side, using a checkpoint of about 3 feet (about 5 feet for more experienced cyclists) from the curb or parked car.