The
total mileage for a week of bike camp—92 miles—only begins to tell
thestory of this year’s weeklong bike camp sponsored by the Des Moines
Bicycle Collective and the Des Moines Police Department.
For
Kittie Weston-Knauer and me, organizing this camp (our sixth year) is one of
the highlights of our bike year. Sgt. Tina Kalar, youth activities coordinator,
was our primary contact. During the week, additional police officers assisted:
Brookelyn Budd, Von Breise, Bill Lu, Adam Herman, John Saunders, and Tim Fricke. Chief Dana Wingert carved time from his
schedule to ride with us on Friday morning’s capstone ride to the Saylorville
Dam.
We—the Des Moines Bicycle Collective—couldn't be more grateful for Dave Freylack's generosity. A significant from his foundation make many youth programs possible.
During
the week of June 27, 9 kids between the ages of 10 and 14:
·
pedaled metro streets many
had never seen before
·
experienced first-hand how
steep Cassidy Drive is while pedaling to the Blank Zoo. And what a blast to
ride down that hill!
·
brushed up on the elementary
rules of Ultimate Frisbee in Union Park, taught by former national player and bike friend Angie
McBride
·
practiced loading their
bikes onto a DART bus rack
·
learned how to patch a
tube at the Collective shop
·
took turns leading the
group—fabulous to hear them shout “Clear!” at intersections
·
picnicked in two parks and
swam in two pools
·
survived “slow races” in
the Iowa Cubs parking lot—it was an all-female semi-final.
·
soaked up the spectacular
view of downtown Des Moines from the Saylorville Dam (a 29-mile day). We were
so proud—every kid pedaled to the top, even one grinding away through the
switchbacks on a BMX bike.
·
staged a female-only
breakaway on the Neal Smith Trail. More smiles!
·
churned their own
pedal-powered homemade ice cream at lunch in the Culinary Loft at the Des
Moines Social Club
·
savored ice cream at Van
Dee’s in Johnson, Smokey Row, and Zombie Burger
·
learned about door zones,
predictable cycling, scanning before changing lanes, and hand signals. It was a
pleasure to hear “Biker up!” and “Hold your line!” on trails.
·
tried their hand at
silk-screening “Please Don’t Run Me Over” T-shirts at RAYGUN
·
stopped at the George
Washington Carver Bridge, Simon Estes Amphitheater, “Shattering Silence”
sculpture on the Iowa Capitol Complex and Johnny Bright Field at Drake
University. (Can you figure out the uniting thread?)
Here’s
what the kids learned in their own words:
·
Joselyne: “How to use
gears to go up hills. Right hand equals rear gears and brake!”
·
Elena: “I learned a new
word—derailleur!”
·
Destinee: “I didn’t know
there was a tube inside a tire. And I learned how to patch a tube.”
·
David: “I learned how to
walk and control bike with one hand on the handlebar and stem.”
·
Lizzie: “I learned the
A-B-C drop to check my bike before riding.”
·
Alexis: “Gears are your
best friend!”
·
Sergio: “I learned how to
remove a tube from and tire. Elena and I patched my brother’s tube in
Johnston.”