Thank you for coming to Safety Fun 1 in record breaking numbers. It was so great meeting you and seeing you again.
Here’s what we covered and here’s homework for those who attended.
Power Pedal and Safety Stop
Please practice with your child.
Power Pedal to get started
Straddle your bike
Pedal at 2 or 10 o’clock. Push down. Hover. Count to two. Sit.
Do not allow your child to start on the saddle.
Safety Stop:
Lift off the saddle. Squeeze both brakes gently. Hover. Count to two. Foot steps down.
Do not allow your child to stop while sitting on the saddle
Power Pedal and Safety Stop are a Must
Come early to training rides, and we’ll help your child practice
You’ll both be asked to show Power Pedal and Safety Stop skills at future rides.
Why is this so important?
If your child can start while sitting on the saddle, chances are his/her saddle is too low. Riding becomes much harder on a too low saddle. And getting started takes too long.
If your child can stop while sitting on the saddle, her/his chances of falling over, trying to balance are much harder and that is not safe.
Take a look at saddle height.
If your child can sit on the saddle and stand on both feet, the saddle is too low.
Please raise the saddle, an inch at the time. We can help you with that.
Why is this so important?
See above and
If the saddle is too low, riders tend to stand up.
We don’t want that.
We want “stay seated and shift.”
Riding behind someone who stands and sits repeatedly is tedious and can be dangerous.
Parents, please be a good example.
Questions from our riders. Thank you. We love these
How do I avoid saddle sores (aka “diaper rash”)?
Get bike shorts.
They are padded.
They don’t have seams in all the wrong places
Affordable bike shorts are available online
Don’t wear underwear. (Seriously)
Use anti-chafe cream
Love their brand names:“Chamois Butt’r,” “Happy Nuts,” and Fresh Balls”
If we attend one RAC training ride each month, will we reach 350 miles by April?
No. Check out this cool graph created by volunteer Charles.
Any mile your child rides between September 13 and April counts towards her/his mile goal.
In February you will asked to submit miles on a spreadsheet. Kids and Parents. Honor system.
I couldn’t make it up the hills on Saturday and now I am worried.
We will teach you how to make it up the hills, how to shift and/or we will help you find a bike with more gears.
Please attend as many training rides as you can.
How long do training rides last?
Training ride durations are listed on the calendar, are estimates and sometimes woefully wrong.
Like last Sunday.The times are based on past experience but the following factors can lengthen a training ride:
Weather. The hotter it is, the slower we are.
Group size. The larger we are, the slower we are.
Your child’s condition that day
Your child’s breakfast that day. (Eggs, not donuts)
We strongly recommend that you don’t plan anything shortly after training rides.
Our Next Training Rides
Saturday, September 19.
9 am - 12 pm
Mesa Verde Middle School, 8375 Entreken Way, San Diego, CA 92129
Safety Fun 2 and bike path
Sunday, September 20.
9 am - 12 pm
Safety Fun 3 and Park Village
If you picked up your vests last Saturday, please arrive by 8:45 a.m.
If you need to pick up your vests, arrive by 8:30 am.
We start promptly at 9 am.
The instruction portion of Safety Fun 2 and 3 is identical to Safety Fun 1.
Have a great week and thank you for reading.