Edison bike rodeo teaches children bike-safety skills, offers helmet fittings

The Edison bike rodeo taught children how to stop, slow, signal and yield while riding through an obstacle course designed to build confidence and handling skills. "We're out here at the Edison bike rodeo teaching kids bike safety and going through an obstacle course with them," a presenter said.

Organizers said the event is funded through the Safe Routes to School program at the New Jersey Department of Transportation and aims to support local safety work. A staff member with Keep Middlesex Moving said the rodeo helps children practice skills the group and its partners hope to reinforce through Edison's Vision Zero action plan and other complete-streets efforts. "One of the reasons why we put this course together is to get kids to build confidence on their bikes," the staff member said, noting the event has run annually for four years.

Volunteers from the New Brunswick bike exchange conducted free safety checks on donated and privately owned bikes. "So main things we're looking for is the brakes work, the tires are inflated, that there's no obvious problems with the bike safety, brake cables," said Joe of the New Brunswick bike exchange, who also said volunteers check helmet fit and repair bikes for inexpensive resale.

A helmet-fitting station was on site so children without helmets could be fitted and taught how to wear them correctly before participating. "We are here with the helmets and the helmet fitting station," a staff member said. Organizers asked families seeking future rodeos or safety events to visit kmm.org and thanked the Mobile Family Success Center of Middlesex County for partnering on the event.

The event combined hands-on instruction, volunteer maintenance and free helmet fittings to promote safe riding among children in the Edison area; organizers said similar community events will continue as part of local street-safety efforts.