Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
September 22, 2005
DURHAM — This July, my nephew visited from Canada. Matt, 15, is a skilled athlete – a hockey star, a track phenom, a confident snowboarder – and like most teenagers, difficult to impress. As often as he’s heard me talk about mountain biking, though, I realized this summer that he’d never ridden singletrack.
I took him for a spin around the trails at Lake Crabtree County Park, and by the fifth mile he was hooked. I could see it in his face. He confessed later on that he’d never experienced anything like it before. I was excited to introduce something meaningful to his life.
Mountain biking can teach riders young and old an appreciation of the natural environment, responsibility for the trails, and a lifetime of active, healthy habits.
These are just a few of the reasons why Congress, for the second year in a row, has designated the first Saturday in October “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.”
North Carolina and Colorado senators and representatives co-sponsored a joint resolution (SR 195) to support the International Mountain Bike Association’s youth-oriented outreach effort.
At 10AM, Saturday October 1st, the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) are sponsoring events at three local favorite trail systems.
Volunteers will be on-site at Lake Crabtree County Park in Raleigh, Legend Park in Clayton, and Little River Regional Park in Durham.
Get there early for a skills-building session, where experienced mountain bikers reveal the secret techniques of log-crossing, bunny-hopping, and hill-climbing. Once you’ve got your skill-set built up, ride leaders will be available to show you the way through the woods.
In their petition to Congress, IMBA cites heightened levels of childhood obesity as one of its reasons for reaching out to kids. In a July press-release, IMBA states its belief that mountain biking builds self-confidence and offers kids and adults “an adrenaline-packed adventure while giving them an effective workout.”
IMBA reports that in 2004, thousands of kids participated in more than 100 events nationwide and in several other countries. The international organization expects even greater numbers of participants this year.
At the TORC events, kids age 14 and under need to be accompanied by an adult, and the parks require all riders to wear helmets.
If you need to come up with a set of wheels for the weekend, the Bicycle Chain’s Durham and Chapel Hill stores rent mountain bikes for $25-35 a day. The stores also allow you to use up to $50 of rentals as credit toward the purchase of a bike.
Aside from a bike and helmet, bring lots of water and an adventurous spirit.
So c’mon out and bring a kid with you for some good, clean fun in the dirt. Whether you’re in elementary school or just a kid at heart, “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” will be a fun, active outdoor event.