Bike To School Day Returns In Cheshire

CHESHIRE, CT — Bike to School Day is returning to Cheshire after a one-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bike Cheshire recently announced the 2021 Bike to School Day events for Chapman Elementary School and Highland Elementary School. Bike Cheshire held the town’s first Bike to School Day in 2019.

Chapman’s Bike to School Day will be Wednesday, Sept. 29 and Highland’s Bike to School Day will be held on National Walk & Bike to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The Bike to School Day events will be a part of more than 1,100 other events happening across the country and celebrating biking (and walking) to school.

“The rides for Chapman and Highland are open to all students and their parents (though all bikes must be two-wheels (no training wheels) and kids in K-2 must be accompanied by an adult,” organizers wrote in a news release. “The rides will be before school and will be about three miles long, travelling through several school neighborhoods.”

Jim Jinks, the founder and executive director of Bike Cheshire, said they’re really excited to resume this tradition.

“The kids and parents had such a good time in 2019-20,” Jinks said. “We’ve been asked many times over the past year if we’d be doing more events. We’re excited to again be getting back to encouraging families to bike to school.”

All participants must be registered, sign a waiver before the ride and wear a helmet. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/bikecheshire and www.walkbiketoschool.org.

Read more from the news release below:

Bike Cheshire also announces ‘Safe Biking. Safe Kids.’ Initiative. Beginning in May 2022, Bike Cheshire will provide a bike skills and safe biking curriculum for Cheshire fourth graders. Bike Cheshire will bring the bikes, helmets, other gear and volunteers (as needed) to help Cheshire’s elementary PE teachers to conduct fun and engaging gym classes all about bikes and riding safety.

The initial funding for this program was made possible by several generous corporate and community donors – including Hartford Healthcare, ConnectiCare, Cheshire Cycle Racing Team, Marion Manufacturing, Gromko Insurance, the Nutmeg Youth Triathlon Team and the Coalition for a Sustainable Cheshire. These donors enabled Bike Cheshire and the Nutmeg Youth Triathlon Team to qualify for a full $10,000 matching grant from Outride (www.outridebike.org), a philanthropic organization affiliated with Specialized Bicycles. Jim Jinks, of Bike Cheshire says ‘bike riding is a life skill that all kids should have a chance to learn. There was a time when bikes were a part of gym class, we’re just bringing it back.

“We’re really glad to partner with the Nutmeg Youth Triathlon Team (NYTT) on this initiative and very grateful to all our generous donors and the Outride organization for helping to make this happen in Cheshire,” Doug Levens, of the NYTT said. “The Bike Safety program will be a great addition to the work that Bike Cheshire is doing in the community. In both my work at the Cheshire YMCA and as a youth triathlon coach I am always trying to promote a healthy lifestyle for our kids. This is just one more way that I can help get our kids outside and being physically active and at the same time giving parents the reassurance that their children understand how to safely ride around town.”

Bike Cheshire is a community nonprofit founded in 2018 and dedicated to make Cheshire a more bike-friendly community. Bike Cheshire operates a community bike share, organizes group ride events and promotes bike riding for better health, safer streets, more successful small businesses and building community in Cheshire and beyond.

The Nutmeg Youth Triathlon Team (NYTT) is a Cheshire, CT based USA Triathlon High Performance Team with members aged 8-19. Our goal is the teach life skills through the sport of triathlon and promote a healthy lifestyle. Our athletes range in experience from beginners learning the basics through National Championship podium finishers.