Bike Day Today At The YMCA

SOUTH KINGSTOWN - Snap on you helmets and dust off your bikes, the South County YMCA and the South Kingstown Recreation Department will host Bike Day on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the YMCA on Broad Rock Road.

The free, all-ages event will be dedicated to bicycle safety and motivating residents to use two wheels instead of four when getting around town.

Born out of the town’s initiative, local bicycle retailers and advocates will on scene teaching safety measures, showing residents where they can access the William C. O’Neill Memorial Bike Path, and connecting children and adults who cannot afford bikes with a set of gently used wheels.

“As part of the outreach given to the community, people kept coming back with many different great ideas and one was that they wanted a bike day,” said Beth Very, the Healthy Places by Design coordinator at the YMCA in South Kingstown. “This is something to bring everyone back to the basics, to decorate bikes, learn safety procedures, encourage kids to use bike, and for adults. It’s about bringing people back to bikes.”

Over a two week period, the local community spanning as far away as Coventry, responded by donating more than 110 used bicycles to be fixed up by a local bicycle enthusiast, Mike Galoob of Peace Dale, and retailers W.E Stedman Co., on Main Street, and  NBX in Narragansett. The donated bikes will benefit community members who cannot afford new bikes, or who depend on the two-wheel treads for transportation.

Safety classes for all ages begin at 10 a.m. and bike decorating, obstacle courses and face painting for kids ages 3-6 will last through noon. Personnel from Wakefield-based W.E. Stedman’s, NBX in Narragansett and Friends of the William C. O’Neill Bike path will be on hand all day to help with basic bicycle tune ups, and helmet fittings.

For a complete list of the itinerary, click here.

A raffle will also take place. NBX donated a child-sized bike valued at $390 and W.E. Stedman Co. donated an adult-sized bike worth $320. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the YMCA Financial Assistance Campaign and the Friends of

The South Kingstown Parks & Recreation Scholarship Fund.

“We have been very fortunate that the community really came out in great numbers and donated gently used bikes so Stedman’s, NBX and the gentleman by the name of Mike Galoob could tune them up and get them in working order so that people in need of bikes can come, kids and adults, and actually be able to take one free of charge,” said Very. “It’s really about getting people on bikes.”

Kingston Pizza also donated 15 pizzas to the event and Liberty Rentals donated a tent.

Throughout the day kids and adults alike will be invited on obstacle courses, family rides, rides on the bike path, and also invited to participate in a cyclo-cross course.

Cyclo-cross, according to Jay Feria, assistant manager at W.E. Steadman Co., combines the frame and general design of a road bike with the tire treads and handling similar to a mountain bike allowing riders to leave the pavement for the thrill of off-track riding. W.E. Steadman Co. will have cyclo-cross bikes on hand for teens and adults to try out throughout the day.

“I think one of the things was that people really wanted see Healthy Places by Design not as a report, but put on shelf and I think this is one great step that shows how people came out and gave their thoughts and ideas,” said Very. “It shows things are really going to come from the Healthy Places by Design Project.”

In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the YMCA gymnasium.