All aboard the Bike Train: BHSU and Bike Spearfish! host May events

Dust off your bicycles, Black Hills residents! Black Hills State University and Bike Spearfish! are coordinating Bike Month events throughout the month of May for all ages.

Elementary and middle school students are invited to join the “Bike Train” to and from school on Fridays, May 4, 11, and 18. To sign up, parents and guardians are asked to fill out the google form found at http://facebook.com/bikespearfish by April 30.

“We are super excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the community. May is bike to work/school month and we are working to encourage families to participate in the Bike Train to learn safe routes to school and participate in active transportation,” says Petrika Peters, sustainability coordinator at BHSU.

All Bike Train participants will receive a free kids scoop at Leone’s Creamery.

Bike Train Depot locations for parents and guardians to pick-up and drop-off their Bike Train riders include:

• Dog Park at State Street (drop off at 7:30 a.m. and pick-up at 3:30 p.m.)
• Sandstone Entrance off E. Colorado Boulevard (drop-off at 7:25 a.m. and pick-up at 3:35 p.m.)
• Evans Park (drop-off at 7:40 a.m. and pick-up at 3:25 p.m.)

To participate, riders must have a bike in good riding condition and a bike helmet. It is suggested that riders wear bright colored clothing, bring a bike lock and have a red blinking tail light on their bike.

To celebrate Bike to Work Week, the community is invited to a “123 Bicycle Safety Class” Saturday, May 14 from 5-7 p.m. at the Joy Center on the BHSU campus. The class is free but participants must register in advance by contacting Petrika.Peters@BHSU.edu.

Also a “Smart Cycling Course” will be offered at the Spearfish Rec Center Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The course is free and one lucky participant will go home with a refurbished cruiser bicycle donated by the Spearfish Community Bicycle Shop. Participants must register in advance by contacting Petrika.Peters@BHSU.edu.

“These classes are a great opportunity to learn safe cycling skills to prepare for bicycling season. It’s almost impossible not to smile when you are on a bicycle, whether that be for transportation or recreation. We want to work to ensure people feel confident and safe while biking,” says Peters.
 

All Bike Month events are sponsored by Bike Spearfish!, a program aimed at enhancing bicycle commuter safety and accessibility around Spearfish through improved education, evaluation, enforcement, engineering, and encouragement.

Questions? Contact Petrika Peters: (605) 642-6298, Petrika.Peters@BHSU.edu, or visit https://www.facebook.com/BikeSpearfish/