Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Coming Soon
Fifth Annual Event Saturday October 4 Open to All Youngsters
Kids and parents riding bikes on trails, having fun, and learning about local natural resources! What more could you want?
Saturday, October 4, Santa Barbara Mountain Trail Volunteers (SBMTV) will be hosting their fifth annual “kid bike” event as part of the National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Tucker’s Grove County Park.
You’ll find the sign-up area at the far east of the park. The entrance to the park is at the intersection of Turnpike and Cathedral Oaks. Follow the park road to the upper end where the San Antonio Creek Trail begins. Kids of all ages are welcome. No mountain biking experience is needed and any type of bike will work. However, every rider will need to bring a helmet – and parents too!
The event celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who had a true passion for the sport from an early age but tragically passed away in 2002. Funding is provided by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment. Assistance provided by Trips for Kids helping disadvantaged kids discover mountain biking since 1988! Trips for Kids chapters nationwide make a difference in kids’ lives by opening their world to mountain biking.
Experienced SBMTV bikers will be on hand to teach your son or daughter proper mountain biking techniques as well proper trail etiquette.
Over the past several years, hundreds of Santa Barbara area kids have gotten the opportunity to meet with the elders of the mountain bike tribe to learn how to ride safely and even more important, how to do so in a way that doesn’t interfere with other trail users’ safety or enjoyment.
After sign ups end, the event will be kicked off with a trail safety and etiquette talk, followed by an easy kids ride up San Antonio Creek Trail. Along the route there will be interpretive stations with interesting talks on animals, outdoor sports, and proper trail etiquette. Drinks and snacks will also be provided.
“We’re looking at helping each of the kids who attend feel comfortable riding on the dirt,” Chris Orr, SBMTV vice president, explained, “and perhaps even more importantly we need to make sure everyone has a good time when they are out on our local trails and that means hikers, joggers, and horse riders too.”
If you haven’t been to Tucker’s Grove or experienced the creek trail, now is the perfect opportunity to visit the area, share a ride out on the trails with your sons or daughters, and have lots of fun.
