Cycle Kids

I love what Cycle Kids is doing in Boston. The bike represents a balance of freedom, and responsibility for young kids. It is the ultimate human-powered mode of transportation. Here is a repost from the cyclekids blog. Happy reading, and riding to all.



Cambridge Community Bike Build a Huge Success!
April 12th, 2011

On April 5th, the Kennedy Longfellow gymnasium came alive to the sound of cardboard boxes ripping open, wrenches squeaking, and pure excitement as 70 beautiful, brand new Specialized bikes were built from scratch. Volunteers from Starbucks, American Express Travel, Gentle Giant, the Cambridge Police Department, John Kerry’s office, Launch Squad PR firm, and Belmont Wheelworks assembled the bikes with the help of 5th and 6th graders from the Morse, King Open, and Kennedy Longfellow schools in Cambridge, who had already participated in the CYCLE Kids program. The bikes were a result of donations from local businesses and a matching grant from the Weezie foundation in the Cambridge Funds for Cambridge Kids campaign. The bikes will be donated to seven well-deserving schools that will be implementing the CYCLE Kids program this spring.

After a brief demonstration on proper bike assembly, the volunteers and students scattered around the gym in teams and began building! The gymnasium was quickly overflowing with bike parts, packaging, and teams of volunteers and children actively involved and having fun! The teams were so successful that all 70 bikes were built before lunch. What an amazing and motivated group of people! Between learning how to build and getting a quick recap on proper biking safety, the children were able to sign their names on CYCLE Kids posters as valuable bike building participants. After the build, the hardworking (and hungry!) volunteers enjoyed delicious pizzas from Cambridge 1 before loading the Gentle Giant moving trucks.


The bike build was a profound success! All 70 bikes were assembled, tuned and approved by mechanics, and labeled with the Belmont Wheelworks seal of approval. The volunteers and kids alike arrived with minimal knowledge of bike assembly and left with new friends, the ability to build a bike from scratch, and most importantly the amazing feeling of being able to help the Cambridge community provide well-deserving children with the opportunity to lead healthy and active lives through the CYCLE Kids program!

Special thank you’s go out to everyone involved in making the bike build so successful. We look forward to more bike building in the future! And don’t forget to sign up to be a part of our first annual Breakaway Charity Bike Ride next month at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA. For more information on the event, click here!

April 12th, 2011
news.
May 21, 2011: CYCLE Kids First Annual Breakaway Bike Ride!
April 7th, 2011




In celebration of National Bike Month, CYCLE Kids is hosting our First Annual Breakaway Bike Ride and gourmet luncheon to raise money to get kids on bikes and on their way to living healthy, active lives!

CYCLE Kids has put together three scenic rides to enjoy. The rides all leave from the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park Lincoln MA. The two shorter rides wind through pastoral Lincoln, Concord and Sudbury. The metric century will take you past beautiful vistas by the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard and challenge you with more than 3,000 feet of climbing among the hills of Harvard.

Following the ride, relax and listen to bluegrass music! Enjoy a luncheon on the picturesque grounds of the deCordova museum prepared by Best of Boston chef and restaurateur, Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri.

When: Saturday, May 21st

Where: deCordova Sculpture Garden

Registration & Start: All rides will leave from the deCordova museum.

Metric Century: register at 7:30 am, ride departs at 8 am
36 mile ride: register at 9:30 am, ride departs at 10 am
19 mile ride: register at 9:30 am, ride departs at 10:15 am

Cost:

$200 ride fee includes


CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway bike jersey
CYCLE Kids waterbottle
Pre ride breakfast
Ride support from Pedro’s and Wheelworks
Three fully supported refreshment stops
Finish line photography by Glenn Kulbako (photos will be for sale on his website)
Post ride bike wash by Pedro’s
CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway ride t-shirt
Delicious lunch prepared by Chef Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri
Beer by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewery
Admission to the Museum’s Sculpture Gardens and Gift Shop
$75 luncheon fee includes

CYCLE Kids 2011 Breakaway ride t-shirt
Delicious lunch prepared by Chef Paul O’Connell
Beer by Vermont’s Long Trail Brewery
Admission to the Museum’s Sculpture Gardens and Gift Shop
Share your passion and commitment to the CYCLE Kids mission by asking family members and friends to support your ride. The top fundraisers will win prizes!

The event routes and refreshment stop information can be found on our event page. Go there to register or contact Emma Simmons at esimmons@cyclekids.org!