Adding unique school bike racks is one way to motivate kids to use bikes
Remember when you rode a bike to school? Everybody did. Well, according to some disturbing new research, kids today are biking less than ever.
This is not good. Something must be done. Perhaps creative school bike racks could be one way to get them pedaling instead of riding.
Just one example of this problem was illustrated when a group called BikeWalkKC decided to teach bicycle safety to a group of children.
Instead of teaching of them how to bike safely, in many instances the organizers found themselves teaching the kids how to actually ride a bike.
The National Sporting Goods Association recently issued a report that said just over 10 million children in the US from 6-18 years of age biked regularly last year.
That's HALF the number from 25 years ago. That's a dramatic decline. A scary situation, considering that many kids today weigh more and do less physical activity than ever before.
According to BikeWalk.org the percentage of overweight children has doubled in the US since 1968. One in three children is now overweight.
You can also blame it on the iPad, the iPhone and their Android brothers. Tablets, smartphones and video games have made children more sedentary than ever before.
Another cause is the unfounded concern many parents have that their kids are not safe on the streets. That's why more children than ever are either bused or driven to school.
But thankfully, child abductions in this country are still very rare. There were reportedly only 100 such cases last year. Most kidnappings involve relatives, not strangers, which is a custody matter more than a criminal one.
What can be done to get these kids away from the screens and back on their bikes? There are several strategies.
Anti-fatigue mats increase productivity
Create a cool atmosphere for biking with custom school bike racks
First of all, make sure plenty of children have access to bicycles. Not every child can afford one, or if they have a choice of a gift or present, they tend to prefer something electronic instead.
There are many successful bike giveaway programs across the US. One of the most successful is to refurbish old or discarded bikes. Add some new tires, a coat of paint and a tight chain and most bikes can be put back out on the street. This is a great task for a volunteer organization such as the Elks or the Rotary Club.
Next, be sure all kids have the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike. Perhaps offer free classes at the YMCA or even at school.
Another strategy is to give children incentives to ask their parents for bicycles and to learn how to ride.
Start a contest at school for most creative bicycle. Or a random drawing that gives a kid a new light, horn or helmet if they bicycle to school.
Another option involves bike parking racks. School bikes racks don't have to be dull. With today's technology, you can get very creative with custom school bike racks.
There are racks made to look like sharks, dinosaurs, people, bananas, apples, butterflies, you name it.
And that is the great thing about school bike racks, you can hold a contest to let the students or an entire class come up with their own designs.
The drawings don't have to be intricate. In fact, it's best if they are just simple outlines.
Let the imagination of the children run wild. They can create rocket ships, birds, cars, flowers, whatever. You don't need to use just one design, use half a dozen so there are several winners.
Order custom bike racks featuring the school mascot. Or order bicycle racks with motivational messages. Honor a local teacher or student. There is no limit to what can be created.
Young kids like cool things. Creative school bike racks will get noticed. People who use these bike racks will be noticed.
A school bike rack contest is even better because the children will then have buy-in to use them. They personally created the designs themselves. Perhaps they voted on the designs.
(Sure, custom school bike racks will cost more than ordinary bike racks. But this is an investment that will pay off with healthier children, a very important area to focus on for any school. In addition, the great thing about well-built school bike racks is that this is a heavily-used, activity-related product that lasts a very long time as opposed to other school equipment, like basketball hoops, for example).
Ironically, overall bicycle use is on an upward trend in the US. More bike lanes are being built. More adults are riding their bikes. Millennials are in love with bikes and many prefer them over cars. Cities are more focused on bicycles as a means of transport as opposed to automobiles.
But yet we have a huge inactive generation, 6-18, that is not riding bicycles. As we are spending more and more time interacting with technology inside of our homes, we need to put more emphasis on getting out of the house. What better way to do that than on a bicycle?
In addition, for decades, America has spent massive amounts of money building an infrastructure for the automobile with more highways, more parking spaces and more traffic signs. Now it's time to spend money building up a walkable and bicycling infrastructure with wider sidewalks, more bike lanes and more bike parking racks. Schools are an integral part of that equation.
Just like all the working parts of a bicycle, it will take several working parts combined to reverse the sedentary lifestyle of young people today. Creating exciting custom school bike racks is one of them.
To learn more about the BikeWalk group, go here.
For more information on custom school bike racks, visit The Park Catalog here.