MORE Full Speed Ahead

This just in from our local mountain biking club:  MORE Trailhead News!

Full Speed Ahead

Summer is just around the corner and MORE is heating up!! It’s been an extremely busy spring, and the trail ahead is even more exciting. In the next two months, MORE will officially open three major trail systems, but we still have even MORE projects on tap. Thanks to each of you as you help to support trails in the Mid-Atlantic.

Rockburn Skills Park

Saturday, June 2.

Get ready to launch the Rockburn Branch Skills Park! MORE, IMBA and Howard County have built the largest outdoor skills park in the Mid-Atlantic. Join Howard County Executive Ken Uhlman and Director of Howard County Parks John Byrd in a dedication ceremony on Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out the park, we promise you’ll be blown away by the efforts of IMBA Trail Solutions, our generous sponsors, and our team of dedicated volunteers. Join us at the grand opening and see first hand the best of what MORE does. More information available Here.

Meadowood

Saturday, June 9.

MORE has partnered with the Bureau of Land Management to open a new mountain bike trail at the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area! Join us for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 9. Organized rides will be offered for kids and adults at all levels—from beginner to intermediate Check out this trail system and this important partnership with BLM. Details available Here.

New Belgium Tour De Fat

Saturday, June 16.

MORE is partnering with our friends at WABA, and New Belgium Brewery to host DC’s first Tour De Fat! ! We are so excited to be part of this event, but we need your help! MORE will be operating the bike valet, signing up new members, and generally having a blast. Contact your Tour De Fat/MORE reps Here to sign up for a day of celebrating bicycle culture. Tour De Fat details Here

Fountainhead

Saturday, July 8

Join us at Fountainhead Regional Park for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of Phase One of the new Fountainhead Trail System. After years of planning and finally building, the first phase is not only complete; it’s also getting rave reviews! This celebration of all things Fountainhead begins at 10 a.m. with rides and a special visit by the Niner mountain bike demo fleet! Stick around for a picnic and fun family activities. Keep up with the Fountainhead Project Here

MoCo Trails Update

In anticipation of a huge 2012 MORE MoCo Epic, substantial trail projects are underway in Montgomery County. The Upper Rock Creek Park loop is in progress, and key connecting sections of the epic route are being completed under the leadership of our MoCo Trail Liaisons. In Seneca Creek State Park, the new Seneca Bluffs trail is nearing completion, and we anticipate including it in the 2012 MORE MoCo Epic. The Bluffs Trail is being built cooperatively by hiking, biking, and equestrian groups, and mechanized trail building is being funded by MORE. See you at the MoCo!

MORE Trailwork Calendar

We keep building trails. Check the calendar for a Zanfel trailwork day near you. Our members donate thousands of hours each year building and maintaining sustainable, multi-user trails. Do you want to be a part of the legacy of your local trail system? Check out the calendar Here

Finally, mark your calendars:

Saturday, June 2 – Rockburn Skills Park Grand Opening

Saturday, June 9 – Meadowood Ribbon Cutting

Saturday, June 16 – WABA/MORE Tour De Fat

Sunday, July 8 – Fountainhead Ribbon Cutting

Sunday, July 22 – MORE Summer Picnic

Saturday, Sept. 21-23 – MORE Fall Camping Trip

Saturday, October 14 – MORE MoCo Epic

 

Riding Bikes & Building Trails Since 1992!

To join or renew your membership go to Join MOR

Up The Road: 9 ideas to get your kids to ride

9 ideas to get your kids to ride

“When my oldest daughter, Phoebe, entered elementary school, I was astounded by the number of 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th graders who couldn’t ride a bike. I think of the joy they are missing out on…” Read the rest of Sarah’s blog for tips on how to get your kids happily riding. Sarah Bowen Shea is co-author of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother. She is the proud mother of 3 and riding bikes is one of her family’s favorite pastimes.

While I think my three children are beautiful, brilliant, and loving, I don’t have any lofty notions of their athletic prowess. All three of them play on soccer and basketball teams. They score goals or make baskets on occasion, but they are by no means in the limelight. Yet, I am proud of how relatively early they learned to ride bikes; My boy-girl twins were 4 ½ years old, and their big sis had just turned 5 when they figured out how to balance and pedal on a two-wheeler. I thought that was the norm until my older daughter, Phoebe, entered elementary school: I was astounded by the number of 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th graders who couldn’t ride a bike. I think of the joy they are missing out on—riding bikes is one of our family’s favorite pastimes.

Here are some tips to get your children riding and keep them happy, so they’ll become lifelong cyclists.

Set a good example. We all know children are sponges, absorbing more than any of us realize. Talk about your own love of cycling around your children, tell them details of your weekend ride or biking adventures you remember from your childhood. Let them see you head out the door with a smile on your face as you bike-commute or train for a triathlon.

Start them early. All three of our children used balance-style bikes (no pedals) to push themselves around playgrounds. From there they progressed to riding on very small bicycles. With a properly fitted helmet strapped on their heads, children can take some slow-moving tumbles. Watching my children learn to ride bikes, especially my cautious older daughter, I was reminded at how resilient (and determined) a child can be.

Offer encouragement, but don’t pressure them. If your child seems reticent or scared, put the bike back in the garage for a while. You don’t want to force biking on your child as it might backfire into a dislike of this wonderful life-long activity.

Let them tag along. Consider getting a pedal trailer for younger children, letting them ride along without the pressure of learning to balance, brake, or navigate traffic.

Head to parks, playgrounds, and open fields. These venues allow new riders not to worry as much about braking, navigating curbs, watching out for cars, or scraping their knees (in the case of the field). My kids love to do endless loops around a nearby schoolyard, where there are often other children to ride with. One of friends taught her children how to ride in a grassy field because it offered a softer landing for eventual falls.

Teach them the rules of the road. Make sure your children know to ride on the sidewalk or with traffic. Teach them to stay close to the curb, and to obey all traffic signals. Tell them that, when in doubt, let the car “win.” Many communities offer free or low-cost bike safety courses, which are a great opportunity to educate burgeoning cyclists.

Start slow and short. Once your child is riding, take family rides together. We live in Portland, Oregon, near several schools; we love to ride to various school playgrounds. The rides are short—a third- to a half-mile—and the destination holds special allure (swings, slides, and monkey bars!). By keeping the distance short, it minimizes the chance of meltdowns and complaints that, if my children are any measure, are fairly common among young riders.

Stick to quiet roads at less-than-peak times. I won’t lie: It can be nerve-wracking to keep a close eye on school-age riders. Any blood pressure lowering benefits of exercise are negated by the stress I feel when I ride with our 6-year-old twins; but, I’ve found great joy in riding one-on-one with them. Whether with one or two (or three), we ride on less-busy roads.

Add on accessories. A bell lets your children announce their approach (and, come on, kids love them!), and a tall flag on a bike or riding-trailer helps driver see children on bikes.

Have fun!

via Up The Road: 9 ideas to get your kids to ride.