Bike safety event helps local community

At early ages, most children are taught how to ride a bike. One thing children may not be taught, however, is proper safety instruction.

For this reason, the Wilma Fisher Elementary PTA decided to host a "bike rodeo" at Frisco's Old Orchard Park to help educate children and parents alike on bike safety and etiquette.

The event, which was held last Friday, was the brainchild of William "Buck" Buckley, who serves as the safety chair of the PTA.

"The main purpose of this event is that kids learn bike safety and start wearing their helmets," Buckley said. "I see a lot of kids that don't wear helmets, so this is kind of a passion of mine. I'm a firefighter in Grand Prairie, so I see these issues a lot."

If Buckley and the PTA's plans come to fruition, the bike rodeo will be the first of many safety and wellness events hosted in the community.

"We're planning on doing this in future years -- this is just the beginning," Buckley said. "I'm hoping this can grow into something more.

Some of the activities at the event included bike safety courses and a "turtle race" where participants attempted to go as slow as they could while maintaining proper balance. Bike and helmet inspections were also provided.

Rodney Crowe, the store manager of Richardson Bike Mart Frisco, provided general bike inspections for children and alerted parents of any potential issues with bikes and equipment.

One of the most common problems, Crowe said, was tires that didn't have the proper amount of air pressure.

"We're here to help make sure bikes are in good shape -- we check things like the tires, handlebars and seats," he said. "We also have to make sure the bike's the right size -- sometimes we have to tell parents a bike is too small or too big for a child."

Crowe added that some children use hand-me-down bikes that aren't always easy for children to ride, potentially causing issues.

In all, Crowe estimated that he completed about 170 inspections by the end of the event. He said that amount didn't surprise him because many of Frisco's neighborhoods foster a bike-friendly environment.

"A lot of the neighborhoods in Frisco are bike neighborhoods, and schools around here have plenty of bike parking," Crowe said. "We see a lot of kids riding their bikes to school around here -- more than other cities I've been in."

The event appeared to be a success -- at least if comments from its attendees are any indication.

"It's the first time an event like this has happened here -- it's pretty cool," said Hamilton Burdett, an 11-year-old 5th grader at Fisher Elementary. "I ride my bike every day to school. If my bike breaks, then now I know how to fix it."

Morgan Gilliam and Hannah Salmon, both also 11-year-old 5th graders at Fisher, agreed that the activities available at the event were fun.

"I did the turtle race and driver success course," Morgan said. "In one of them you have to go really slow and concentrate, and in the other you have to watch out for the turns."

Hannah said she learned how to properly fit a bike helmet at the event and had fun in all the activities, though she was disappointed in one aspect.

"I didn't win any of the events, she won all of them," she said, motioning at her friend and laughing.

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