The long awaited Tumbler Ridge Bike Bus makes its first ride on May 5.
The Bike Bus is being brought to the community by the Tumbler Ridge Mountain Bike Association (TRMBA). It is designed to operate “as a coordinated group ride, where participants move through the community together in a structured and predictable way. The goal is to create a smooth, consistent experience that riders and families can rely on each day the program runs.”
According to the TRMBA, unlike a traditional bus that stops and waits, the Bike Bus is a continuously moving group that travels along a planned route, starting on the upper bench and winding about town before arriving at the school. Riders join the group as it passes through their neighborhood,becoming part of the ride as it progresses toward the school.
“Once riders join the Bike Bus, they become part of a single, unified group. The ride is not a collection of individuals, but a shared movement where everyone works together to maintain flow and cohesion.”
The goal is to maintain steady, consistent pace set for the group as a whole. “This group dynamic helps build confidence in young riders while reinforcing awareness and cooperation.”
In order to join the Bike Bus, young riders will need a bike and a helmet. For kids that don’t have helmets, the TRMBA has a free helmet program that had already given out 15 helmets at the time of this writing. Kids must be able to ride a two-wheeled bike (no training wheels), be able to ride in a straight line, stop and start safely, know the appropriate hand signals, and be able to follow instructions.
Parents will also need to fill out a registration form. For kids under the age of seven, a parent must be there to ride with them. Also, note that the Bike Bus is currently only running in the morning.
While the Bike Bus is mostly for elementary school students, high school students are more than welcome to join. Orientation packages and registration forms are available from the TRORA office downtown, or can be printed off from the TRMBA website. Elementary students will be receiving a registration form this week.
While the ride is meant to be fun, it also needs to be safe. “We will enforce all Bike Bus rules, safety and etiquette firmly. Children will be given sufficient coaching and warnings, however it is up to the group leader’s discretion to temporarily or permanently remove a child from the program if they are being unsafe or unkind.”
Parents are welcome to join the ride, especially with younger kids, but there will also be volunteers (17 so far, who will be wearing safety vests during the ride) and an RCMP escort on some mornings.
The bus will be running every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of the school year.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
