Jamie Horner of Yorkville and her husband Mike came to Aurora Saturday morning to help their daughter Hattie learn more about bike safety.
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“Our daughter is trying to master riding a bike. She is 6, and this is a great thing to teach kids about safety,” Jamie Horner said at the Children’s Bike Rodeo event at Resurrection Lutheran Church and School at 2567 W. Sullivan Road in Aurora. “My daughter has been riding a bike a couple of years now but she’s definitely still learning how to navigate the streets and the sidewalks and this will put her through the paces.”
Bike safety and the importance of avoiding harmful situations were the focus of the event, which was organized by the city of Aurora’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Authority Board.
Building children’s confidence in biking is essential, with Saturday’s event featuring exercises to help them navigate challenging road situations, according to Dave Horner, vice chair of the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Authority Board, in a press release about the event.
“It’s important we help children process and practice the fundamentals … teach them to stay alert, look around, communicate and always be cautious around vehicles,” he said in the release.
The release also said the event was designed to sharpen young children’s spatial awareness and agility, with the session featuring controlled routes and biking situations “to challenge young riders to learn these skills in a safe, secure environment.”
A few key elements stressed Saturday included yielding and hard stops and an emphasis on obstacles that can come in the way as kids are biking, event organizers said.
Mike Horner said he was glad “kids got the chance to navigate an obstacle course.”
“I think the challenge. It’s like a game. I was explaining to my daughter there’s no wrong answer, you figure it out and move on,” he said.
John Rotterman of Downers Grove brought his two sons Ollie, 4, and Louie, 5, and said even though his boys are still riding bikes with training wheels, “I think this is a great idea.”
“They had something like this when I was a kid. It’s a great initiative,” Rotterman said. “When I told the boys about this they were really excited.”
Teresa Johnson of Aurora brought her son Alrik, 4, and said the bike rodeo “is a great idea.”
“My son’s bike skills – he still has a lot to learn,” she said. “He’ll get there.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.