2nd annual bike rodeo

The Bike Rodeo will be giving away helmets and bicycles to Moab youth at Helen M. Knight on Saturday, April 29. This is the second year Western Spirit Cycling is hosting the bike swap. There will also be a clinic on how to change a flat tire, bike tune-ups, free helmets and even free bikes.

“Come and learn how to take care of your bike. If you have a flat tire and you don’t know how to change it, we’ll teach you how,” said Ashley Korenblat, owner of Western Spirit Cycling.

There is also a bike swap where people can drop off bikes they aren’t riding anymore.

“We’d like to get more bigger bikes,” Korenblat said.

Several smaller bikes were donated last year. Korenblat assumed that a smaller bike can be thrown into the trunk of a car and is easier to drop off. However, as children get older, bigger bikes are needed.

“By the time you’re in sixth grade, you need an adult bike,” she said. “We know people have those bikes sitting around. They just didn’t bring them over.”

Thus, Western Spirit is willing to pick up those bikes before the event.

“We might not have a bike for everyone that day, but last year we were able to scratch some up and get them to them afterwards.”

Last year more than 40 children got new bikes, but 20 kids who said they needed a bike didn’t get one. So organizers are looking for donations of bikes for older children – those in the upper elementary grades or middle school.

“It’s terrible for kids in Moab not to have bikes when there are so many bikes around,” Korenblat said. “This is an easy way to pass it on.”

Western Spirit will work on the bikes to get them ready to ride.

Children can bring their bikes to the rodeo for a bike tune-up. There will be a free clinic to teach children how to care change a flat tire.

“It’s not uncommon for a child to stop riding his bike after he gets a flat tire, especially if mom or dad aren’t into cycling and don’t know how to change a tire,” Korenblat said.

Last year volunteers at the bike swap “slimed” 164 tires, tuned up 57 bikes and gave away the 44 bikes that had been donated for the event. They also gave away 67 helmets.

“It is so easy to get around Moab by bike. With the new bike paths, it is a fun thing for families to do together. We want to make sure there aren’t bikes sitting around when there are people out there who want to ride them,” Korenblat said.

Author: Kristin Millis

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