Bike Rodeo? What is that?

By Nathaniel Frisbee, Educational Program Coordinator, London Cycle Link

A rodeo? Like the ones where people ride horses and have lassos that they use to catch cows? Where people wear boots and cowboy hats?

Not this kind of rodeo! (Photo by Caroline Jones)

No no no—not that kind of rodeo. Bike rodeos are something completely different. Bike rodeos are where people from all different backgrounds can come together and challenge their cycling skills, while celebrating their community. What’s even cooler is that on Sept.11, from 9am-2pm, there will be a bike rodeo in London’s Old East Village, in the parking lot behind the London Clay Art Centre. 

What are they? 

The concept of a bike rodeo started with the Kiwanis Club in downtown Detroit (Bicyclinglife.com, 2008). The purpose of it was to teach bicycle safety to groups of children in an organized and FUN manner. Over the years, it evolved into a collaborative effort with the local police department (Menton, 2008). It is important to bike rodeo organizers that people, especially children, know basic bicycle principles like hand signals, how to ride on the road, and proper safety equipment. 

While locals who grew up in the 1980s may remember bike rodeos of the past, these events have not been seen in some time. Internationally, bike rodeo style events exploded in popularity around 2012, when in Denmark a similar concept called mobil cykelbanes (mobile bicycle playgrounds) took off. These are areas where kids can gather in a big, open area, and ride their bikes with their friends and parents, all in the name of community building! 

What can you do at them? 

Bike rodeos are all about activities—getting on and staying on your bike, and trying to do activities while being on your bike. The common demographic for bike rodeos is from the age of 4 to 14, but really they’re for everyone.

The activities at the bike rodeo can vary. They can be designed for very beginner riders, where you have riders start on one line and get to a different line as fast as possible. Or you can set up a road course with twists and turns for more advanced riders who want a bit more of a challenge. Even more, if you have a big group of kids who know how to ride well, you can have an organizer take the group out for a road ride around their community and show them areas they may not have known about. 

Photo by Mateus Butterwick

In the end, it is what the participants make it, and the more who are involved the bigger and better the bike rodeo is. The more people, the more events, and the more events, the greater the fun everyone has. If it was possible, we would never get off our bikes! 

Check out this video of Cub Scout Pack 449’s Bicycle Rodeo to see how awesome bike rodeos can be!

Why are bike rodeos important? 

In today’s climate, where Londoners have been in and out of COVID-19 lockdowns for the past year and a half, it is more important than ever to reconnect with our community members—to connect with small businesses, to socialize, and to build positive relationships with one another. This Sept.11, from 9am-2pm, will be all about community celebration and embracing the benefits of cycling around town. 

So please come out! We look forward to meeting you! 

See www.londoncyclelink.ca/bikerodeo

for event details.

References: 

“Bicycle Rodeo.” Bicyclinglife.com, 2008. http://www.bicyclinglife.com/SafetySkills/BicycleRodeo.htm.

Menton, Chris (2008). "Bicycle patrols: an underutilized resource". Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. 31 (1): 93–108