Mountain bike riders aged 6 to 18 are invited to join the Bureau of Land Management, Redding Mountain Bike Club, and the folks from Shasta County’s, “Healthy Shasta” program for free guided bike rides on Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 9 a.m. until about 1 p.m. at the Swasey Recreation Area in west Redding.
Parents are also welcome to participate in the two-mile rides offered as part of Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, a national observance supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Short interpretive talks the history of the Swasey BLM area will be offered during the rides.
Redding Mountain Bike Club members will be on hand to perform helmet fitting, a pre-ride safety check on all bicycles and to help with any mechanical issues. Riders must provide their own bicycles and a helmet. The bike club will have a few helmets available for loan.
Participants should meet at 9 a.m. at the Swasey Recreation Area, on Swasey Drive, two miles south of Highway 299. Additional rides will also be offered on an” as-requested basis”. Ride leaders will work with participants in small groups to determine a suitable route for riders skill and stamina.
“Bike riding is a great way for everyone to be more active,” said Bill Kuntz, an outdoor recreation planner with the BLM. “Trail systems throughout Redding offer plenty of opportunities for this fun activity.”
Scott Russell, the Trail Coordinator for Redding Mountain Bike Club, has also arranged for a special obstacle course that will be set up for the little children. Russell says “This obstacle course is geared toward 4 to 7 year old children who are just beginning to learn about bike riding.” Last year Redding Mountain Bike Club worked with Healthy Shasta to demonstrate safety techniques for new riders using this obstacle course and it was very popular with the younger set.
A BBQ for event volunteers and participants will follow the event. Refreshments will be available.
-from press release
