Tasks for Active4.me Volunteers before the Bike Rodeo 

The City of Davis is planning to host a bike rodeo at your school. The City will be bringing all the supplies for the rodeo and some staff to support this event. We need your help to promote the bike rodeo, distribute and collect waivers, and gather volunteers. Below are the tasks and steps to support the bike rodeo.

1. Waivers

All participants need to have a completed waiver to participate in the bike rodeo. Please provide parents and guardians with a paper version of the waiver or share the link to the waiver. Printed waivers will be delivered to each school front office by April 5, 2024.

Active4.me volunteers will distribute and collect waivers from parents and guardians during scanning. The front office at each school site can also distribute and collect waivers. All collected waivers need to be given to the City at check-in all participants at the bike rodeo.

2. Request for Parent Volunteers

Volunteers make this event successful. Without volunteers all of the bike rodeo stations cannot run simultaneously.  Please help solicit volunteers from your school to support the bike rodeos. Below is a sample email to request volunteers.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear (Add School Name) Parent or Guardian,

(Add School Name) Active4.me scanning program and the City of Davis wants your help to empower students in grades K-6th with the tools they need to ride their bikes to school confidently. We are seeking volunteers who like working with kids and want to help kids learn the rules of the road and how to ride their bike in traffic.

Bike Rodeos are a great way to help kids. They are designed to be fun, interactive, and non-competitive. Help kids with learning their hand signals, helmet fitting, ABC quick check, stopping at Stop Signs and more. 

When: 1:15 - 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday x DATE x

Where: (School Name)  Blacktop.

Who: You! No special skills needed to volunteer!

How: Click the Signup Genius link and join the fun! http://www.signupgenius.comxxxxxxxxxx (This link is not public). 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Create a poster for the Bike Rodeo

 Event Poster Creation

1. Open the Canva bike rodeo poster. Poster Link
2. Update the date and email. 
3. Save and share at your school.

4. Send out Newsletter for the Bike Rodeo 

School Newsletter

Schools can help share their event in the local school newsletter. Below is an example:

The City of Davis Police are hosting a bike rodeo at our school as part of our school’s bicycle skills program. With the help of volunteers they will be conducting a Bike Rodeo on April XXXX. The bike rodeo is a simple and fun activity to teach your child important bicycle safety skills. The event consists of a number of stations that allow your child to learn and practice proper bicycling skills. In order for your child to participate, the following is required:

• You must review, sign, and return the attached release by (add date of the rodeo).
• Children must bring their own bike, wear a bicycle helmet and shoes that fasten, no flip-flops allowed.

5. Post your event on the Active4.me notify 

6. Pump up tires in advance

With permission from the school, see if you and other volunteers can pump up bike tires in advance of the bike rodeo. Pumping up 100 tires during the bike rodeo takes a long time.

7. Need new Bike Helmets?

If you know of a student who needs a new bike helmet, we will have free ones at the event. If you need one sooner, reach out to bikes@cityofdavis.org. 

8. Reminders for Parents and Guardians

Remind parents and guardians that all participants need:

• A signed waiver
• Bicycle
• Helmet
• Shoes that fasten to feet, no flip-flops

All participants in the Bike Rodeos must complete the Bicycle Education Activities General Release, Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Form.

Information About Bike Rodeo Stations

In advance of the Bike Rodeo and with permission of the school, make sure to be prepared! For example, pump up bicycle tires parked in bike racks. This task could be done days in advance of the bike rodeo. 

Bike Rodeo Stations

Bike Rodeos have eight to nine stations and are setup on the blacktop at each school site. Below is a list of the stations and educational messages. 

1. Check-in station. At this station all participants who have completed the liability waiver will receive a tag. The tag will be attached to the bicycle handlebars. The tag will be checked at all stations as completed, including Station 1.  


2. Hemet check. At this station participants will have their helmet checked to see if it is in good shape and fits. If a helmet is damaged or does not fit, a new helmet will be provided. Volunteers at this station will ensure that all helmets are fitted correctly.  Review the steps to fitting a helmet here. Be ready to show the 2V1 rule. 


3. Basic bike maintenance. At this station volunteers will ensure that tires have air, brakes work, wheels are attached and the seat post is at the correct height. If there is an issue with the bike, volunteers can write a message on the backside of the tag. 


4. Starting and stopping. Participants start this straight-line course with their feet on the ground and their hands on the handlebars. Participants are taught the power-pedal position, where they raise one pedal and place their foot on the pedal. When ready to move, they push off on the pedal. Participants stop at several stop signs along the course. At each stop sign, they come to a complete stop. At each stop, volunteers should remind the participants to use the power-pedal position.


5. Scanning and signaling. Before participants begin to ride they first learn their hand signals. Volunteers talk about the importance of looking around while biking and using hand signals to communicate with other roadway users. After learning about hand signals and how to use them, then participants will bike the course which includes both right and left turns. 


6. Avoid hazards. Participants will ride down a sample "bike lane" with a hazard in the lane. At this station volunteers will discuss the importance of not biking through a hazard, but instead biking or walking around the hazard when safe. 


7. Yielding. Together 5-6 participants will ride in a figure eight and yield to one another. At this station, participants will learn to watch out for one another, communicate with each other and practice riding with others. Participants need to stay at least a bike's distance away from the person in front of them. Encourage participants to communicate when crossing in front of one another.   


8. Slow race. The slow race includes lining up participants and having them "race" to the finish line. The slowest bike rider "wins" the race.


9. Quiz and Prizes. At this final station, volunteers show a poster to the participants with images of both good and poor biking behavior. Participants are asked to show three people doing good and three people doing bad behavior.  

Volunteers

Before the bike rodeo please review materials and familiarize yourself with the stations. 

• When to arrive for volunteering? Arrive at between 1:00 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.  Volunteers will be assigned a station and City staff will go over the lessons to learn at each station. If you prefer to be at a certain station, just let the organizer know.

• What to Bring? Bring water, a hat, sunshirt, sunscreen. You will be on the blacktop for over an hour.