On Friday my daughter's primary school were having one of their many fundraising events. Originally in the planning it was to be a walkathon, but a couple of parents on the PTA ('guilty as charged, yer onna'😉 said
"Why not make it a bikeathon?"
So, the morning arrives, myself and larger one ride down (younger one with wif in car to bring spare bikes and myriad tools, etc). The usual parking/dropoff chaos is noticeably gone about the gates as many have also ridden either alone or with accomponying parents.
Someone has wisely organised designated areas for the various grades to aprk their bikes. the assembly area starts to look like a triathlon transition area (no speedos or tri bars in sight tho 🙄 ). The ride is due to start at 11 (between 'little lunch' and 'lunch' ? Oh that takes me back...) So me and a couple of other parents are on mechanical duty.
Oh the horror! Never... have so many bikes, given so much (angst) to so few... 🙄
Loose headsets, non-existent brakes, wobbly wheels, deflated tyres, ut only one flat. Lots of very loose chains on the SS's and many, many brake levers un-operable by small hands...
One bottle of tri-flow later and all that could be done was.
The masses start to appear and gaggle. Teachers do their 'thing'. Somehow they have this mysterious control over the kids that somehow only works inside the school gates as it is seemingly not present at home 🙄
2 courses have been mapped out. A smaller, flatter and easier to marshall/help/encourage route about the school grounds for the grade 2 and unders
(more tassles and spokey-dokes there never has been...) and a longer, more arduous route out along the bike path Between Bulleen Rd and Elgar Rd-North Boring to Elgar Park basically).
And so it went. a pearler with the weather, the kids had a ball, I was well-and-truly-knackered by the end of it all and only one spill to report.
Approx 190 out of 220 students on bikes, approx 20 scooters and a few who ran (a few seemingly faster than their wheeled compatriots!)
Lots of cordial and snags devoured afterwards but the best bit of the whole day for me was the enthusiasm of not just the kids but the teachers and parents who had seemingly 'discovered' cycling for the first time and realised how cool the bikepath running right past the back door of the school is. Many said how easy it would be to ride to school in future!!!
My favourite moment/s...
Seeing one little girl go by wearing an Ozzie lycra top on with 'Anna Meares' across the shoulders.
And the starting announcements where a parent on the microphone/hailer proclaims in almost Nuremberg-rally-style voice.
"Vair will be zome roools! No.1 You veeel have fun!"
maybe some pics to follow when butt's gear is engaged...