Weekend Rides: Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Üma Kleppinger, GoLocalPDX Contributor

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Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day brings kids and families together for trail riding fun.

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day is an annual celebration held on the first Saturday of October in communities around the world.

The Portland metro area is participating with two scheduled events: one at L.L. Stub Stewart Park west of the city, and one at Cascade Locks in the Columbia Gorge to the east.

Developed and coordinated by the International Mountain Bike Association, the event was created to encourage communities to join together to introduce and share the joy of mountain biking with children. Since its inception, Take a Kid Mountain Biking events have taken place in Australia, Canada, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, and throughout the U.S.

While mountain biking is sometimes regarded as an elite sport, at a very basic level it provides a healthy form of recreation that connects people of all ages with the natural world. Today's kids are tomorrow's land managers, environmental stewards, and politicians.

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The whole family can ride together at the easyCLIMB trails at Cascade Locks…Moms, too!

“Kids are naturally concerned about the earth and environmental concerns,” said Kelsey Cardwell, Northwest Trail Alliance president. “Having events like this, where the whole family can share an activity that celebrates responsible land management as well as the sheer joy of riding bikes out in the forest is a really fun way to introduce kids to the importance of advocacy.”

Northwest Trail Alliance is offering two events for family fun this Saturday; the main event is scheduled in Cascade Locks, and a second option has just been added at L.L. Stub Stewart on the west side.

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Alex Criss from River City Bicycles helps repair a flat tire at last year's event.

The Cascade Locks event at the easyCLIMB trail features a 3-mile trail designed specifically for kids and beginner riders, built and maintained by Northwest Trail Alliance volunteers. The event starts at 4 p.m. (after the kids' soccer games), and will offer food, fun activities, live music, trail tours, a beginner skills course, and onsite bike repair.

The day concludes with a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses.

The L.L. Stub Stewart event offers a beginner-friendly ride and coincides with a regularly scheduled trail work party, providing an interactive and engaging way to teach kids (and adults) about what goes into making and maintaining trails.

Cascade Locks TAKMB
Saturday, Oct. 4, 4–6 p.m.
Event registration: http://goo.gl/aIaTQM

L.L. Stub Stewart TAKMB
Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
No registration required.

For more information about either of these events, visit www.nw-trail.org

uma-bio

Üma Kleppinger is a Portland-based copy writer, author and advocate for full-contact anti-bummer living, by bike. She is a recovering sesquipedalian who writes about life in the saddle and outdoor adventure. She is also the author of BikeYoga, a yoga program for cyclists. When not writing, she can be found riding and racing her mountain bike throughout the Pacific Northwest.