Bike Rodeo – Optimist Club of Waterloo North

Despite some ominous clouds to start the day, the weather on Saturday morning was perfect for the return of our Bike Rodeo in the Christ Lutheran Church parking lot. Participants had the opportunity to practice their bicycle handling skills in a fun environment. Snacks were available and each participant received a personalized certificate of completion.

Thank-you to everyone who came out. A special shout-out to the following supporters:

McPhail’s Cycle & Sport who tuned the participant bikes
Cycling Into The Future for being on hand to share information about the programs they offer
The Waterloo Regional Police Service who dropped by and left some SWAG for the participants. The cruiser was a hit with many of the participants.
Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington for sharing information to help parents ensure a proper fitting helmet.
Christ Lutheran Church for the use of your parking lot

McPhail’s Cycle & Sport technicians checking participant bicycles.

All participants at the Bike Rodeo were entered to win a brand new bicycle. Congratulations to Doruk, our 2022 winner!

Doruk receiving his brand new bicycle from Optimist Past-President Edwin

More photos from our 2022 Bike Rodeo….

Due to COVID-19, our annual bike rodeo was cancelled for 2020. However, in the interest of bike safety for youngsters (as well as having a little fun), the Optimist Club of Waterloo North has decided to share the set up instruction we use when hosting our Bike Rodeo in the parking lot at Christ Lutheran Church in Waterloo.

Participants of our past rodeos know that before you begin, you need a helmet (which fits properly) and your bike needs to be in good running condition. So before you begin, please check out the Young Cyclist’s Guide from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). The guide has information on bicycle equipment, riding tips and the rules of the road to keep you safe.

Are you ready? Is your helmet fitting properly? Have you ABC Quick Check’d your bike? (If you don’t know what this means, see section 3. before you go: check your bike in the Young Cyclist’s Guide.)

Download the instructions we use for the activities at our Bike Rodeo. Adapt each of the activities to use the space and materials you have available to you. Remember to stay safe with whatever you decide to do.

Bike Rodeo Instructions Download

Additional cycling and bike safety resources:

We are pleased that McPhail’s Cycle & Sport in Waterloo has been an ongoing partner in our Bike Rodeo and has checked and tuned many of our young participants bikes over the years. As an essential business they have been busy keeping cyclists going. We are happy to share the checklist they use when getting bikes ready for their customers. You may find this useful if you want to do a more complete tuning of your bike.