Places, Everyone!

The Saddlebrook Green Wave 4th Graders did the dress rehearsal today for their "Science of Cycling" assembly - which they have creatively renamed "Bikes, Brains and Blenders." :) These kids are so great - I'm so proud of them!! Can't wait for everybody else to find out how great they are tomorrow night at the Green Fair!

Dig Out Those Bikes!!

Let's hear it for Cooper and Hogan who made their initial bike to school trip for the spring this morning! Way to go, fellas!

The weather is getting better by the day - dust off those bikes and helmets and get ready to roll. Gloves and thin stocking caps under the helmets might be needed for the morning rides for a while, but don't let that stop you!

An ABC Quick Check is in order after a long winter storage:

*Check the air in the tires. Chances are they've naturally deflated quite a bit over the winter. Not sure how much to inflate? Check the side wall of the tires like you would on your car to see what the recommended PSI is. Somewhere between 40 and 60 PSI is a good bet.

*Give the brakes a squeeze and make sure they are working properly.

*Look at the chain and make sure it is on the chainring, isn't broken, etc.

*Do a quick spin around the driveway to make sure that everything feels right. Chances are that your kid grew like a weed over the winter and his/her saddle needs to be raised!

If you find mechanical problems, any of our wonderful local bike shops will be willing and able to help out. Tell 'em Activate Omaha sent you! :)

Now is also a great time to review safe riding rules with your kids. Helmets EVERY time! Also, please be sure to use caution when encountering the loose gravel still on our streets, especially in the intersections. Extra braking time is required!

Got great photos of your family biking to school that you want to share? Feel free to send them our way!

I thought we'd never see the day...

Before and after: January 5 and March 17.

We've been cooped up for too long - get out and walk or ride to school!

Walk, Roll, Win!

We have returned home from the National Bike Summit, full of renewed energy and spirit. Some of this may have to do with the fact that nearly all of the remaining snow melted while we were gone. :) Thank goodness!!!

At any rate, we are ready to ramp up the spring walk and roll to school activities, and hope you are ready as well. I'd like to think that convincing families to get out and walk or ride to school won't be a hard sell, given the level of cabin fever since December 9!

Watch this space for an update on our upcoming month-long challenge for April: Walk, Roll, Win! The"win" part refers to your opportunity to win a visit from the infamous Activate Omaha bike blender for a pedal powered smoothie party at your school! The Nebraska Dairy Council is sponsoring this event with us, so we will also have some great materials from them to provide for your students.

More info to come soon!

If I Ride...

We just returned from the National Bike Summit in Washington DC. So much to report, so much inspiration, so many ideas... more to come here. In the mean time, check out this awesome video from the new People For Bikes campaign.

The best line: "If I ride, I will only use oil on my chain, and oil tankers will haul chocolate milk."

Bike Blender and Bingo

We had a wonderful time with our friends at Westbrook Elementary last night! Westbrook is the home of one of our initial Walk and Roll to School programs, and our spirits are always lifted when we hang out with the Wildcats.

Last night was the annual Bingo Night sponsored by the school's Community Club, complete with pizza, prizes, popcorn, and pedal-powered smoothies, courtesy of the bike blender! The odometer tells the story - 8+ miles pedaled while producing yummy "Jack-o-Lantern" smoothies.

Pictured here is the NEW (commercially made) bike blender, courtesy of the grant we received from the National Center for Safe Routes to School. The Community Bike Shop came through for us again with a free bike and top level Blenderologist assistance with installation. Shown in the photo is my fabulous assistant (aka my hubby) who is putting the finishing touches on the odometer/spedometer and the pedal-powered lights.

Major kudos once again to HyVee - this time the Peony Park location - for helping out their neighborhood school by donating the ingredients and recipe for the smoothies! Folks, there are registered dietitians at each HyVee, and they are awesome. Their dedication to our community is much appreciated!

I would be remiss if I did not give a special shout out to Lauren, who became my very able assistant. She jumped right in and helped us all night...even devising a system for making sure we had the bike in a gear that was just right for each rider.

Lauren's parents lead a walking school bus from their home each morning when the weather is nice. They've even had kids dropped off at their house to join them! The example they have set for the school is very inspirational, and we applaud their dedication.