VENTURA : Students Have Bikes Inspected for Safety

For students at Lincoln Elementary School, Monday was a good day to ride their bicycles to the Ventura campus.

An official from the Automobile Club of Southern California was on hand for a bike safety inspection, and dozens of students brought their bikes in to take advantage of the opportunity.

Every year, the Ventura office of the Auto Club spends about two weeks visiting elementary schools in Ventura and Oak View to inspect children’s bicycles as well as help the students improve their riding skills. The Auto Club has been offering bicycle safety inspections at elementary schools for at least 20 years, said public service manager Ron Quintana.

“Last year, we inspected 800 bikes,” Quintana said.

Students looked on as Don Kennedy, the club’s service patrol representative, checked for loose chains, bent wheel rims, loose seats and crooked handlebars. Kennedy thoroughly inspected each bicycle, even telling students where they could get a license for their bikes and suggesting such minor repairs as tightening spokes and inflating tires.

When Kennedy found that more than a simple repair was necessary, he carefully explained to the students what needed to be done. He also made sure that every youngster knew the correct hand signals for negotiating through traffic.

Todd Robinson, 9, patiently waited in line to have his mountain bike inspected by Kennedy. The fourth-grader said he approved of the program.

“It helps me be a better rider,” Todd said, as he pushed his bike up to the inspection site.

After the safety check, bike riders were allowed to test their cycling skills on an obstacle course that challenged their ability to stop on a line, coast down a straight path without their feet touching the ground, and ride around in a circle.

“There are different routines that the kids have to ride through,” said Gwen Gotleib, a parent-volunteer who watched the kids ride around a large circle on the playground, “and if they get a good score, they can move on to the rodeo.”

The safety program culminates in a bicycle rodeo, where children can test their skills on a designed obstacle course and compete for prizes, Quintana said.

The rodeo will take place on Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Buena High School, 5670 Telegraph Road, Ventura.