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Kiwanis Club of Downtown Sparks kicked off Bike Month with their fifth Biggest Little Bike Swap Sale in Idlewild Park on Saturday, May 4. The event was the first of what will be a busy month of bike-related activities sponsored by the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance (TMBA) and its community partners.
Over 80 bikes changed hands at the 2018 Bike Swap, many refurbished at the Kiwanis Bike Shop and others consigned by local residents on the day of the event. The 2019 event featured everything from a Spiderman kids bike to a high-end, full-suspension mountain bike to a pink cruiser with wicker baskets and bell. Several local children acquired their first bikes on Saturday, and some adults shopped for hip steeds to show off at next weekend’s Reno River Roll.
Proceeds from the Swap benefit the Kiwanis Club’s many efforts to grow kids cycling programs in the Reno-Sparks area, including bike rodeos, partnerships with district schools to reward academic achievement with bikes and helmets, and partnerships with Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Ellen Jacobson, Treasurer for Kiwanis, noted that all children received helmets with their bikes.
at the Biggest Little Bike Swap Sale in Idlewild Park on Saturday.
“Head trauma is the single biggest source of injury and death in our area, according to local health care providers. We decided over 20 years ago that we would teach kids how to keep their bikes safe to ride, and teach them how to ride them safely,” explained Jacobson. This focus on safety extends from the shop … teaching kids how to fix their brakes, to providing helmets with each bike they deliver to a child.
On May 18, Kiwanis will host Riding on the River, a celebration of cycling in the Reno-Tahoe Area. “We wanted a day to celebrate and have fun, bring our bikes and ride on the river path, and just relax,” noted Jacobson. “We invite the whole community to
Riding on the River is one of several such celebrations of cycling on the TMBA calendar for Bike Month. While TMBA has promoted Bike Week since 2005, this year is the first for which there is a month-long program of bike-related events. Focused on bike commuting and cycling for health, the TMBA encourages us all to be “‘roll-models’ and curb our carbon footprint by choosing our bikes over our cars.”
Information
- Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance: https://bikewashoe.org.
- Kiwanis Club of Downtown Sparks bike program: http://www.kiwanisbikes.org/bikes.html
