Young cyclists learn about bike safety at Wilmot workshop

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Sunday’s training session was the first event hosted by the Township’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee

Alex and Jakob Huszarik from Baden enjoyed riding between traffic cones and around a chalk roundabout. (Photo: Nigel Gordijk)

37 enthusiastic young cyclists took advantage of the free bike safety workshop at the Wilmot Recreation Complex on Sunday afternoon, hosted by the Township’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee.

The event was led by Chris Martin-Root, an avid cyclist from New Dundee who has organized similar sessions before. His goal was to ensure that young residents learn how to remain safe on the road. “Anything we do for an event around kids is a community builder. We are responsible for the safety of our kids, not just our own, but everyone’s,” he said.

Martin-Root set up several tasks in the arena to test or improve cyclists’ road skills, such as navigating roundabouts, using the correct hand signals, changing lanes, and following other rules of the road.

“Ultimately, it’s the same as driving a vehicle, because bikes are vehicles,” he said. “This teaches them at a young age that everyone has responsibility on the road. The more we communicate, the better relationship we have with vehicles.”

Community Safety committee member Kate Laing Kwok was amongst the workshop’s helpers, alongside Wilmot councillors Angie Hallman and Cheryl Gordijk, who also sit on the committee, and Wilmot councillor Jenn Pfenning.

The Optimist Club of New Dundee donated free bike bells for each of the cycling students, which were fitted onto handlebars by committee volunteers.

Constables Sara Rutherford and Brad Hulme from the Waterloo Region Police Services Auxiliary Unit were on hand to supervise some of the activities.

“I think it’s important that kids understand bike safety rules of the road,” said Hulme. “How to interact with traffic, other pedestrians, and other bikes.”

He hoped that the young cyclists were able to learn a few basics while also enjoying themselves. “By having fun, they’ll remember some of the rules when they get home, and they can practice in their driveways.”

Five-year-old Alex Huszarik from Baden said he enjoyed riding in between traffic cones, which tested his bike control, while brother Jakob, aged six, said cycling around the chalk roundabout was fun. He added that he’ll now feel safer using his on his bicycle on the road.