Bike Friendly Community Corner – 2022 Activities

Bike Friendly Community Corner

The bicycle community in The Villages has “soldiered on”, despite the world’s challenges, with activities that make bicycling safer for both the community and ourselves. 

In January and February, we held three Bike Safety and Maintenance classes through The Enrichment Academy for Villagers in February.  Both classes were filled, with waiting room only.  They were so popular that we plan two more in October.  Please, enroll on-line at www.theenrichmentacademy.org  under the category of “Sports”.

In June and July, we held two classes for grandkids through Camp Villages.  They are highly interactive so children, and their grandparents, can absorb bicycle and traffic safety principles.  We begin indoors, show the reason for wearing helmets with an “egg drop” exercise, followed by fitting helmets so that each child has a personal one that he/she promises to wear whenever riding a bike.  We reinforce the classroom safety briefing with some practical learning where the kids practice skills on a “bike rodeo” course that we lay out on the parking lot with chalk and cones. 

Also in June we supported the Sumter County Sheriff Office by rebuilding and repairing 75 bikes that were donated from department stores like Target, Walmart, and SAMS.  The Sheriff gives the bikes to people who need them – both kids and adults.

In August, we are branching out a little.  The Live Oaks Community Church has asked us to host a Camp Villages-style program for its Community Blessing and Outreach program.  We will present the program at the church parking lot known as “The Grove” behind Walmart on CR 466.  This class will focus on children from the surrounding community, kids who might not have advantages as grandkids of The Villages residents.