East New York Center (Photo: Bike New York)
July 9, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
A new bike riding program that aims to teach people how to ride will be coming to Forest Park in mid-July.
Non-profit Bike New York will be holding sessions at Victory Field on July 20, where free lessons will be offered to adults and children. Attendees will be taught how to ride as well as the rules of the road.
The program will take place near a container in Victory Field, where the organization stores bikes and helmets. Adults and youth will be provided with bikes and helmets.
The program, dubbed the Forest Park Community Bike Education Center, is one of 14 programs/centers that Bike New York operates around the city. This is its first in Forest Park.
“Bike New York’s Community Bike Education Centers become great neighborhood focal points for fun, healthy events, from cycling skills classes to community bike rides,” said Ken Podziba, President and CEO of Bike New York. “We’re delighted to bring our newest Center, with our free programs that transform lives of kids and adults, to beautiful Forest Park.”
Classes take about two hours for children and between one to three hours for adults. They can either be taken as standalone sessions or as part of a series. About 25 attendees participate in a class.
In addition to its year-round classes, the organization will run all of its on-bike programs at Forest Park, including school day field trips, a six-week summer youth camp consisting of one two hour session a week, youth clubs and spring and fall after school classes, which run twice a year between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. for five weeks.
The youth club runs yearlong and is available for children aged 10-19. The club teaches riders the mechanics of riding a bike and the best practices when it comes to cycling.
