Today was one of those special days when so much seemed to come together. We are in the middle of week #5 of this spring's Riding For Focus session, and we have worked hard on learning about many aspects of cycling. But we have also pushed outside the set curriculum. We have:
- Ventured onto trails to learn mountain biking techniques
- Ridden with bike-commuters during Bike to Work Week
- Cleared trails
- Shaped and rock-picked the pumptrack
- Learned basic field repairs
- Become acquainted with the local trail system
- Made new friends
Today I took my eighth graders out onto a section of the Whiskeag Trail known to the mountain bike community as "Gnarcore." It's an appropriate name for this steep jumble of roots, rocks and skinny bridges. I was sure to bring my Wilderness First Responder first aid kit, and I required kids to drop their seats to the frames. I also spotted them on tricky sections and even had them walk the bikes in the most high-consequence spots. I was proud of their willingness to push themselves, and they were positively glowing after cleaning the tough terrain. There were two slow motion over-the-bars moments, but teenagers are pretty resilient. They laughed, got up, and tried it again.
Riding For Focus has opened the door to what I would call a broad, cycling-centric movement at Bath Middle School. More kids are riding their bikes to school. Students are spending afternoons and weekends riding the pumptrack. The new high school that will open in 2020 is being designed with bicycle commuting in mind, with covered bike storage and multipurpose pedestrian trails appearing in the plans. The City of Bath's arborist has planted six sycamore trees around the pump track and a new sign will go up next week. And to top it all off, I have been part of the creation of a new chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association, Six Rivers, that will cover the towns of Bath, Brunswick and Topsham.
One of my 8th grade students wrote this poem for me that I found in my mailbox at the end of the day.
We can't know what the longterm impact of Bath Middle School receiving the Riding For Focus grant will be, but all signs point to a great deal of positive change for the kids of our little city. Students are spending more time outdoors, improving their fitness, socializing with each other, connecting with the community, having adventures -- and the thread running through it all is bicycles. Thank you, Specialized!
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