Lime Rock for two-wheelers

LIME ROCK — Lime Rock Park’s Paddock B was host to moving vehicles with less horsepower than normal for the Bike Rodeo for Kids on Saturday, Sept. 28, hosted by Sharon Hospital/Nuvance Health.

The two-wheeler event was held in conjunction with Lime Rock’s Scout Day and a final Vintage Sports Car Club event for the 2019 season. 

Sarah Colomello of Sharon Hospital registered young riders and said “she was thrilled to be part of the weekend.”

About 150 youngsters took part, she said.

There was plenty of room for just riding around or participating in four different challenging but enjoyable courses. 

The first involved negotiating around pylons. The second involved a braking test and stopping fast. Then came a slow-turn course, theoretically ridden with feet staying on pedals. 

The final course was the “paper boy” route, where riders were given a shoulderbag full of rolled papers that they then tossed into baskets while on the move. 

All were thoroughly enjoyed by both boys and girls of a wide age range. 

Bike safety and good skills were a big part of the day though having fun was the most evident element. 

For safety, a huge benefit to the rodeo was the 60 bike helmets donated by the hospital and given to fortunate young riders. Each was individually fitted and adjusted by Sharon Hospital’s Jim Hutchison. Each was then rapidly adorned with decorations chosen from the huge assortment of stickers given to riders at every station. About a dozen children who already had their own helmets had a chance to have an expert check and adjust the fit. 

The Bike Rodeo for Kids was above all a “community day”:  low pressure with fun for all while helping young cyclists safely prepare for the road ahead.