Tuesday, September 28, 2010

CUB SCOUTS AND CROSS


Sunday, September 19th, 2010

This past weekend, WOB/B2U team members Andrew Fagersten and Kevin Tempel had the opportunity to go to West Branch and volunteer at this year’s Cub Scout Bike Rodeo. The event hosted 30 to 40 cub scouts and adults, and aided Cub Scouts in obtaining their Cub Scout Bicycle Belt Loop.

The Rodeo consisted of three stations; an obstacle course, bicycle registration, and basic bike maintenance. The obstacle course was used to teach proper use of signals, ride safety, and basic handling. At the registration station, the local police officer registered the children’s bikes. The station manned by the WOB/B2U team was responsible for pumping tires, properly fitting children to bikes, and minor maintenance to any bikes that required it. The station was equipped with a Giant TCR Advanced, Surly Pugsley, Trek 7.2 FX, and a Trek MT220. While the Scouts were being instructed on how to maintain their bikes, Kevin and Andrew also discussed different types of bikes and what those bikes can be used for. The Scouts were very interested in the lightweight “racer bike” (Giant TCR Advanced), while the adults seemed to be more interested in the Surly Pugsley snow bike.

The event was a success, as many of the scouts seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Mike, the event organizer sent an email thanking the WOB/B2U team for the support.

Thank you guys for coming. I've heard from several kids how much fun they had at your station. The hands on stuff was a huge success and they loved the racing bike.”

After the bike rodeo, Andrew and Kevin headed off to North Liberty. The first cross race of the season was hosted at Bobber’s Grill. Andrew raced in the Open Category and placed 5th. The scenic campsite is a great place to hold a cross race. The cross course wound around Bobber’s Grill, having a sand pit, rock garden, and quite a few technical sections. The course became progressively more difficult as a mist was falling through the day. Not a bad start for this Fall’s ‘cross season!