Youth cycling event set for Saturday
Young cyclists will gather at Entergy Park Saturday for the 12th annual Tykes, Trikes, and Trails event at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Registration begins at 10 a.m., and all are welcome to ride the paved trails in the park during the first portion of the event, according to a news release.
Ken Freeman, trails coordinator for the city of Hot Springs Parks and Trails
Department, told The Sentinel-Record the event in recent years has coincided with the International Mountain Biking Association’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. This event has been held by IMBA nationally since 2004 and is typically held the first weekend of October, according to IMBA’s website.
“We saw good potential for a crossover there, so ever since we’ve done the Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and our Tykes, Trikes, and Trails the same day,” he said. “Some kids who have done Take a Kid Mountain Biking have come back to help lead over the years.”
Participants age 9 and older will ride the natural surface trails with experienced mountain bike riders, the release said. Riders will learn in small groups tips and tricks for maneuvering the trails from these experts with years of experience on trails across the country.
Attendance varies from year to year, Freeman said, but in recent years Tykes, Trikes, and Trails has drawn around 20 or more participants. The last couple of years, he said students from Hot Springs Intermediate School’s student council have helped with registering participants and keeping the younger riders on the asphalt route.
Hot Springs police Bicycle Officer Sam Spencer, who Freeman said has participated in the event for a number of years, will assist riders and answer questions regarding his job as a bicycle patrol officer.
“He’s a wonderful asset for us,” Freeman said. “He has terrific skills and shows the children something that is somewhat unique to law enforcement. He demonstrates some of what he does as a bicycle police officer on an urban patrol route, like riding up and down stairs.
“His bike is like a magnet for the youths, and for me. It’s just a really neat attraction and he gets lots of interaction. He’s a very positive presence for these kids and for parents, and makes a good impression for the HSPD.”
Bicycle and helmet checks will be provided on site, and helmets are required, the release said. All ages will be supervised according to skill level. Snacks and water will be provided. T-shirts and certificates will be awarded to all participants.
The event is sponsored by Parks and Trails, Hot Springs Bicycle Association, Parkside Cycle, Spa City Cycling and IMBA.