A bicycle rodeo is a clinic

Clinic

A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...

 that helps teach children the importance of riding a bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

 safely and what skills and precautions they need to develop to have a safe time on their bicycles.

The idea and the name

The Kiwanis

Kiwanis

Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...

 clubs originated the idea of teaching bicycle safety to organized groups of children. They set up bicycle lectures which then became bicycle seminars. Eventually, a more hands on approach was used to teach the children and the term bicycle rodeo was adopted. This name is much more attractive to children and helped the events to grow in popularity.

Who runs the rodeos?

Bicycle rodeos are usually run by local police departments. Police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 Chief Rosanne M. Sizer of the Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

 Police Department said, “It’s important that our children understand bicycle safety. This is an opportunity for area youth to learn important skills and in the process get to know some of our bicycle, traffic, and reserve officers.”http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?a=130889&c=43250
The Kiwanis

Kiwanis

Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...

 clubs still run rodeos with the police departments. Others who run rodeos are: schools, Outdoor Recreation Companies, the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

, State Farm

State farm

State farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland...

 Insurance

Insurance

In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...

 Company

Company

A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...

, and large bicycle shops or sports stores.

What takes place at a bicycle rodeo?

Bicycle Rodeos are usually for the age group of 4–13 years old. The activities that are provided are suitable for each age so that no one is bored during the event. Each rodeo usually begins with a short lecture

Lecture

thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...

 on bicycle safety and is then followed by a written exam to test the child's knowledge of bicycle use. Each rodeo has some type of a road course; this is usually the children's favorite part of the entire day. Some rodeos have more funding which allows them to build a small town for the children to ride around in as if it were real. This small town is called Safety Town

Safety Town

Safety Town is a two-week program for preschool children that teaches safety lessons about fire, pedestrians/traffic, water, guns, strangers and poisons/drugs...

. Throughout the town there are real life situations such as traffic lights, stop sign

Stop sign

A Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...

s, pedestrians crossing the streets, and road intersections

Intersection (road)

An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...

. The children learn to handle riding their bikes in this life like setting. Rodeos are a popular place for businesses to come and set up booths to sell bike related products and give away gifts to the children. Many times local radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 stations will broadcast their shows live from the rodeo and provide music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 to add to the experience.

Eight different stations

In a typical bicycle rodeo there are eight different stations with chalk

Chalk

Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....

 courses that the children have to master in order to pass the course. The objective of each course is to make sure that each child knows how to operate his or her bike correctly. The stations are: mounting and dismounting the bicycle, changing direction and turning in circles, steering through tight spaces, weaving, having the ability to stop quickly, turning around, riding the bicycle very slowly while maintaining balance, and learning to maneuver tight turns.

Safety

Every Bicycle rodeo has a safety course. Most rodeos begin the course with the safety check for both the rider and the bicycle because it is very important. The safety check for the rider is the helmet

Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...

 and bicycle fit. An ABC quick check is performed on the bicycle. The ABC quick check consists of checking for proper air in the tires, checking to see that the brakes work properly, and checking that the chain

Chain

A chain is a sequence of connected links.Chain may also refer to:Chain may refer to:* Necklace - a jewelry which is worn around the neck* Mail , a type of armor made of interlocking chain links...

s are on properly.

Other fun things to do

Every bicycle rodeo varies in what they have to offer. There are always plenty of fun things to do. After each child is finished with the safety course they are free to go around to the different booth

Booth

-In architecture:* Isolation booth, device used to prevent a person or people from seeing or hearing certain events* Photo booth, vending machine or kiosk which contains an automated camera and film processor...

s to check out what they have. There is usually plenty of food

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...

 and free prizes. A local bicycle shop might be giving away a bell

Bell (instrument)

A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...

 or light

Light

Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...

 for the bicycle. There might also be competitions held where the children can show off their newly learned skills. Some of the competitions may involve racing. Whatever activities a bicycle rodeo may offer, you can be sure it will be a safe and fun filled day.