By Mike Brady, NPS Conservation Legacy Intern
"I am by far the clumsiest and least spatially aware person I know... and if I can relearn how to ride a bike as an adult.. there's hope for anyone" - Anthony Chang, Chinatown Resident
Group Participants Pose for a Picture after the Workshop
Last weekend we joined Hawaii Bicycling League on one of their free Biki Basics Workshop! HBL organizes various bicycling workshops around Oahu to encourage bike riding and safety, including workshops specific to Biki riders. Safe Streets Advocate, Anthony Chang joined us for the ride. Anthony learned first-hand the dangers of the road when his sister was tragically hit by a vehicle as she was crossing the street a few years ago. Since then, Anthony has educated himself and others on the importance of transforming Hawaii into a commuter friendly state. Studies have shown communities that adding protected bicycle lanes and increase overall bicycling leads to fewer traffic collisions and fatalities.
Hawaii Bicycling League will show you how to purchase, unlock, and lock your Biki Bike
Like Anthony, many of the participants had not ridden a bike in years, several have been off two wheels since the 80s or 90s! Whether it’s been a few months or years off a bicycle, there are free bicycling workshops geared for all levels of riders. The 2 hour Biki Basics Bicycling Workshop started with a discussion of safety tips and rules of the road. We talked about the importance of visibility on the road. 'Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. It is important to indicate to other drivers your intention to turn or switch lanes. You should also ride in the same direction as traffic. Biki Bicycles include a built-in front & rear light to make cycling more safe at night.
After the discussion, we hopped on our Biki's and tried various obstacles in the closed parking lot. We practiced biking through lanes, turn signals, and double checking before we turn onto other roads. To complete our training, we took our practice to play on the road. As a group, we biked through Makiki and stopped a the Makiki District Park Biki Stop to learn how to unlock & lock a Biki Bike. It was all smiles at the end of our workshop.
For more information on Biki Fares go to: https://gobiki.org/fares/
During the bicycling workshop, you will go thru various obstacle courses to test your road skills.
As we ended the HBL Biki Workshop, Anthony says, "I will now commute to work daily before 4am, and sometimes to UH Manoa from Chinatown 2-3 times a week, when I don't have something to read on the bus and/or want exercise. I may also use it for recreation or fun. If I get really serious about bicycling I may just purchase my own bicycle in the long run. Biki was an easy, convenient, and fun way to help me get back into bicycling, where I may not have or took longer to otherwise, or not happened at all."
The Biki Basics workshop is a great way to learn how to use a Biki bike, meet neighbors, and fine-tune your safety skills! Have you attended a free bicycling workshop yet? Hawaii Bicycling League hosts various types of free workshops around Oahu for you to participant in! Go to https://www.hbl.org/bikibasics for upcoming events and information.
Interested in a private workshop for your workplace or community group? Contact us at info@bikesharehawaii.org
Safety Tips:
Go to https://gobiki.org/map-of-biki-stops/ to find the nearest Biki Stop to you!
