Middle Gaters Learn About Bike Safety

By Laurie Borst

On the sunny morning of June 21, Middle Gate fourth graders learned about bicycle safety from Terrence Ford. Mr Ford, whose children attend Middle Gate, was invited by gym teacher Laura Cooper to speak to the students.

Mr Ford has been a semipro racer, a professional race mechanic on the World Cup Circuit for six years, and owned a bike shop in Fairfield for six years that he just sold last September. He has worked on Lance Armstrong’s bike, as well as other top American and European racers’ bikes.

He demonstrated the use of a bicycle pump to maintain tire pressure. “Tires should feel firm, but not hard,” Mr Ford told the students. He attached an inner tube to the pump and inflated the tube until it popped to demonstrate the dangers of overinflating a tire.

Mr Ford covered the basics of proper maintenance: checking tires, cables, tightening screws and bolts. He then discussed personal safety.

“Pay attention, take care of yourself,” he advised students. “Know what’s ahead of you and behind you. Know where your friends are riding around you.”

He taught the students about using hand signals to notify motorists of turns or stops. “Sometimes, it’s more important to hold on than to signal,” he cautioned the children.

Mr Ford discussed the importance of helmet use. World of Bikes, on South Main Street, provided coupons for the students for discounts on helmets.

Fourth grader Bethany Dubois said, “You can put reflective stickers on your bike so people can see you,” when Mr Ford talked about visibility. “Wear bright clothes when you ride to help people see you,” he advised.

“Wear sneakers on your feet, not flip-flops. And make sure those sneakers are tied,” he added.

Mr Ford told the students that bikes are a good alternative mode of transportation. “I went 45 days last year without driving my car. I rode my bike everywhere. It was fun,” he shared.

After the talk, Mr Ford added, “Lots of people are getting injured these days. Adults, more than kids, because the don’t know about safety and helmet use. Parents need to set the example for kids by wearing a helmet when they ride.”