Kids Bike Jam 2012

Oliver was a keen starter for the 2012 Kids Bike Jam.  He'd had a great experience in 2011, despite the persistent rain and chilly temperatures. Going home with a souvenir t-shirt, stickers, slap bands, free snacks AND a medal made it a day to remember.

The 2012 event was run by Cat from Kids Bike Jams, with support from a team of volunteers and committee members of Hamilton Mountain Bike Club. 

The brief showing of morning sun was soon washed out with the overcast conditions, but the temperature was appropriately Autumnal (at least it wasn't cold).  This year the Pukete Farm Park Mountain Bike track was altered by adding in some new shortcuts to allow the younger and less experienced riders to ride a course that was challenging but not too scary or too long. The short course was approximately 2km long, taking in an easy loop of the sandpit area. It was perfect for kids new to mountain biking and unsure of how to handle their bikes on the uneven ground.  Oliver opted for this course because he really struggled on some of the steeper sections (up and down) last year and his bike handling skills are only as good as his concentration span.  I think the photo shows Oliver's concentration face quite well!

The medium course was one full loop of the sandpit (about 4km), and the long course was the sandpit plus an easy loop of the park (essentially the kids course for the summer series). You can still see the shortcuts out on the track and they are open for use. It certainly keeps things interesting to be able to do different loops with the kids.

All the kids seemed to enjoy themselves huffing and puffing their way around the courses and returning with bright pink faces. Those big kids had a serious race out there on the long course. The spot-prize table started out the day being fully stocked with helmets, water bottles, gloves and other goodies. And there were some very happy kids heading home with an armful of goodies and a Kids Bike Jams medal around their neck. The parents looked pretty happy too, with the sausage sizzle and The Coffee Guy on hand to warm things up and calm things down.

Check out photos from the day –

Hamilton Mountain Bike Club webpage: http://www.hamiltonmtb.org.nz/kids_bike_jams.cfm
Hamilton Mountain Bike Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.403121839726159.89106.184016021636743&type=3
Kids Bike Jams on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150816173987161.395247.198743567160&type=1
Kids Bike Jams webpage: http://www.kidsbikejams.co.nz/