Youth bicycling news roundup (Pedaling Periodical)

In the last two weeks, we've noticed a lot of youth bicycling featured in the local news. We compiled a list of what's been going on for young people and bikes in Santa Cruz:

Aptos High Team Wins Division II Race
The Aptos High [bicycling] team won the Division II race with 4,304 points during Sunday's NorCal Cycling League event at the Granite Bay Grinder." Congratulations! Read more on the Santa Cruz Sentinel website.

"Volunteer starts bike club at Capitola middle school"
"The Capitola school is one of seven across the country participating in the incentive program, which enters students who bike, walk, scoot or skateboard to school into a monthly raffle for prizes. Since this fall, around 10 percent of the student body has used alternative transportation to school, said Piercy, who helps run the monthly program at New Brighton." Read the full article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here.

Photo credit: Shmuel Thaler, Santa Cruz Sentinel 

Babes on Bikes: A new bicycling club for young ladies 

Their Facebook page reads, "Babes on Bikes is a cycling initiative to get more young women riding bikes! We believe biking empowers young women without compromising their QT lifestyle." How cool is that!? This Santa Cruz High-based bicycling advocacy group has grown in partnership with Green Ways to School and People Power of Santa Cruz County. They've organized two rides which looked really fun (from the Facebook photos we saw). Like their page on Facebook and share it with any young women you know in Santa Cruz who are interested in finding other young women who bike.

"Youth bike program kicks into gear in Santa Cruz"

"Teens in Santa Cruz who need some wheels have a new place to turn, as Santa Cruz police, the Santa Cruz Teen Center and youth groups have collaborated in a new program to distribute bicycles in police storage." Read the full story in the Sentinel here. 

Photo credit: Bike Church blog

To read another perspective about the recent City Council meeting to reinstate the program described above in its new form, read this blog post by a student who took the People Power: Sustainable Transportation Solutions course at UCSC this past winter quarter. The student author, Pedrum, is new to the political world of bikes in Santa Cruz, so any additional background that can be provided in the comments on his post is appreciated! There's also some back-story to the bike distribution program by Richard Masoner on Cyclelicious here and from the Bike Church here.

Did we miss any major youth bike news? Post about it in the comments, or email Melissa.