Cycling contest for students
Students
in the Santa Ynez Valley are learning all about bicycles. All 4th, 5th and 6th
grade students in area schools can enter a 500-word essay contest about “The
Perfect Bike Ride.” Students should write about why they like to ride a bicycle
and about rules of the road, including where and when to ride, riding safely,
and how bicycling increases health. The deadline for entries is noon on Feb. 8.
Rules and entry forms are at Solvang City Hall, 1644 Oak St., Solvang.
The
grand prize winner, to be announced on Feb. 22, will receive a specialized Hotrock 21-speed bike and helmet, valued at $350, from Dr.
J’s Bicycle Shop in Solvang. Essays will be published in local newspapers.
Students
also have been able to meet professional cyclists who visited local schools.
Two professional cycling teams are holding training camps in the area through
Feb. 3 and have sponsored a “Family Fun & Movie Night.” A classic cycling
film will be screened Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Solvang School.
Before
the movie, a tricycle relay will be held for local dignitaries and pro-cyclists
Tim Johnson and Roman Kilun, members of the Health
Net Maxxis Pro Cycling Team, who also visited with
students during a “ride by” at the school on Jan. 30.
More than 200 students were able to visit with professional
cyclists Ivan Dominguez and Jose Manuel “Chepe”
Garcia of Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team on Jan. 28 at a special assembly
coordinated by 6th grade teacher and cyclist John Padfield.
Afterward students rang bells while the cyclists rode down through the middle
of two student lines.