Why Bike Rodeos Matter (And Why We Need to Do More)

I organized and led my first bike rodeo 18 years ago, in a sunbaked school parking lot with a pile of orange cones, a box of too-big helmets, some sidewalk chalk, and more enthusiasm than expertise.

Kids showed up with bikes in various forms of disarray—flat tires, loose handlebars, rusted chains, and one with pedals held on by hope alone. Some kids didn’t have bikes, so they shared one. We walked them through hand signals, slow races, and stop-start drills. It was joyful, chaotic, and felt like a small triumph.

And honestly, not much has changed. Bike rodeos are still one of the most common ways communities try to get kids riding. They’re fun, easy to set up, and make for great photos. However, my experience and research compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that rodeos might not lead to lasting behavior change.

While events like these improve short-term awareness and skill-building, evidence about long-term impact and safer riding behaviors is less clear. Like swimming or reading, biking is a skill that develops over time with practice, not just one afternoon on a chalk-drawn course.

If we want to build fundamental bike skills and lifelong habits, it takes repetition, real-world riding, and a culture that supports everyday bicycling. It also takes recognizing that many schools and communities don’t have the resources to move beyond one event unless there is a support system and help along the way.

The good news? We’ve seen what works:

• Organizing regular bike trains, bike buses, and ride-to-school days
• Working with schools to deliver in-school bike education with on-bike time and bicycle field trips
• Implementing earn-a-bike programs where kids learn to fix up, take home, and maintain their bikes
• Providing “Learn to Ride” classes for students and families that currently don’t ride
• Open streets and School Streets events, where whole neighborhoods or areas around the school become biking playgrounds
• Build Bike Parks and Traffic Gardens, temporary or otherwise, where kids of all skill levels can ride, gain bike handling confidence, and play on two wheels
• Consistent encouragement and building a positive culture around bicycling through schools, communities, and families so bicycling feels normal, not novel

These programs go beyond the Bike Rodeo to build confidence, community, and habits that stick (and if you’d like to dive deeper into them, check out our recent webinar and resource on stoking bike culture with Bike & Roll to School Day). However, not every community can easily implement more robust programming. If we want biking to be truly for everyone, we need to bring these resources to where they’re needed most, not just where it’s easiest to deliver.

So, What’s the Role of the Bike Rodeo?

Bike Rodeos still have their place. They set the wheels in motion, but we need to keep them spinning.

At one event we organized, we set up teeter-totters, ramps, and rails to ride — not your typical bike rodeo features, but they added challenge and play.

And the kids? They were ecstatic. They lined up again and again, cheering each other on. There was so much joy, discovery, and that feeling of “I want to do that again!” There was a surge in bicycling at that school through the rest of the school year. That's what we want with bike rodeos: not just a one-day event, but the spark that leads to ongoing excitement and enthusiasm.

Resources

If a one-time bike rodeo wasn't the deciding factor in whether a kid becomes a lifelong bicyclist, how might that shift your approach? What would it look like to design an experience that still checks safety boxes but is more about sparking joy, building confidence, and making riding feel exciting and doable? Let’s lean into that kind of energy!

Bike rodeos are a great first pedal stroke. Let’s make sure there’s a path to keep pedaling for every kid, in every community.

P.S. If you came here looking for Bike Rodeo resources, we’ve got you covered. We pulled together some of our favorites for you!

Connecticut – An Organizer’s Guide to Bicycle Rodeos

Iowa – Iowa Bike Rodeo Toolkit

Minnesota – Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassador’s Guide (BikeMN/MnDOT)

National - Cycling Skills Clinic Guide (NHTSA)

Vermont – Bike Smart Bike Rodeo Curriculum (Local Motion/Safe Kids VT)

Oregon – Bike Rodeo Program Guide (Oregon SRTS/King County Metro)

Texas – Safe Routes to School Event Handbook (BikeTexas)

Florida – Guide to Bicycle Rodeos (Florida Traffic & Bicycle Safety Ed. Program)

Idaho Smart Growth – Bike Rodeo Instruction Kit

Have one you love? Send it our way!