Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge | Big School Ride

July 26th, 2016

By Andrew Dodd in Features

Big School Ride – Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge gets kids out on the trails!

Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge is all about getting kids in to mountain biking – which means more little rippers on the trails!
2016 see’s Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge entering its third year, and although there is less emphasis on the charity side of the challenge, they are instead upping gears to promote children’s cycling and it’s benefits.

Recently Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge joined up with a local schools activity day to get as many kids on bikes as possible – once Big School Ride was in motion there was nearly 100 people involved!

Words | Chris Davison

Ruby's Big Bike Challenge

Ruby loves mountain biking more than Homer Simpson likes doughnuts. And it’s amazing to see her passion influencing so many other kids. Great work, Ruby!

Andrew Southcott has been running a mountain bike club at Blackpool school in Liverton near Exeter for a while now, which was set up by the schools PTA and runs every other week.

“The kids love learning how to not only ride but to enjoy bikes” says Andy.

The club has grown with the input and guidance of Tony Williams at Evolvemtb.  Tony has been helping Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge since they started and formed the link between Andrew and ourselves. Everything that is done at Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge is done at their own cost so to keep in accordance with current coaching guidelines meant that for lots of children to join in, they needed more coaches to manage small, safe groups.

Thankfully the local biking network is loaded with like-minded people – people that want the sport to grow, and who believe in what goes around comes around!

3 schools sent children to take part in the day – Blackpool school with their mountain bike club; South Dartmoor school who sent some older children to help organise groups and Rubys yr5 class from St Thomas Primary.

“I knew that Ruby enjoyed cycling, however I was not fully aware of the challenges she set herself – or that she had a website to promote things”, Mrs Evans – Ruby’s teacher tells us.

Ruby's Big Bike Challenge

Tony Williams from Evolve MTB has been intrinsic in the planning and success of what we have done so far – and happily gave expert advice all day long.

“The children were very excited to hear about the School’s Big Ride. Many had not cycled off-road and were looking forward to having the opportunity to learn some new skills” 

Ruby's Big Bike Challenge

Final numbers with coaches and helpers just tipped the 100 mark on the Big School Ride! There was loads of support from One Industries and Juice Lubes who provided some great prizes for the raffle – though local bike shop Hot Pursuit Cycles with the support of Specialized bikes offered a brand new Riprock kids Fat bike as a prize. No wonder the kids didn’t stop smiling all day!

After a restless night due to excitement, Ruby and myself were picked up by Tony from Evolvemtb, his van heavily laden with a fleet of bikes, bike related games and our On One fat bikes. Arriving at Haldon Forest we were greeted with a hive of activity from Andy, and the other volunteers. Inflatable arches started coming to life, gazebos were popping up everywhere and an endless supply of bikes and helmets emerged from Tony’s van.

With bikes and helmets distributed to any child that needed them, everyone was gathered together to do an M check on their bikes and get them acquainted as to what does what.

It was decided to split the classes into smaller groups based on ability and leave a couple floating coaches back at base to run skills and give help to anyone that was having any troubles.

Ruby's Big Bike Challenge

Nothing like seeing a hoard of kids hitting the trails – who knows, there could be a few future race stars in this group…

As the day drew to an end it was clear from the smiles and children’s reactions that the day had been a great success.

“It was a great day” Andy tells us. “We had a few cuts and bruises but a lot of happy kids – it takes me back to when we were kids and were allowed to get dirty, have fun outdoors safely and only had 3 channels on the TV!”

Ruby's Big Bike Challenge

The grin says it all! Remember this feeling as a kid? Lets keep that same grin going…

That is exactly what Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge aims to do – get kids out, active and above all being social.

“Only too often, children don’t get outside as much as they should”  Ruby’s teacher Mrs Evans tells us.

“In a world of technology, children are often found glued to their phone, tablet or console – forgetting how much fun and excitement they can get by getting active and learning or taking up a sport that gets them to use both their mind and body. Nothing can beat being outside – feeling the sun on their backs, hearing the birds in the trees and feeling the wind on their faces. The maths they did one morning may well be forgotten but this was a day that they will never forget!”

The day wouldn’t of been such a success without the kindness and generosity of so many people – from the people that gave their valuable time for free and the companies that donated wonderful prizes, but most of all to the children who came and gave it their all. Which included two children who had previously never ridden a bike – which takes amazing courage to do in front of all their friends.

One thing is for sure the Big School Ride will be back again next year just bigger and better!


 

As much as we love the latest tech and crazy videos, nothing makes us smile like the next generation of mountain bikers.

Have you got a pint sized mountain biker in the making?

Would you like your kids to take part in something like Ruby’s Big Bike Challenge?

Let us know in the comments below!

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