Bike Rodeo teaches safety awareness for San Francisco kids, families

SAN FRANCISCO — Eight-year-old Evan along with his dad, Brian Obogen, attended the Bike Rodeo this Saturday at Pier 30 in San Francisco.

“If we didn’t do this, we probably wouldn’t know about bike safety and we could get hurt on our bikes,” Evan said.

They were among dozens of families who gathered at the event to learn about bike safety in the city.

“It’s definitely a different experience riding in the city and one of the things we talk about is how to ride our bikes safely, not just for fun, but as part of getting around the city,” Obogen said.

Keerie Ashley and her daughter Alida also joined the group. They both bike to school every day.

Keerie explained, “We ride six miles to the city. We start in the Excelsior and go all the way up to Pac Heights, so we cross several freeways, we cross Market Street, we go up hills, down hills.”

That’s why Jonathan Baxter, from the San Francisco Fire Department, says this first multi-agency bike safety event is vital to prevent accidents and raise awareness about the real obstacles on the streets.

“They’re learning everything from how to make a proper hand left turn, right-hand turn, how to signal a stop, coming to a complete stop and making sure it’s clear to proceed forward, wearing a helmet properly.” Baxter said.

The Bike Rodeo comes in the wake of a tragic accident involving Ethan Boyes, a world champion cyclist who was fatally struck by a driver in San Francisco’s Presidio nearly two months ago. 

While that was the only reported bicycle fatality so far this year, there was one last year and two the year before.