Atkinson Bike Bus

Basic Information

Bike bus is a weekly community bike ride that takes place every Wednesday morning before school. There are two starting locations but you can join anywhere along the route. 

Here is a link to the route map. There are two routes that converge and ride in together. 

SCHEDULE*

7:30 - North Route leaves from SE 54th & Lincoln

7:35 - East Route leaves from SE 77th & Woodward

7:40 - North & East route meet at SE 64th & Woodward

7:45 - Bike bus arrives at Atkinson

If you would like to receive text reminders from the ride leader or volunteer for ride support, please sign up here.  

*Please note - we do our very best to be on schedule but due to the nature of biking with young cyclists with a wide range of skill and experience we may be running a few minutes ahead or behind on any given day. 

Why should my student participate in bike bus?

FUN

What could be better than meeting up with your friends, listening to a kid-curated playlist, ringing our bells, and riding into school together?

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Studies have shown that kids who get exercise before school tend to have better focus, concentration, and cognitive function in the classroom.

ENVIRONMENT

Riding a bike is a sustainable, climate- friendly form of transportation and a great alternative to a car or bus.

COMMUNITY

Participating in bike bus gives us an opportunity to connect with other families from other grades and classrooms on a regular basis. You’ll get to know your neighbors and make new friends along the way.

EXERCISE

This is an easy way to add a little bit of movement into your daily routine.

SKILL BUILDING

There are many physical and cognitive skills involved in bike riding: coordination, communication, navigation, traffic safety, balance, and more. Bike buses provide a fun, social, and safe way for kids to practice skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.

Safe Riding Tips

STREET STYLE

Ride in the street and stay off of sidewalks and landscaping.

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Stay behind and to the right of the ride leader.

HOLD YOUR LINE

Swerving back and forth can easily cause a crash when riding with a large group. 

EARS ON

Listen to the ride leader and adult chaperones.

WEAR A HELMET

Everyone under the age of 16 is required to wear a helmet in the state of Oregon. 

STICK TOGETHER

Stay with the group.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If the starting locations are not close to you, you can join the bike bus anywhere along the established route. Check out our route map here to see where the route is closest to your house. If you plan to join along the route instead of one of the start locations, plan to be outside waiting a few minutes before the ride passes by so that you can see us coming and join the ride as we roll past. 


    If you live too far away from either route but you want to start one from your neighborhood, please complete this form and let us know! We would love to work with other families to make sure that the neighborhood can easily participate.

  • Parents, caregivers, older siblings are all welcome to join the bike bus any time! But if your kiddo is a confident cyclist, they are welcome to join the ride on their own.

  • We would love to establish more feeder routes to cover the entire Atkinson neighborhood. If you are interested in leading a route, your bike bus captains are here to help with scheduling and communication. Fill out this interest form and let us know if you want help establishing a new route, we’ll reach out and help make it happen.

  • Right now, this effort is fueled by a couple of families who are helping lead the ride each week. But we’ve got some great ideas for more biking and walking activities that we could implement if we had more volunteers. Things like fun events, afterschool social rides, a bike fair where kids can get free repairs and safety gear, and more! But we need more volunteers to help make this happen. Please complete this interest form if you would like to be more involved or if you have a fun idea or specific skill you would like to contribute.

  • Kids of all skills and abilities can ride on the bike bus. Here are some things to think about and discuss with your kiddo to figure out what to expect.

    LITTLE PASSENGERS: Some kids are not quite self-sufficient on their bike yet, so if you have a kiddo who is still learning, it might be best for them to ride on the back of your bike if you have a child bike seat or in a bike trailer so that you can keep up with the group and still have fun.

    LITTLE RIDERS: These kids are riding balance bikes, bikes with training wheels, or are really new to riding on two wheels. They are pretty self-sufficient, but still may need some help and guidance from their grownups with turns, stop signs, hills, and general safety and awareness. If your kid is just starting out, they should be fine on their own bike but a parent or caregiver is encouraged to ride with them.

    BIG RIDERS: These kids are able to ride independently, have a basic understanding of safe riding practices like stopping at busy streets, using hand signals, safely avoiding potholes, curbs, etc. If your kiddo can do these things reliably, they are welcome to join the bike bus without a parent or caregiver. But before they go out on their own, please remind them about bike safety basics and group riding etiquette, including:

    • Riding in a straight line (swerving is fun, but can be dangerous with a large group)

    • Staying in the street and off of sidewalks and landscaping

    • Good communication to other riders (“turning left”, “slowing down” etc.)

    • Staying behind and to the right of the adult ride leader

    • Listening to and following directions from the ride leader and other adult chaperones on the ride

    • Being mindful and giving space to other riders.