It's Just Like Riding a Bike: Mentoring Young Female Riders By Bike - Video

There is a sense of freedom that lures each of us to riding a bike. According to the American Bicyclist Study, the number of children riding bicycles declined by more than 20% between 2000 and 2010 (even as the number of children in this country increased by 3%). We truly believe in getting #moregirlsonbikes. Sometimes that means teaching more kids to ride bikes.

Meet Chevonne and her family: Antoinette, Yasmine, Sieara, and Tina. Last year, Chevonne received a flyer from the local girl scout troop regarding our Philadelphia program. Our Philadelphia program operates out of West Fairmont Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the country with more than 9,200 acres of trails, woodlands, and wetlands.

Chevonne was unsure about this girls on bikes thing. Not knowing if it was a fit for their clan, into the recycling it went. It never stayed there, however, and after pulling it out of the trash three times, Chevonne took action and enrolled Antoinette, Sieara, and Yasmine. We are glad she did.

This year, all four girls joined the program. At varying levels, we worked with each of them to build skills and even taught Tina to ride. Although, bike riding may have paled in comparison from the greater lessons taught including: grasping the words I can, exploring forested trails, and instilling confidence and bravery.

Our friends and supporters at Camelbak brought the story of this family to life in this video. The story of this family demonstrates the power of riding bikes and the impact of Little Bellas. We hope this encourages more girls to ride, to be brave, and to explore the natural world around them.