Campus parents keen on sharing the pleasures of bicycling with their kids are invited to attend a free lunch-hour “Cycling for Parents” workshop on Friday, Nov. 18 on the Campanile north lawn.

parent cyclist and kid, with Christmas tree in a trailer

"it's feasible and so much fun" to do family errands on bikes, says staffer Kristin Stangl.

Four parents have agreed to lead the session. They will bring kid-equipped bikes and share tips on safe family biking and their favorite gear (just in time for the holidays) — seat configurations, helmets, lights, flags and more. Participants are invited to bring a bag lunch, questions and tips to share. It’s OK, but not required, to bring a bike.

Kristin Stangl, a faculty-support staffer in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, will be one of the parent presenters. Stangl says she’s discovered it’s “feasible and so much fun” to do errands together with her young kids by bike and to attend organized rides for neighborhood families.

“We’ve tried all kinds of permutations: bolted-on baby seats, single trailers, double trailers, a tandem and every conceivable combination of these options,” Stangl says. “There are so many ways to ride together. It’s just a matter of finding what fits a family’s particular needs.”

Those planning to attend the workshop are encouraged to RSVP; e-mail grad-student Stacy Jackson at stacyjackson@berkeley.edu . In case of rain, registrants will be notified about an alternate, more-protected location.

Staffer with her daughter on bikes

Public Affairs staffer Emily Strange with her daughter Madilyn

Bike-safety and commute-tips workshops

“Cycling for Parents” is part of the Campus Bike Initiative’s year-long series of education and outreach events to promote cycling on campus.

The Initiative is also offering two-hour bike-safety workshops taught by certified bike-safety instructors. Offered in collaboration with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and the UC Berkeley Police Department, the sessions will cover rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, dismount-zone rules and bike etiquette, as well as how to equip a bicycle, fit a helmet, use transit, fix a flat and avoid crashes. No bike is required.

The next bike-safety workshops — free to students, faculty, and staff — are Monday, Dec. 5; Thursday, Jan. 26; and Monday, Feb. 6 — all from 3 to 5 p.m. in 60 Barrows Hall. Sign up here . (Drop-ins are also welcome.)

The Campus Bike Initiative also offers commute-tip workshops, on request, to groups of 10 or more, at campus offices. Contact Stacy Jackson (e-mail listed above) to set up a session.

For ongoing information on Campus Bike Initiative events, see the group’s website .