Kidical Mass ends season with final bike ride

About two dozen kids and their parents gathered for the last Kidical Mass bike ride of the season early Thursday evening, setting off on a 2.7-mile ride on city streets from the South Perry Neighborhood.

The bike rides are organized by the Spokane Summer Parkways program.

“It’s to educate kids and get them to feel comfortable riding on the road and to have fun, of course,” said organizer Katherine Widing.

Thursday’s ride started and ended at 2 Wheel Transit on South Perry Street.

Kids of all ages were invited as long as a parent signed a waiver allowing them to participate. On Thursday all the younger children were accompanied by a parent.

“We don’t do more than 3 miles for these kids, because it’s just too far,” Widing said.

Caleb Struble, 14, rode up on his bike with his friend, 13-year-old Kaleb Auckland. “Are we too old?” he said.

They were not too old and both hurried the several blocks home to get their mothers to sign the needed waivers. They came back ready to go, unfazed by the thought of riding nearly 3 miles.

“Me and my friend, we rode 10 miles last weekend,” Auckland said.

Sarah Kirkpatrick brought her 9-year-old son Cameron Lee and 6-year-old son Toby Lee to the ride from their home on 17th Avenue.

“It’s Thursday, so it’s farmers market day,” Kirkpatrick said. The trio shopped for some vegetables and snacked on cookies before the ride.

Both boys said they love to ride their bikes. “Not when it’s snowy, though,” Toby Lee said.

Cameron Lee said he had previously ridden 14 miles of the Hiawatha Trail with his father.

Thursday’s Kidical Mass ride was the second this year and the fifth since the rides began in Spokane last year. They are run by volunteers who escort the pack of young bike riders along the route. The rides will be offered again in 2015.

“We’re just cyclists who love cycling and want to promote cycling,” Widing said.