September 28, 2024 - Water Flume Trail Ride

The Kidical Mass team decided that we just couldn't let this month go without a Kidical Mass Ride!

Join us for an adventure down the Water Flume trail! This South Side Tacoma Gem is a great spot to check out when you grab your Howdy Bagel or head over to the STAR Center. If  you've been sleeping on this neighborhood, this is your chance to check out everything in that corner of Tacoma.

We will meet at South Park, Tacoma at 9:30 AM, ride at 10 AM for a 3.5 mile round trip ride. We'll follow the Water Flume trail past Edison Elementary, then ride on neighborhood streets over to the STAR Center for a bit of playground time. Then we'll follow neighborhood streets past the South Tacoma Sounder Station back to South Park.

Please note:

-Helmets are required for all riders for your safety and our insurance. (Contact us before the event if you need a helmet.)

-All children must be accompanied by an adult.

-No training wheels or balance bikes on this route

-Dress for the weather and bring water if you need it

-Public restrooms are available at South Park and STAR Center

-Snacks provided by our sponsor, 2nd Cycle!

See you there!

July 20, 2024 - Bike Bus to Porchfest!

Kidical Mass is so excited for the summer! This is the time to get those kiddos excited for riding!

For our July ride, we will be doing a bicycle bus over to Porchfest!    Porchfest is a neighborhood music festival where porches are turned into stages and dozens of bands perform all across the the Central District Neighborhood in Tacoma.  Participants are encouraged to Walk, Bike or Roll to the festival and that's just what Kidical Mass is going to do!

Traveling from the East and South Side of Tacoma to Central District or Northside is a challenge, but Kidical Mass is up for it! We are running this ride as a "Bicycle Bus."  A bicycle bus is a group of cyclists who ride along a pre-determined route.  You can join us for any portion of the ride. Expect music, balloons and fun while we traverse the city.

The schedule for the Bike Bus:

1 PM - Eastside Community Center

1:15 - Mottet Library

1:30 - Lincoln Park

2:00 - Wright Park

2:15 - Porchfest

This ride will be on city streets and we will be riding at approximately 5-10 miles per hour. No training wheels and balance bikes for this portion of the event. If you live further west on the Southside, you can also join Velofemme's portion of the bike bus. Their info is here: Bike Bus to Porchfest (eastside edition) | Facebook

The Porchfest Parade is leaves at 3 PM and basically moves the party from one side of the neighborhood to the other!  Parade Starts at the Ferry St. Community Garden. Decorate your bicycles, bring noisemakers and Jami, the Balloon Biker will be creating some bike helmet balloon art. Training Wheels and Balance bikes would be welcome for the parade!

After the event, riders can create their own group heading back or hop on public transit! Don't forget about Velofemme's Annual Little Black Dress ride at 6 PM!

 

Bike to the Farmer's Market

 

There's nothing like rolling up to the Farmer's market on your wheels, getting prime parking, picking out some cherries, maybe a baguette and some kale and then biking aways with delightful goodies. The only thing that would make it better would be to do that ride with your Kidical Mass buddies!

Join us for our Famer's Market ride on Saturday, June 29th for a kid-paced ride from Franklin Park (Franklin Park, 1201 S Puget Sound Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405) to the Proctor Farmer's Market. Meet at 9 AM, roll out at 9:30.

The ride will be about 2 miles each way. We'll spend about 45 minutes at the market before returning back to Franklin Park. Ride will primarily be on neighborhood streets. Please no training wheels or balance bikes for this ride. 

 This ride is sponsored and supported by 2nd Cycle. Helmets required and can be made available if necessary. Please contact us!

Kidical Mass at the Bike Swap

 

13th Annual Pierce County Bike Swap

Ride Together Pierce County is hosting the swap in a new location at Tacoma Community College. This is the perfect time to swap the bike your kid has outgrown and get something new to you! There will be a test ride area and mechanics will be available for safety checks.

Kidical Mass will also be there doing helmet decorations. We'll do a short bicycle parade around TCC's campus around 1 PM with music, balloons and lots of fun! Come by and say "Hello!"

Swan Creek Family Bike Morning - March 24, 2024 - 10 AM - Noon

 

Swan Creek Family Bike Morning

Let’s hang out with our kiddos and families and enjoy what Swan Creek has to offer. Meet at 10 AM at the shelter near the pump track. We’ll socialize with other cycling families, check out the pump track, and watch the kids ride around the great loop. Snacks and hot water for tea and hot chocolate will be available, bring a cup! Staff from 2^nd Cycle will be on hand to help inflate tires.

At 11, we’ll take a group lap around the park, through the community garden and back to where we started. More experienced kids are welcome to do as many laps as their parents wish. The park is mostly flat, though there are a few small inclines. We’ll wrap up around noon.

Swan Creek is Tacoma’s second largest park by land area and it has a lot to offer. You can find mountain bike trails, a dog park, hiking trails, a creek for mucking about and miles of empty streets that are perfect for kids to learn how to safely ride bikes.  Swan Creek used to be a residential neighborhood during World War II, and temporary houses were demolished in the 1950s. These empty residential streets are a great place for new riders to get confidence away from traffic.

 

Getting to Swan Creek park –

Parking is available behind Lister Elementary School at 4738 East T St, Tacoma, WA 98404. There are approximately 50 stalls. Follow the inter-generational trail toward the large picnic shelter.

You can also park near the Eastside Community Center at 1721 E 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98404. You’ll enter the park east of the Pipeline trail and take about a half-mile walk or ride through the unpaved mountain bike trail network.

 

Restrooms

Restrooms are available at the T streets parking lot. There is also a drinking fountain there, though it may still be off at the time of our ride.   There is a large accessible port-a-potty located near the mountain bike trails. There are two additional port-a-potties near the community garden.

February 10, 2024 - Monkeyshine Hunting (and rogue hiding) Ride

 Kidical Mass is back in 2024 and we are excited to announce our first ride of the year!

Join us on Saturday, February 10 to partake in one of the best traditions Tacoma has to offer: the hunt for Monkeyshines.  If you aren't familiar with this tradition, you can read more about it. Bicycle riding is one of the best ways to explore the city and travel from park to park to hunt for 'shines, so we're doing a ride to do just that!

Tacoma Kidical Mass will continue to partner with 2nd Cycle and we will meet at the shop to craft our own rogue Monkeyshines on our ride. Then we will depart on a four to five mile bike ride about the central area of Tacoma, visiting parks, public spaces and hiding our works of art. Perhaps we'll even find a real Monkeyshine!

If you are able and interested in supporting the Monkeyshines tradition, please consider donating to their GoFundMe.

Kidical Mass bike rides encourage families to ride bikes safely in the street by following the Rules of the Road. We ride at a kid's pace and stay together in a group, stopping to regather when needed. This free event is open to riders of all ages.

Please note:

• Helmets are required for all riders for your safety and our insurance. (Contact us before the event if you need a free helmet.)
• All children must be accompanied by an adult.
• No training wheels or balance bikes on this route
• Dress for the weather and bring water if you need it
• Public restrooms are available at 2nd Cycle before and after the ride
• Snacks provided