July 2019: Pierce County Trails Day Ride in South Tacoma

Join Kidical Mass Tacoma and ForeverGreen Trails in a celebration of Pierce County Trails Day!

We'll start at 10am at South Park (meet at the big toy) and use the Flume Line Trail to ride about 1.7 miles to Oak Tree Park.  We'll stop in the big grassy area for a quick (~15min) break, before riding back to South Park where we'll have snacks.  We'll ride at kid pace and anticipate finishing about 11am.  This should keep us out of the high heat of the day, but the South Park play area also has a spray ground where riders can cool off.

Here's a map of the route:

Kidical Mass encourages 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. This event is open to riders of all ages and abilities. Helmets are required for all riders. Snacks are provided.

This event is sponsored by Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club and the Puyallup Watershed Initiative Active Transportation Community of Interest.

You can also RSVP on Facebook. We'll see you there!

May 2019: Kidical Mass Tacoma Explores the Pipeline Trail

Kidical Mass Family Bike Ride

Sunday May 19, 2019

10:30am - 12pm

Starts/Ends at the Eastside Community Center

1721 E 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98404

Join us during Bike Month for a 3.6-mile bike ride through the Salishan neighborhood and on the newly paved Pipeline Trail. This route has some rolling hills, but the event is open to riders of all ages and abilities.

The ride will start and end at the bike rack by the front entrance of the Eastside Community Center (blue dot on the map below.) We usually ride in the street quite a bit, but this route is almost entirely paved trail, ultra-wide sidewalk, and bike lanes.

Kidical Mass encourages 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. Helmets are required for all riders. Snacks are provided. Contact Matt with questions: kidicalmasstacoma@gmail.com

This event is sponsored by the Puyallup Watershed Initiative's Active Transportation Community of Interest and Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club.

RSVP or follow us on Facebook (optional)

4th Annual Cranksgiving with Kidical Mass Tacoma

4th Annual CRANKSGIVING 
Food drive Bike ride

Pedal to store -> Shop for others -> Haul it back

Starts at 7 Seas Brewing - Tacoma

Sunday November 18, 2018

Family-friendly 

Benefits St. Leo Food Connection

Ride and Shop 2-4pm / Afterparty at 7 Seas 4-6pm

Bring a bike lock!

Join Kidical Mass Tacoma for our 4th Annual Cranksgiving family bike ride benefiting the St. Leo Food Connection food bank!

Meet-up at the 7 Seas Taproom entrance around 1:30 pm. We'll roll-out at 2 pm, pedaling a 1.7 mile route to the Stadium Thriftway grocery store for a chance to try our hand at family shopping by bicycle. We ask that riders purchase a few items to donate to St. Leo Food Connection. Be sure to bring along some way to haul your food items on your bike - backpack, basket, trailer, etc.

After we shop, we'll pedal back to 7 Seas Brewing to collect our items and celebrate our biking and shopping skills. Cash donations will also be collected at this time and are used to purchase fresh produce for the food bank.

FAQ: Do I have to shop at Stadium Thirftway? Nope. You are welcome to shop before the ride and bring items along if that's a better way to stretch your dollars (Costco and Cash'n'Carry have some good deals if you want to buy in bulk.) We've also marked other grocery stores on the map below if you'd like to take a more challenging ride while the kids pedal to Stadium.

**Special Note: This route is not very long, but it is uphill getting to the store and downhill getting back to the 7 Seas. We've picked a more gradual route up and down the hill, but no push bikes or training wheels please.

RSVP on Facebook or in the comments so we know you're planning to attend.

Many thanks to Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club and 7 Seas Brewing for helping with this event. Cheers!

Kidical Mass is a monthly family bike ride series. We ride in the street and follow the Rules of the Road. We ride together, stopping to regroup when needed. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all riders should wear a helmet.

October 2018: Tacoma Arts Month Ride in the South End

Family Bike Ride with Kidical Mass Tacoma

Roll-out at 10:30am, Saturday Oct 13, 2018

IDEA High School, 6701 Park Ave S, Tacoma

October is Tacoma Arts Month...let's ride bikes and make art!

We've asked the students of the 2nd Cycle shop at IDEA High School to plan a route in the South End and to help us with a print-your-own art activity after the ride.

The ride will start from the 2nd Cycle shop at IDEA High School (6701 S Park Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408). The shop is in a portable behind the school; look for the Kidical Mass banner on the fence along Park Ave and enter up the sidewalk ramp.

We will roll-out at 10:30 am on a 3-4 mile ride. As always, we will ride in the street following the Rules of the Road, stopping to regroup as needed so no one is left behind. Helmets and adult supervision are required. We will be riding at a kid's pace, but this route has some rolling hills and arterial crossings, so no push bikes or training wheels, please.

We'll return to IDEA for a print-your-own screen printing activity. Bring something to print on: a shirt, hoodie, canvas shopping bag, anything that's been pre-washed. There will be a few bike+neighborhood designs to choose from with inks that will look good on light or dark colored fabric. Paper for poster making will also be available.

It's getting chilly and damp so dress for the weather - we will ride in a sprinkle! However, if it's a total downpour we'll skip the ride and there will still be screen printing and treats inside the shop until 12:30pm.

We'll post a route map and more print design details soon!

September 2018: Kidical MASSIVE - Verlo to Lincoln Loop

On September 15, 2018, Kidical Mass rides will be held all over the country and world. We'll celebrate in Tacoma with a 4 mile loop around the Eastside from Verlo Playfield to Lincoln Park and back. The ride departs Verlo Playfield (4321 East McKinley Avenue) in Tacoma at 10am. We'll pedal about 2 miles to Lincoln Park, play a bit, then pedal 2 miles back to Verlo. Plan on 1-1.5 hours for the whole ride.

The Verlo sprayground will be open for an optional post-ride cool down and we'll provide frozen treats for all participants. There are bathrooms at both parks.

Kidical Mass is a group bike ride for kids and families, but everyone is welcome to ride along. As always, we will ride in the street following the Rules of the Road, stopping to regroup as needed so no one is left behind. Helmets and adult supervision are required. 

This route has some rolling hills, so no push bikes or training wheels, please. The route will likely look like this:

RSVP on Facebook or comment below so we know how much ice cream to bring! 

Thanks again to Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club and the Puyallup Watershed Initiative for sponsoring these events.

July 2018: Kidical Mass Ride in Salishan for Pierce County Trails Day

Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 10 AM - 12 PM

Swan Creek Park Community Garden, 2299 E 42nd St, Tacoma, WA 98404

Kidical Mass Tacoma is a monthly bike ride for kids, families and kids-at-heart. We ride in the street and follow the Rules of the Road, stopping to regroup so no one gets lost or left behind. Helmets and adult supervision are required. Everyone is welcome.

On July 28 we'll be celebrating Pierce County Trails Day by exploring the Salishan neighborhood, Pipeline Trail, and trails of Swan Creek Park. We'll scope out the nearly-completed Eastside Community Center and learn about upcoming development of the Pipeline Trail. The ride will start at the Swan Creek Park Community Garden at E 42nd and Roosevelt in Tacoma.

This is a free event and no preregistration is required. Snacks will be provided (RSVP on FB so we know what to bring!) Expect a slow, 4-mile bike ride on paved streets and trails. There are some optional dirt trails as well. Portapotties and water access are located at the community garden parking lot.

For additional information, contact Matt 253-209-4032 or leave comments below.

Download and share this flyer!

Owen Beach Campout 2018

 

We're loading up our kids and tents to go bike camping at Owen Beach again! Pre-registration is required, so please read on.

WHEN: Meet-up at 2nd Cycle Tacoma's Community Cycle Center on Friday Aug 24, 2018 around 5:30pm. We'll roll-out about 6pm to Point Defiance Park, a 7.5 mile ride. It will take about 1.5 hours.

CAMP GEAR: We'll camp on the grass next to the beach and have to break camp by 9am. Keep it simple! We recommend tent, bedroll, change of clothes, warmer layers for the evening. You can haul your gear by bike (it's bike camping!), or toss heavy/awkward items in the 2nd Cycle van that's meeting us there. Need a tent? Let us know in the comments and we'll try to locate an extra one for you.

FOOD TO BRING: For the ride, bring a water bottle and maybe even a spray bottle to help keep kids cool. Metroparks provides evening snacks and a basic breakfast, but plan to bring a picnic dinner or snacks for after the ride. Don't bonk!

RETURN: On Saturday morning families can make their way back home in small groups or individually. Remember, it's going to be more uphill on the way home, so plan for a longer ride.

PRE-REGISTER: Campers must preregister with The Tacoma Nature Center by calling (253) 404-3930. Cost is $50 for a 4-person site. Tell them you are with Kidical Mass. (SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE...Puyallup Watershed Initiative is helping to make this event more accessible, so please contact Matt via email (kidicalmasstacoma <at> gmail <dot> com) if you need financial assistance.) There are a limited number of campsites available for this Metroparks Tacoma event, so please make your plans soon!

This is a bit different than most of our events and rides, but we hope to see you there. Please let us know if you register for your own campsite so we can keep track of who's coming.

RSVP on Facebook (optional)

More details on the Metroparks website: https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/campout/

Point Defiance Ranger leads a nature talk

You can bring your dog! Can you spot Spencer?