Allston-Brighton bikes

The Helmets in Play (HIP) program of the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center (JMSCHC) is one of the grantees of the Allston-Brighton/Boston College Community Fund recognized at an award ceremony held May 7, 2009. HIP, a partnership of JMSCHC and Allston-Brighton bikes (a/k/a A-Bbikes), will offer free bike and/or skate helmets to MassHealth eligible Allston-Brighton youth. Vouchers will be distributed by JMSCHC through its Allston clinic and satellite community health center sites at the Jackson-Mann complex and Gardner Pilot Academy. International Bicycle Centers will assist with fitting and supplying helmets through HIP. MassHealth eligible youth get a free helmet while supplies last! For more information contact: Francisca Guevara (JMSCHC Community Health Manager) at 617-208-1562 or fguevara@jmschc.org

Helmets in Play is part of A-Bbikes’ and its partners’ efforts to increase local youth access to bikes, helmets and bike education. A-Bbikes encourages local schools to take advantage of the bicycle education and other resources available through the Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools program. Supported by funds from Ron Gluck (of the Boston law firm Breakstone, White & Gluck) additional bike education opportunities will be provided by MassBike to Allston-Brighton youth through West End House Boys and Girls Club and JMSCHC. Gluck’s donations will also be used to help maintain a fleet of bikes and helmets donated for use at the West End House by International Bicycle Centers and other A-Bbikes donors.

We’re planning to start an A-B based Earn a Bike program, and Bikes not Bombs offered 5 spots in their upcoming training course for A-BbikesKIDZ (future) instructors. Two A-Bbikers have already signed up… there are 3 spots left so don’t wait too long! Applications are online at http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/involved … please be sure to indicate that you are applying for the A-BbikesKIDZ spots.

January 17-March 21 2009, every Saturday, 11am-2pm

Jan 17: Intro to BNB, Mechanics and Bike Safety
Jan 24: Flat Fixing, Safety Rodeo, Safety Video
Jan 31: Bottom Brackets
Feb 7: Front and Rear Hubs
Feb 14: Headsets
Feb 21: Behavior Management (mandatory)
Feb 28: Brakes
Mar 7: Derailleurs
Mar 14: Gender Sensitivity (mandatory)
Mar 21: Ride Preparation

A-Bbikes now has a Google group about all things bike for kids in Allston-Brighton, MA (and those who work with A-Bbikes on youth issues and programs). Check it out and spread the word! visit A-BbikesKIDZ

subscribe (type YOUR email):

If you know a kid in Allston-Brighton who wants to participate (and can get a guardian/parent’s permission) but needs a bike, helmet and/or ride to the event, please let us know at ABbikes @gmail.com and we’ll try to help out!

Check out http://www.gbnemba.org/kidsday2008.php for all of the updated 411!

TKMTB Day 2008 is part of the MA Department of Conservation and Recreationʼs (DCR) “No Child Left Inside” initiative and sponsored by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) and Greater Boston New England Mountain Bike Association (GBNEMBA)

before A-Bbikerz and A-Bbikerkidz can ride the really fun parts o Ringer, we need to get rid of the broken glass, hypo needles, and other debris! volunteer to help clean up to prevent flat tires and injuries, and let Joan know you want to focus on the paths in the rocky area and you’re helping as part of A-Bbikes!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ANNUAL FUN FALL CLEAN UP OF RINGER PARK OCTOBER 4, 2008 – 9:00A.M. – 1:00P.M.

The Parents & Community Build Group, Inc.(501c3) and The Ringer Park Partnership Group are seeking volunteers for our Annual Fun Fall Clean Up of the 12.38 acres of Ringer Park on Saturday, October 4th from 9:00-1:00p.m. Volunteer and Join the Fun – Breakfast, Lunch, Refreshments, Work Gloves, Tools, etc. are provided. Volunteers can work any time that they choose. Ringer Park is MBTA accesible by Bus # 57 from Kenmore Station, #66 from Harvard and Dudley Stations to the Cambridge St./Union Square Stop, and the Green Line from the Allston Street Stop. Please Contact:JOAN PASQUALE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PGBG,INC. – RPPG, 617-254-0632, 617-254-7091 FAX, pcbginc@verizon.net, www.parentsandcommunitybuildgroup.org

A-Bbikes has been talking with the Boston Parks Dept., Greater Boston New England Mountain Bike Association, West End Boys and Girls Club, local bike retailers and others about developing a proposal for youth programming in Ringer Park in the rocky outcropping area that would include urban (bmx and mountain) bike programming. We’re very excited about working through new partnerships to explore how we can better utilize this area of our local park… stay tuned! If you’re interested in working with us on this project, please let us know at ABbikes@gmail.com (and please spread the word to others who may be interested and encourage them to contact us)!

posted o/b/o Peter, an A-Bbiker: “I bike. We have a 5 year old daughter and a trailer bike. She likes to bike. We live 3/4mi from her school. We live near Saunders St. and North Beacon, and her school is near Brentwood St. Yet we must cross the perilous Everett St bridge and so Mom says NO, so we drive her. My question is: what would you recommend in the short term, and are there efforts underway to help make this area safe for bikers? Thanks, Peter”

August 27, 2008 – Allston, MA. Two Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center patients won free bicycle packages in a raffle sponsored by Neighborhood Health Plan and JMSCHC. The bikes were awarded to the two winners (five and eleven year old boys) at the JMSCHC clinic location in Allston, MA. A-Bbikes helped assemble the packages using funds from NHP and additional donations by International Bicycle Centers (IBC) in Boston and Newton, Allston-Brighton bikes, Boston Bikes and MassBike. Each winner received a Trek bicycle selected by IBC specifically for him together with a Bell helmet, a lock, a water bottle and cage, a T-shirt and bike safety accessories and educational materials. As you can see in the pics, the winners jumped right on to try out their new bikes! Photos by Galen M. Mook

We’re very excited to announce that we are in the process of developing a proposed pilot program to procure and distribute discounted and/or free helmets to children in A-B! A generous prospective donor has offered to fund the pilot, and we are currently in the process of obtaining per unit pricing information from prospective retail partners and helmet suppliers. For the pilot, we are currently planning to distribute helmets at local schools using staff who are trained in fitting bicycle helmets.

Stay tuned for details about this new program as it develops and please contact Chris D. if you’d like to get involved!