Red Shed Bike Programs
Growing Woony River Heroes on Wheels
Overview
The Red Shed is the home of the WRWC Bike Education Programs. The goal of the Red Shed is to grow more Woony River Heroes – making biking accessible to kids and families in neighborhoods along the Woony River Greenway and beyond. We work with cyclists of all ages and skill levels, from first time riders, to those with years of experience. Red Shed gives our students, neighbors, and fellow Rhode Islanders, the skills and information they need to be safe and confident cyclists so that they can enjoy nature close to home. These programs are accessible to all Rhode Islanders, regardless of income, education, or background. Learn about our various programs for youth and adults. Interested in bringing our programs to your school, business, or community group? Contact us to make it happen. The Red Shed is located at Riverside Park in Olneyville, right next to the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. Wave to us when you ride by on the bike path! Learn more here about how to support WRWC’s efforts to continue growing Woony River Heroes!
For more information:
Donny Green
dgreen@wrwc.org
At Red Shed Bike Camp, kids ages 8-13 spend a fun-filled week in the summer exploring the watershed on two wheels! Through the week, campers enjoy daily bike rides. They also learn safe riding skills, basic bike maintenance, and watershed stewardship. After a bike-filled week at camp, our campers leave with the freedom and independence of riding a bike safely and confidently, a new way to enjoy the natural beauty along the Greenway, and a sense of pride from learning new skills. The Red Shed offers special scholarships to qualified campers, providing access for all no matter their income.
To learn more and register:
Learn More
Girls Bike Camp
Girls Bike Camp, for girls 8-13 years of age, takes place over April school break. We started Girls Bike Camp when we learned that a number of girls from the neighborhood were told bike riding wasn’t for girls, that they shouldn’t or couldn’t ride bikes. We created a special camp to say, “Yes, you can!” At Girls Bike Camp, many campers learn to ride a bike for the first time, and everyone learns how to ride confidently and safely. As in our Summer Bike Camp, campers enjoy daily bike rides and learn safe riding skills, basic bike maintenance, and watershed stewardship.
At the end of the week, campers are given bikes of their own, along with a helmet and lock. They also leave with the freedom and independence of being able to ride a bike, a new way to enjoy the natural beauty along the Greenway, and the sense of pride that comes from learning a new skill. We partner with local organizations and schools to recruit young girls with limited, if any, experience riding a bike. Through the generous support of WRWC donors, we offer this program free of cost.
The Rhode to Bicycle Safety (R2BS) program teaches 5th grade students throughout the state of Rhode Island how to safely and confidently ride their bikes for transportation, physical activity and fun. R2BS is a 180 minute course taught in four sessions to 5th graders in school during normal school hours. The course includes both classroom and on bike instruction to educate students on how to ride safely and with confidence in their communities.
R2BS is offered to schools at no cost and all equipment including bicycles and helmets are provided.
Students Learn:
- Rules of the Road
- Helmet fitting and safety
- Right of way
- Navigating intersections
- Bicycle safety checks
Started in 2019 in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation we now offer this program to roughly 1,000 5th grade students in Rhode Island. If you are interested in bringing R2BS to your school please contact dgreen@wrwc.org . We are always looking to partner with new schools.
Virtual Learning Resources
Helmet Fit and Safety (English): In this video we will go over why wearing a helmet is important to keep you safe while riding your bike as well as how to wear it properly.
Ajuste y seguridad del caso: En este video, veremos por qué es importante usar un casco para mantenerse seguro mientras conduce su bicicleta, así como también cómo usarlo correctamente.
Bicycle Safety Check (ABC Quick Check): In this video we will go over how to check your bike to make sure it’s safe to ride using the “ABC Quick Check”.
Control de seguridad de bicicletas (ABC Quick Check): En este video, veremos cómo revisar su bicicleta para asegurarnos de que sea segura para usarla usando la “ABC Quick Check”.
Rules of the Road and Hand Signals: In this video we will go over how to ride your bike safely and legally on the road as well as how to use hand signals to tell cars and other cyclists where you are going.
Reglas de la Carretera y Señales Manuales: En este video, repasamos cómo andar en bicicleta de manera segura y legal en la carretera, así como cómo usar las señales de mano para decirles a los automóviles y otros ciclistas a dónde se dirige.
Adults on Bikes
At the Red Shed, we believe every cyclist should be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to bike safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. We offer free classes and workshops to adults where we teach bike handling skills, rules of the road, and traffic laws for cyclists. We partner with local organizations, businesses, and community centers to bring bike education classes to the region. To learn more, check out our events calendar to see and to sign up for upcoming classes. Contact us if you’d like to bring our Bike Education programs to your business or group.
No bike? No problem.
Bikes and helmets will be provided to all participants who need them for the duration of any class.
Don’t know how to ride? Reach out.
We’re developing adult learn-to-ride programs and we want to hear from you.
Bike Donations/Support the Red Shed
The Red Shed happily accepts donations of used bikes!
Learn more here about how to support WRWC’s efforts to continue growing Woony River Heroes on wheels!
Red Shed History
Opened in 2009, in an effort to get people on bikes and keep bikes out of the Woony River, The Red Shed is made of two 30-foot, bright red shipping containers at Riverside Park. Originally, the Red Shed provided bike maintenance and repair workshops for local youth and adults, low cost bike repairs, cheap rentals, and used bikes for sale. Since then, WRWC’s focus for Red Shed has shifted to what the community says it needs from us: more bike programming, offering camps and classes to help people use and enjoy the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Bike Path, Providence’s only paved off-road bike path. Now, over 100 youth learn to ride or improve riding skills each year through the Red Shed, and we’re helping more adults every season!
