Bike Education

This year, Saylesville Elementary’s 5th-grade students got their first taste of Rhode 2 Bicycle Safety (R2BS), and it was an incredible experience. Over three classes, 50 students participated—15 of them riding a bike for the very first time.

The timing was perfect: the school recently completed major renovations, and we were lucky to be one of the first programs to use their brand-new outdoor blacktop space. The students and teachers made us feel welcome, and we left inspired by everyone’s energy and enthusiasm.

Founded in 2019, R2BS is a program of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Each year, it reaches over 1,000 5th-grade students across Rhode Island, teaching them the skills and confidence to safely ride their bikes—for transportation, exercise, and fun. The program blends classroom learning with on-bike instruction in a safe, hands-on environment.

The Saylesville students showed us just how much they learned—and how much fun they had. They even sent 50 individual thank-you notes to our bike staff Donny, Phil, and Luke. Here’s what they had to say:

“At the beginning of this program I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to ride a bike. But now I know how to ride a bike and I can bike around my neighborhood.” – Amelia

“…When I got to the kids club afterschool, everyone was so surprised about the program and wanted to do it too. So I think you should definitely do it next year so other kids can enjoy riding bikes and getting helmets to keep.” – Elissa

“Thank you to you I wouldn’t have known how to be a practical rider. Before the program I thought people were supposed to ride on the left side.” – Miles

“Thank you to Rhode 2 Bicycle Safety for coming to our school and teaching us bike safety and letting us know safety. Come back next year.” – Aubrrey

“Thank you for coming to our school to teach us about bike safety and all the different hand signs. I had no idea how to do them until you came.” – Lucas

“The bike program you teach is so fun. I did not want it to end!” – Lochlan

“Now I ride my bike all the time at home and after school. Thank you for bringing this to our school. I really enjoyed it.” – Remy

“Thank you for bringing Rhode 2 Bicycle Safety to us. I learned a lot of new things. I never knew about hand signals on the road. Now I know.” – Arav

“I felt a little unconfident at the beginning but when we got to day 2 you guys helped me and I felt way better about riding a bike. Thank you for teaching us hand signals and to turn around and it was super fun.” – Ethan

“Thank you for letting us learn how to ride a bicycle safely. It was very fun, exciting, and I loved all the courses.” – Maryorie

We’re so grateful to the teachers, students, and staff at Saylesville Elementary. We can’t wait to see all of you back on the bikes next year!