‘The Great Malden Outdoors’ announces kids first group ride event with Bike to the Sea

Special to The Advocate

The Great Malden Outdoors, a program to improve outdoor access in Malden, will collaborate with Bike to the Sea, the Malden-based nonprofit, for a group ride offered to all 175 kids who completed the Learn to Ride a Bike Program earlier this summer. The ride will kick off Saturday, September 28 at 9:30 a.m. from Bike to the Sea’s Bike Kitchen (158 Canal St. in Malden) and will be a two-mile out and back ride along the Northern Strand Community Trail for new cyclists and their families.

Out of the 175 kids who registered for the Learn to Ride a Bike Program, 62 of them did not own a bicycle. The Great Malden Outdoors worked with REI’s Experiences Team to have demo bikes for each class so all kids could participate in the classes. To increase long-term access to cycling in the city, The Great Malden Outdoors was able to provide bikes for all 62 children to keep and continue to ride after the class was complete.

The campaign worked with Bike to the Sea and the City of Malden’s Facilities Team to locate discarded bikes, refurbish them and deliver them to those in need. The campaign also purchased new bikes with a significant donation from Mason Slaine, a Malden High School graduate, class of 1971, along with additional funding from The Kristin Gennetti Group and multiple fundraisers with Idle Hands Craft Ales. The combined effort from these local people proves that the collective desire to see outdoor equity improve is shared by many in Malden.

All families who received bikes have been asked to return them back to the Bike to the Sea Bike Kitchen when their child has outgrown them, so the organization can pass them along to the next child, ensuring these bicycles remain in the city for years to come.

“Cycling is the gateway to getting outside and one that’s become more difficult for the current generation,” says First Seed Sown CEO Darren Josey, who is the creator of The Great Malden Outdoors. “With many parents in the city working multiple jobs, long hours, and living in homes along busy city streets, it’s hard to find time and space to teach your child how to ride a bike. The cost of bikes has also skyrocketed since the pandemic, adding yet another hurdle to learning how to ride. The Kid’s First Group Ride is the culmination of many months of work to equitably: teach kids how to ride, get their first bike, and experience the joy of riding with others who’ve also just learned.”

“Bike to the Sea’s mission is to Connect Communities to the Northern Strand Trail,” says Bike to the Sea Executive Director Jonah Chiarenza. “When our Bike Kitchen opened in Malden this spring it was perfect timing to join forces with The Great Malden Outdoors as our goals were aligned. It’s great to share this community space with the Learn to Ride program, supporting Malden youth as they gain the joy that comes with riding a bike. We can’t wait to see what we come up with for next year!”

For more info about The Great Malden Outdoors, please access www.TheGreatMaldenOutdoors.com; for more info about Bike to the Sea, please access www.biketothesea.org; for more info about First Seed Sown, please access https://www.firstseedsown.com/.