The Big Family Fun Ride was delivered exactly as advertised, as loads of Lane Cove locals turned up for music and cycling at Blackman Park on Sunday, 15 September 2024. This was the first time the event was held at Blackman Park (it usually starts on Longueville Road and ends at Blackman Park).
The event hosted by Lane Cove Council aims to get families outside and excited about riding their bikes around Lane Cove.
“I put feathers on my scooter, so it’s all fluffy,” one young lady explained. She was making good use of the Pedal, Set, Go bicycle education workshop, which allowed kids to customise their bikes and helmets with decorations while also learning how to ride safely.
“I got loads of different colours,” another boy exclaimed, showing In The Cove his newly decorated helmet. It’s got magenta, glow-in-the-dark green, green, blue, and red feathers on it and a blue ribbon.”
“I have lots of lights… I have lots of different noise modes [on his bell]… I went really fast on the grass, down that hill and on the flat!”
The decoration station wasn’t the only activity on offer. Kids could also participate in a scavenger hunt, searching for clues while they cycled around the park, or level up their skills as they navigated through an obstacle course.
“Grace has got four wheels at the moment, but she’s trying to get rid of the two and ride properly. It’s been challenging for her,” one father said about her daughter.
“So this is good practice for her!”
But perhaps the biggest attraction of the day came from Lane Cove’s resident DJ Nacho Pop who turned up towing two speakers and playing enough pump-up tunes to create a disco cycle circuit crowd following him around the park’s track.
The event started at 10 a.m. and progressed until 2 p.m., offering plenty of resources for those who wanted to stay active for the full four hours.
Anybody who worked up an appetite could grab a snag to refuel (see our cover photo).
Calling it a day after a chain break wasn’t an issue either, as Revolve Recycling—an organisation dedicated to recycling and re-deploying old bikes—had a workshop set up where they provide a free check-up on any faulty ride.
Revolve Recycling also allowed event participants to donate any pre-loved bikes to be refurbished and then redistributed to someone who might like to join in on the fun next time.
The Big Family Fun Ride is an annual event held every year during the Lane Cove Festival in September – watch out for it next year.
