Picadome Elementary — Lexington, KY
Let's start a
Let's start a
Bike Bus.
A weekly, group bike ride to school — fun, safe, and good for our kids, our neighborhood, and our planet.
Count me in ↓
A weekly, group bike ride to school — fun, safe, and good for our kids, our neighborhood, and our planet.
Count me in ↓
We're kicking things off on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby — a fitting day for Lexington to celebrate community, spirit, and a little friendly competition. Join us for our inaugural roll to Picadome.
🌹 Derby Eve RideHere's how it works — simple, low-commitment, and easy to join at any point along the way.
Our gathering point. Grab a bagel, fuel up, and roll out as a group. Southland Bagel opens at 7:00 am — plenty of time to get ready before our 7:20 am departure.
Early arrivals can grab breakfast. No obligation — just a friendly, familiar landmark to rally around before the ride.
We leave together as a group. This is our window — see the late arrival policy below for what to do if you can't make 7:20.
10 minutes before the 7:45 bell. Plenty of time to lock bikes at the rack behind the school and get settled. No rush, no chaos.
Kids are in, energized, and ready to learn. Parents head to work — or stick around and ride back together.
Research consistently shows that active school commutes improve physical health, mental focus, and community safety. A bike bus makes it social, supervised, and fun.
Physical activity before school improves attention, mood, and academic performance throughout the day.
More people on bikes, fewer cars at drop-off. A visible bike bus builds the kind of neighborhood where active transport feels normal.
Families meet families. Kids make friends before the school day even begins. It's a rolling social hour.
Car trips to school are some of the most inefficient in a community's transportation pattern. Every rider is a small win for air quality.
School drop-off is one of the most stressful parts of the morning. A bike bus is one of the most effective ways to ease it.
Kids who ride to school develop spatial awareness, confidence, and a sense of independence that lasts.
About 0.8 miles through quiet neighborhood streets. We avoid busy Harrodsburg Road entirely by cutting through Southport Drive and Reed Lane to Ridge Road, arriving at the bike rack behind the school.
Meet here. Grab a bagel, helmets on. We leave as a group.
Head north on Southport Drive — a calm residential street.
Turn onto Reed Lane. This connects us straight toward the back of the school.
Onto Ridge Road — the final stretch. School is at the end.
Lock bikes at the rack. Walk in together. Bell rings at 7:45 am.
You don't need fancy gear or a fast bike. You just need to show up.
Let us know you're interested. We'll keep you posted on the May 1st launch, route details, and any updates before the first ride.
Find the group — we're not hard to spot. Helmets on, and we roll out together. Drop-off families must arrive by 7:20 sharp.
We ride at a pace that works for all ages and abilities. Experienced adult riders lead and sweep. No one gets left behind.
Lock bikes at the rack behind the school and walk in together. High-fives optional but strongly encouraged.
The more families who join, the safer and more fun it gets. Invite a neighbor. Make it a habit.
This is a parent-organized, community-run program. We're not asking for funding — just partnership. Here's what matters:
Picadome already has a bike rack behind the school — a great start. As participation grows, we'd appreciate help planning for expanded capacity. We'll work with you on timing and placement.
A mention in the school newsletter or on the website dramatically increases participation. We'll provide a short blurb and keep it updated each semester.
We plan to arrive by 7:35 am — 10 minutes before the 7:45 bell. We'd like to confirm that early-arriving students can wait at a designated, supervised spot near the bike rack.
We're launching Friday, May 1st as our first ride. We propose starting once a month to establish the route and routine, then grow to weekly. Low risk, high upside for the school community.
This is a parent-organized activity, not a school-sponsored program. Here's what that means in practice:
The acknowledgment form families sign is not a legal waiver — it simply confirms that parents understand this is a parent-led activity, that they accept responsibility for their child's participation, and that they've agreed to the group's safety guidelines. Many school districts across the country have successful bike bus programs operating exactly this way. We'll share the form with school leadership before launch.
Add May 1st directly to your calendar app, or download all six rides at once. Calendar start time is 7:10 am so you have a heads-up before our 7:20 departure.
Opens directly in your calendar app, pre-filled with all the details. Pick whichever you use.
Downloads a calendar file with all rides: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 + June 3 Last Day of School. Open the file and your calendar app imports all six at once.
⬇ Download all 6 rides (.ics)Works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and most calendar apps. All events start at 7:10 am.
We're gathering a list of interested families to show school leadership there's real demand — and to get everyone's contact info before May 1st.
Thousands of schools across the country have started bike buses. Here are some of the resources that informed our planning: