Rainy Day Bike Education Activities for Middle School Students

What to do on a rainy day when you've got a classroom full of rowdy 7th and 8th graders who should be out on their bikes!?

1)  Rules of the Road:
Show this YouTube video of a bike/ped crash in NYC:  http://platinumbikeplan.blogspot.com/2010/11/bicycle-safety-new-york-style-how-wrong.html 
Then talk about why we have rules.

2)  Another good video, although longer, is the 1963 film "One Got Fat."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQgAMkMmsfg

It is 15 minutes long but pretty entertaining.

3) Of course - if you have enough tires and can either demonstrate or use a YouTube video you can show how to change a tube or patch a tire.

Try to let students who have done this before lead and demonstrate.  Get them to talk about each step they go through.

There are lots of YouTube videos on this.
Here's one on changing a road bike tire:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5K-DXt9djA&feature=related

Here's another on a hybrid bike:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oFXewhx3BE