Event details
For Adults!
Location
Gipson Play Plaza
Category
Wellness & Recreation
Event Details
Designed for adults who want to gain the confidence and skills to ride a bike for the first time!
In a safe and supportive environment, participants learn the essential first step of riding a bicycle: How to Balance. With guidance from experienced instructors, you will use a balance bike (a bicycle without pedals) to practice and build the foundation for riding on your own.
A limited number of loaner bikes and helmets will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own. Our on-site bike mechanic will help convert personally owned bikes into balance bikes by temporarily removing pedals, then reinstalling them once the session is complete.
This free program is hosted by Oaks and Spokes, a nonprofit dedicated to making Raleigh a city where walking and biking are safe, accessible, and part of everyday life.
Registration
Free to attend. Registration is required.
Registration opens two weeks in advance of the program date at 12:00 pm.
Sign up at the link above.
This program is free to the public thanks to Dix Park Conservancy donors.
Know Before You Go
A limited number of loner bikes and helmets are available.
You can bring your own bike and helmet.
Oak and Spokes will have a bike mechanic on site to turn personally-owned bicycles into Balance Bikes by removing training wheels and bike pedals. These items are restored on the bicycle after class.
Location: Behind Slide Valley on Biggs Drive.
Gipson Play Plaza Address: 715 Biggs Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603
- Via Western Boulevard: Enter at Hunt Drive
- Via Lake Wheeler Road: Enter at Goode Drive
- Via Centennial Parkway: Enter at Blair Drive
- Follow Signs towards Gipson Play Plaza
Parking: Recommended program parking is in Lot G or Lot E.
If there is inclement weather, the program will be canceled and registered participants will be notified by Eventbrite email.
Dix Park is committed to ensuring Gipson Play Plaza, including its amenities and programs, is accessible to all.
Parking & Arrival
- Public Parking Lots B, D, E, G adjacent to Gipson Play Plaza have ADA parking spaces, accessible curb cuts and sidewalks into the park.
- There is a visitor drop-off/pick-up zone near the House of Many Porches Market on Palmer Drive.
Entrances & Pathways
- All entrances and pathways are accessible including ADA grade paths on either side of the Grand Stair.
- The permeable surface of the Sensory Maze and Picnic Grove is accessible.
- A portion of the Picnic Grove surface includes a stabilizing binder for a more stable and level surface.
Playgrounds
- All play areas (Slide Valley, Watermill Mountain, Sand Bowl, Sensory Maze, Swing Terrace) have at grade access points with accessible interactive play features.
- The play towers have an wheelchair accessible route through the first level that includes the sway bridge and transfer platform for the slide.
- Two additional slides have transfer platforms.
- There are three transfer platform access points in the sand play area.
- The mega swing includes nest/basket swings.
Restrooms & Facilities
- Restroom cabanas are fully accessible.
- House of Many Porches Market is fully accessible. Ramps are at the front and back of the building.
- Picnic Grove tables are accessible including spaces for wheelchair positioning.
- Water fountains are accessible.
Service Animals
- Service animals are welcome in the park.
Programs & Events
Raleigh Parks Inclusion Services works with community members to support participation. To request a program modification based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please complete and submit the Accommodation Request Form or contact Inclusion Services staff at 919-996-2147 or ParksInclusion@raleighnc.gov.
Dix Park Staff can be reached at 919-996-3255 or events@dixpark.org
