Encouragement and Incentives for Youth Cyclists
In the heart of Bamberg, the Youth Traffic School transformed its grounds into an obstacle course for the annual bicycle tournament. This year's event, held in the school year 2024/25, saw the participation of 59 students from Bamberg's primary and special schools.
The focus of the tournament was on safely mastering the bicycle, not adhering to traffic rules. The obstacle course included lane and plank, circle, slalom, figure eight, target braking, and a variety of other challenges designed to test the cyclists' balance and control. Hand signals were not a requirement, as the emphasis was on bike handling skills.
The award ceremony took place after the lunch break, presided over by Deputy Mayor Jonas Glüsenkamp and Police Chief Florian Mayer. They were joined by Jana Rodriguez and Kathrin Lieberth, traffic educators, who were also present at the event.
The top performers in the tournament achieved the best results and received awards such as certificates, medals, and bicycle accessories. The "hottest award ceremony of the year" saw the six best cyclists—three boys and three girls—receive their well-deserved prizes.
The best three girls were Nora Brauer from Kunigundenschule, Cleo Schimmeyer from Rupprechtschule, and Aurelia Weismantel from Hainschule. The boys' top three were Enrico Millich from Bartolomeo-Garelli-Schule, Samuel Günther from Kunigundenschule, and Manuel Datz from Kaulbergschule/Bug.
The coveted prizes were decided based on the results of the scoring round, which considered two factors: error-free driving and time. The cash prizes for the winners were generously donated by the Sparkasse Bamberg.
Deputy Mayor Jonas Glüsenkamp, who welcomed participants to the award ceremony, praised the children's performances and presented them with the city's prizes. He expressed his impression of how well the young participants controlled their bikes during the tournament.
Matthias Wenninger from the Bamberg Traffic Safety Association, who organized the event and provided ice cream breaks during the tournament, added his congratulations to the winners.
This year's Youth Traffic School bicycle tournament was a testament to the skills and dedication of Bamberg's young cyclists, as well as the importance of safety and control in cycling. As we look forward to next year's event, we can only hope for more impressive performances and a continued focus on safety.
