Students, mentors and supporters celebrate the completion of the 10-week Bike Academy program. Photo courtesy of the American River Bike Patrol

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Before participating in the 10-week cycling academy hosted by the American River Bike Patrol, Anahit Buniatyan, a student at Cordova High School, had never ridden a bike. On Oct. 31, Anahit and 17 other Velo Lancers biked 32 miles along the American River Parkway, starting at Folsom Lake and completing their ride at Discovery Park.

At the finish line, each rider received a new bicycle, donated in partnership with the City of Rancho Cordova and Trek Bikes.

The program, part of American River Bike Patrol’s Bike Academy, introduces high school students to trail etiquette, bike maintenance and first aid. This year, the program also emphasized street safety due to graduates of the program getting hit by cars, according to Rich Fowler, founding member of the program.

“I wanted to change that,” he said. This year, students worked with Barbara Lee, a League Certified Instructor (LCI) for the first several weeks of the program in addition to their mentors.

18 Velo Lancers completed the American River Bike Patrol’s Bike Academy on Oct. 31. Photo courtesy of the American River Bike Patrol

Students enter the program with a range of cycling and maintenance experience. They are mentored each week by American River Bike Patrol volunteers, as well as two student mentors who previously completed the program. The group practiced each Saturday for the past 10 weeks, starting with riding just five miles to biking 18 in the week leading up to the race.

“This year’s class really stood out,” said Vic Massenkoff, spokesperson for the American River Bike Patrol. “Every year we are amazed by the amount of personal growth and sense of achievement we see in students over the short 10 weeks.”

Massenkoff said the academy, which completed its fourth year, often hears back from graduates expressing gratitude for the experience and the ways they’ve applied the experience to other areas of their lives. But the program has a strong impact on mentors, too.

“Sometimes we wonder if it means more to us or for them,” he said.

Mayor Garrett Gatewood presents a student with their new bike. Photo courtesy of the American River Bike Patrol

The program is made possible through several partnerships including with the City of Rancho Cordova, who gave $35,000 to the program last year from the Community Enhancement & Investment Fund (CEIF).

“This is exactly what we want to do with the money,” said Rancho Cordova Mayor Garrett Gatewood. “To our students, you are leaving here today with a brand-new Trek bike. Enjoy it, ride it and take care of it.”

Also present at the ceremony were the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento County Fire Department Engines 2 and 15, and Sacramento County Park Rangers. The American River Bike Patrol also thanked the Save the American River Association (SARA) for their dedication to maintaining the trail.

“One of the things I love most about this program is the relationships that are built with mentors,” Cordova High School Principal Amy Strawn said. “Thank you for showing up and believing in our students, encouraging them through the challenges and reminding them what they are capable of.”

Students complete their 32-mile ride along the American River Parkway at Discovery Park. Photo by Abbey Wicks

One parent, Grace praised the program and the mentors for working closely with her son, Logan who also could not ride a bike before the program began.

Noelle Watson, a student mentor with the program, encouraged her mentees to apply the skills gained in the program to other areas of their lives.

She said the program stretched her in a new ways as a mentor, and inspired her to take advantage of the trails Sacramento has to offer. 

“It’s made me want to go on the trails more, to go outside more,” she said.

For more information about the program, visit americanriverbikepatrol.org.