Twenty-nine students from Cordova High School were recently recognized for completing the American River Bike Patrol’s 10-week Velo Lancers, the club’s Junior Patrol, cycling program at Discovery Park in Sacramento.
The students, who include immigrant and minority teens with limited cycling experience, graduated from the program after riding increasing distances, from one to two miles to 32 miles, from Beals Point to Discovery Park.
Throughout the program, they learned essential cycling skills, including safe riding practices for both recreation and commuting, basic bicycle maintenance, first aid, and how to navigate city streets using public transportation.
To mark their achievement, each graduate received a new Trek FX 1 bicycle, presented by the American River Bike Patrol and set up by Trek, with support from the City of Rancho Cordova and local donors.
The graduation ceremony featured remarks from officials from Cordova High School, the City of Rancho Cordova, and the American River Bike Patrol, as well as representatives from the National Ski Patrol.
The American River Bike Patrol (ARBP) is a volunteer unit of the National Ski Patrol System, Inc. Its 115 members provide emergency first aid and bike repair assistance to cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, and other trail users along the 32-mile American River Parkway — one of the busiest recreational trails in North America, with approximately 5 million users annually. The ARBP also patrols multi-use trails in Sacramento, Roseville, and El Dorado County.
In addition to their emergency response duties, Bike Patrollers serve as safety ambassadors, educating trail users about proper etiquette, offering directions, and assisting those in need. They undergo rigorous training in first aid, CPR, bike repair, and trail safety. Since its inception in 2020, the Bike Patrol has completed more than 5,900 patrols, ridden over 107,000 miles, and assisted nearly 12,200 trail users.
The Bike Patrol also has a strong focus on youth safety. In partnership with UC Davis Health, the program has fitted hundreds of local children with bike helmets to prevent brain injuries, the leading cause of death and disability among children. Over the past two years, the ARBP has trained nearly 50 at-risk teens to cycle safely on city streets, become leaders, and contribute to their communities through volunteer service.
The American River Bike Patrol’s contributions to trail safety have earned them recognition from both state and local governments, and the patrol has been named the best bike patrol in the nation twice.
images courtesy American River Bike Patrol.