By Brandon Schubach, BikeWalkKC Youth Education Instructor
A decade with BikeWalkKC
This year marks my ten-year anniversary at BikeWalkKC, a milestone that has me reflecting on the journey that brought me here and the impact our work has on the community. Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of teaching kids how to ride bikes, how to ride safely, and how to care for their bikes. Through our programs, kids learn essential skills like why we wear helmets, the rules of the road, and how to use turn signals. Beyond just the mechanics, they also build confidence. From not knowing how to ride at all, students learn balance, pedal, and navigate their environment safely. I’ve seen firsthand how access to a bicycle can change a child’s life, opening up new opportunities for independence, mobility, and adventure.
One of my favorite programs at BikeWalkKC is our Maintain Your Ride program. We work with kids who don’t have their own bikes, providing them with one and teaching them essential maintenance and repair skills. It’s a powerful experience watching students take ownership of their bikes, learning not just how to ride but how to keep their bikes in good working order. None of this would be possible without the generosity of people who donate bikes. These donations give kids the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of cycling.
Me, waving goodbye to my little sister on my first day of school in the 6th grade, Summer 1997.
Pedaling through the memories
This year, I’m donating a bike of my own to the Maintain Your Ride program—a bike that has meant a great deal to me. My cycling journey started when I was young, riding to and from school every day, motivated by my older siblings and my dad, who rode regularly. On Saturday mornings, my dad, my siblings, and I had a tradition: we would “bike to breakfast.” We’d ride our bikes to a nearby Hardee’s, grab breakfast sandwiches, and then spend the rest of the morning riding around local trails and parks. Those mornings were some of my favorite childhood memories, and they instilled in me a love for cycling that would eventually lead me to where I am today.
Like many teenagers, I drifted away from cycling after getting my driver’s license. It wasn’t until my father-in-law gave me an old Versato Riviera, a bike he had barely used and left outside for years, that I rediscovered my love for biking.
A hand-me-down becomes a hand-up
The bike was in rough shape, but I fixed it up with some help from YouTube tutorials and trips to the bike shop. I rode it everywhere: around my neighborhood, through my childhood streets, on trails and parks, and even on organized rides around Kansas City. I rode it through the streets of Denver one early morning before heading into the mountains for a ride later that same day. Another time, I took it to Iowa to ride the High Trestle Trail, an incredible experience that reminded me just how far a bike can take you—not just physically, but in life.
That bike brought me back into the cycling world, and in 2015, it inspired me to apply for a job at BikeWalkKC. I rode it for another year before upgrading, but I kept it around as a loaner for friends and family. During this time, I also started a YouTube channel focused on bikes and bike maintenance, where I created several videos showcasing repairs and upgrades, many of which featured the Versato Riviera. Eventually, I gifted the bike to a friend who also fell in love with cycling. He rode it everywhere, just as I had, using it to explore new places and grow as a cyclist. After upgrading to a new bike, he returned the Versato Riviera to me, and now, I’ve passed it along once more—to a student in our Maintain Your Ride program.
Me with the Versato Riviera, and my sister with her Electra Cruiser 3, before a ride. Summer 2015.
On a random ride, Summer 2016.
Me and the Versato Riviera, Summer 2016.
The journey continues
It’s incredible to think about how much of a difference one bike can make. This single bike has had multiple owners, each of whom found a renewed love for cycling because of it. It has provided transportation, adventure, and a pathway to a healthier, more active lifestyle. Now, it will once again bring joy and opportunity to someone who needs it. It’s a reminder that even one bike donation can have a lasting impact, changing hands and changing lives over and over again.
It was bittersweet preparing the bike for donation. I removed the stickers I had collected from my rides and travels, replaced cables, put on new tires, and repacked the bearings. Saying goodbye to a bike that played such a pivotal role in my life wasn’t easy, but knowing it will continue to bring joy and freedom to someone else makes it all worthwhile.
The Versato Riviera, cleaned up and ready for its next owner.
It’s never just about the bike
Looking back over the past ten years, I realize just how much I’ve grown. I started as someone who simply loved riding bikes, and now I have expert knowledge of cycling safety, bike maintenance, and teaching kids how to ride. I’ve gone from being a casual rider to an advocate and educator, helping kids and families discover the same joy that cycling has brought to my life.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without this bike. And I know that the bikes we provide through Maintain Your Ride have the potential to change the lives of our students in the same way. If you have a bike collecting dust in your garage, consider donating it. You never know whose life it might transform.
