10 years of bike joy with EHS Bike Club

Kevin Beltran Gonzalez (Sr. Class President ’25) rode with Bike Club for six semesters, building his skills by asking questions that other students weren’t. Quiet and curious, Kevin insisted on knowing the strategy behind safe riding and not just following the leader’s instructions.

While chatting with instructors on rides Kevin learned about adventure riding and gravel racing in the Midwest. With support and a bike borrowed from Major Taylor Cycling Club KC President and BikeWalkKC instructor Mitchell Williams, Kevin was invited to participate in the world’s premier gravel race, Unbound Gravel in Emporia, KS. Soon after graduation, Kevin and Andrew Killen journeyed to the Flint Hills to take on a rough 50-mile racecourse. With three years of a mentor/mentee partnership, it’s not a surprise that student and teacher share a focused determination both on and off the bike that guided them across the finish line!

Grownups share the joy

KC East Bike Club impacts many folks beyond students. Mitchell Williams, who has been a part of Bike Club since 2017, shared that he was taught that bikes were toys, and were to be discarded when you started driving. He rediscovered cycling in 2001 finding rides therapeutic and joy-filled, cherishing the feeling of the wind in your face as you zoom downhill. He is thrilled to pass this on to another generation of cyclists.

Shelly Harbert, another BikeWalkKC instructor, has been riding with the club since 2020. Shelly cherishes the weekly rides and sees the impact on communities in the area. When neighbors see 25 people riding down their block, they learn it’s normal to see people out riding and walking. She added “I think it’s a way that you take your community back.”

Dr. Amanda Dennison, Government teacher at EHS, felt excluded and intimidated by bike culture. After observing Bike Club, she left coaching traditional sports to help guide the club and has a newfound love for cycling and says, “OMG I love bikes! It’s a passion now!” Dennison recognizes the challenges and impact on students who are from all around the globe, working with them to overcome language barriers and seeking student helpers to translate bicycle vocabulary. Often there are students whose families have immigrated from countries where women cyclists are uncommon. Dennison is proud to share her enthusiasm for bikes with these riders while adhering to their cultural needs. ‘Dr. D’, as the students call her, sees bikes as an equalizer in Bike Club, encouraging group problem-solving and giving kids access to adult partnerships without predisposed ideas about teachers and adults.

“Bike Club empowers students in a way they didn’t even know was possible. Independence is what so many of our kids seek,” says Dr. Dennison.

Celebrating 10 years of bike joy in 2026

KC East Bike Club is gaining momentum as it nears its 10th year. Many of the 12 rides this semester include stops at Kansas City landmarks, with staff providing commentary as the group visits locations like the Nelson-Atkins museum, 18th and Vine district, and the City Market. Students ride to the KCATA depot where they learn how to put their bike safely on the front rack of a transit bus in a controlled environment. They visit BikeWalkKC and the 816 Bicycle Collective to see where their bikes came from and learn about community transportation resources.

Killen, known in the community as a Pied Piper of bikes, recently earned Teacher of the Year for the entire KCPS district. He is currently collaborating with an area middle school to launch their bike club in the Spring. Kevin Bertan Gonzalez has taken his enthusiasm for bikes to an area college, where he plans to start a bike club with continued community support.

Williams summed up the club’s impact by sharing that at the Unbound gravel race, Kevin passed him on the first hill and didn’t look back. A fitting symbolic moment of passing the bike joy to the next generation!

AC enjoys many types of biking and loves sharing his enthusiasm with students and through volunteer efforts with All Bodies On Bikes. He believes in eliminating obstacles and stigma that prevent folks from joyful movement on bikes. You will find AC at Kansas City area group rides, riding local trails and exploring the Pacific Northwest by bike. 

You can support the ongoing efforts of Andrew Killen, Kevin Bertan Gonzalez and future bike clubs by donating to BikeWalkKC or 816 Bike Collective. You can also donate your pre-loved bike to BikeWalkKC!

Mitchell Williams, AC Cohen, and Shelly Harbert are BikeWalkKC instructors certified through the League of American Bicyclists.