MCBC Education & Encouragement Cory’s Ride Report From The Road
As the Outreach Coordinator for MCBC, I’m responsible for connecting with our Marin biking community and getting more people riding. A big part of that comes from creating bicycling opportunities, helping to lower barriers to entry for new/emerging riders, and making folks feel comfortable on our roads and trails. Of all the programs I’ve managed since joining the MCBC team, Cory’s Ride has by far been the most impactful and aligned with this mission.
On the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, when our Cory’s Ride high school students had the day off from classes, I led them on a group ride from San Rafael to Greenbrae and back. All of our Cory’s Ride students received bicycles from MCBC last year, after participating in weekly safety education classes and committing to a year of participation in the Cory’s Ride program. For those that started working with us in the spring, they had several group rides under their belt. But for our fall cohort, this was their first official group ride.
The trickiest part of the route was leaving the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael, and our students navigated the busy stretch on Bellam Blvd expertly. They got off their bikes and walked them across the crosswalk when that was the safest option (going under Highway 101), and they signaled and took the lane effectively when needed on other sections.
Once we were on the Cal Park Hill path and subsequently along the Corte Madera Creek path, the students really showed the strength and stamina that they had been building through their participation in Cory’s Ride. Cooper Miley, a fellow MCBC and Safe Routes to Schools staff member, joined us for the ride and had this to say: “I was so excited to see how quickly the students got comfortable on the bikes. Before long they were riding side by side, conversing, laughing, and experiencing the fun and freedom that a bicycle provides; perhaps better than any other mode of transportation.” Kids that were wobbly on the bike and lacking confidence just months ago were now cruising. Truly, the only thing sweeter was the Johnny Doughnuts stop we made halfway through the ride.
Our next group ride will be during the February break from school, and we’re planning to bike with our students to Tiburon and take the ferry out to explore Angel Island. This was the students’ idea, so we’re pretty excited to see where they want to ride to after that. Before long, they’ll be riding alongside the 40 additional students that will be joining Cory’s Ride in 2022.
If you have any questions about our Education and Encouragement programs, including Cory’s Ride, please reach out to me at matt@www.marinbike.org.
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