Holland bike shop grows into nonprofit promoting safe youth cycling

When Jenny White began helping run Velo City Cycles in downtown Holland, her focus was on selling and servicing bicycles.

Over time, however, she began noticing a different challenge: Many children did not have safe places to ride or opportunities to learn basic bike skills.

That realization sparked what would become Velo Kids, a nonprofit organization that grew out of the family-owned bike shop and now partners with the city of Holland on youth bike programming, outdoor recreation initiatives, and the development of a new bike park near Unity Bridge.

“Most of our programming really exploded after the pandemic,” White says.

Velo Kids began as an offshoot of Velo City Cycles, located on River Avenue near the Herrick District Library. White says her husband, Brad White, continues to run the bicycle shop while she focuses on leading the nonprofit organization, which now operates independently and is focused on getting more children on bikes.

White says the organization originally started with camps and community rides before rapidly expanding after families sought more outdoor activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We showed up, and we had trains of bikes everywhere,” White says, recalling one of the organization’s first large community rides after pandemic restrictions eased. “It was just really cool to see the demand.”

Working with the city

That momentum eventually led to a partnership with the city of Holland.

Velo Kids works with Holland Parks and Recreation on urban bike camps, learn-to-ride classes, and programming at Window on the Waterfront, and starting this year, the Holland Ice Park. The nonprofit also helped advocate for the development of a bike park north of Unity Bridge along the Macatawa Greenway.

Garrett Thelen, the city’s assistant director of park and recreation, says leaders quickly recognized the impact Velo Kids was having on local families.

“Jenny sold me on her enthusiasm,” Thelen says. “It took a very short amount of time for us to buy into the work that Velo was doing and the positive feedback that we heard related to bike programming.”

White says the organization submitted an early proposal to city officials envisioning “a safe, fun spot for kids to ride bikes at the city’s center.”

The city has since approved the first phase of a bike park that will include a pump track designed for riders of varying ages and skill levels. The track will have an asphalt-like, small-scale trail system where riders use up-and-down body motions – “pumping” – to propel their bike without pedaling. It can be used by riders of all ages and all abilities, White says.

Construction on the first part of the new Holland Bike Park is expected to start this summer. The City of Holland, Velo Kids and community partners will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, June 5, at 97 N. River Ave., north of the Unity Bridge.

Before the ceremony, Velo Kids will host a casual half-mile bike ride starting at 1:30 p.m. from The Wheelhouse at Holland Ice Park in downtown Holland. Riders will bike together to the groundbreaking site to celebrate the project.

The park will connect to the Macatawa Greenway and Holland’s trail system, linking neighborhoods, downtown, waterfront areas and nearby parks. The park is meant to give riders of all ages and skill levels a safe place to practice and gain confidence.

The city of Holland first partnered with Velo Kids several years ago to offer bike programs at Window on the Waterfront park.

That partnership is growing this summer at Holland Ice Park. Velo Kids will use the park’s maintenance building, called The Wheelhouse for the summer, while the ribbon area, used for ice skating in the winter, will be repurposed for balance bike classes for children ages 2 to 4.

“It’s so perfect for a balance bike course,” White says.

The organization plans to host weekly programming and open community sessions where families can borrow bicycles from the nonprofit’s bike library free of charge.

Branching out

White says Velo Kids has already expanded beyond Holland and operates programming in Grand Haven, Saugatuck, and Grand Rapids.

“Our mission is to get all kids on bikes,” White says.

White says the organization works to reach children who may not otherwise have access to bikes or outdoor recreation.

“The bike is the tool,” White says. “Our goal is to get kids outside, get them off their phones, get them off their couches.”

Its latest effort is a bike school program at West Godwin Elementary near Grand Rapids, where coaches bring balance bikes and riding curriculum directly to students.

“Velo Kids Bike School was truly the highlight of the month for our kindergarten students,” said Karen Baum, principal of West Godwin Elementary School. “Throughout the program, they discovered they are capable of doing hard things, that falling down is simply part of learning, and that confidence grows every time they get back up and try again. Most importantly, they experienced the joy, freedom, and excitement that come with riding a bike. We are incredibly grateful to Velo Kids for creating such a meaningful experience and for giving our students memories, confidence, and smiles that will last far beyond the classroom.”

Kemri Hilton, recreation manager for the city of Holland, says the city first partnered with Velo Kids several years ago to introduce bike programming at Window on the Waterfront before expanding.

“We trialed it once, and we saw so much community interest and support,” Hilton says. “We’ve found specifically in Holland – if we offer a program with a biking focus, people are invested.”

City leaders say the bike paths and riding programs could lead other communities to create safer places for kids and families to ride bikes and spend time outdoors. 

“We’ve learned that having a designated, safe space for programming, especially for young riders to learn in a controlled environment, has been so important,” Hilton says.

Photos courtesy of Velo Kids