Children line up to test their skills during the first “bike rodeo” sponsored by Garden Grove Police Department’s traffic and crime prevention divisions. The event aimed to teach young bicyclists the rudimentary rules of safety on
Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Garden Grove Police officer Jesus Gomez helps 3-year-old Evelyn Vu keep her balance during the department’s bike safety class for small children in Garden Grove on
Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Garden Grove traffic officers teach young cyclists, like Kaleb Araya, 5, the rules of riding during a “bike rodeo” on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Garden Grove Police traffic officer, Thomas Nadolski, shows 5-year-old Kaleb Araya how to use his brake pedals during a safety class for young bicyclists in Garden Grove on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Garden Grove Police officer Jesus Gomez keeps pace with 4-year-old Louis Nguyen during the department’s bike safety class in Garden Grove on Monday, March 16, 2026. “He needs to learn the rules of the road,” said his dad, phillip Nguyen. “He loves police officers so maybe he will listen to them” more than to me, Nguyen jokes. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Henry Vu removes his 3-year-old daughter Evelyn’s helmet after she finishes a class on bicycle safety. The event was sponsored by the Garden Grove Police department on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Children receive encouragement from Garden Grove police officers during the bike safety class on Monday, March 16, 2026. Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Three-year-old Evelyn Vu makes her way through a maze of traffic cones during a bicycle safety class offered by the Garden Grove Police department on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Children line up to test their skills during the first “bike rodeo” sponsored by Garden Grove Police Department’s traffic and crime prevention divisions. The event aimed to teach young bicyclists the rudimentary rules of safety on
Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Five-year-old Kaleb Araya navigated his sporty green bike with training wheels through bright orange cones, past a small wooden school bus and up to a stop sign where he was urged to “look left, look right and look left again,” before proceeding.
The Garden Grove Police Department’s traffic and crime prevention units teamed up Monday to offer the department’s first bike rodeo for the public, in hopes of teaching diminutive cyclists the rules of bicycling safely.
“Our main goal is to make sure helmets are properly fitted and (children) know how to get them on and off correctly,” said Officer Tanner DePadua, who rides a department motorcycle.
The officers also wanted to help the children build muscle memory when it comes to knowing what to do at traffic signs, he said.
Phillip Nguyen was recording his 4-year-old son, Louis, interacting with the officers. Louis had just hopped on his sky-blue bike that morning and began to ride without training wheels, Nguyen said.
“He loves police officers, so maybe he will listen to them” more than his father, Nguyen joked.
Nguyen echoed a common concern parents expressed: He was hoping the three-hour class would build confidence and hammer home the rules of riding safely.
DePadua said he hopes the department sponsors another safety event soon, but for teens with e-bikes. In the meantime, he suggests concerned parents go to the city’s website to read about the new laws and classifications.