Summer Bike Racing Gears Up At Encino Velodrome ‎

Up-and-coming cyclists have ground their gears around the Encino Velodrome since the late fifties, and Thursday night’s youth program practice may have been the launch of yet another biking star as cyclists as young as 10-years-old sprinted their hearts out around the track.

The local velodrome, located at 17301 Oxnard St., hosts championship races – and local amateurs who come simply to develop fitness and skills – but is a bit of a secret for most cyclists.

Every Thursday evening, you will find young riders between the ages of 10 and 18 training with the Encino Velodrome Youth Program. The program is designed to teach kids the rules of the track and reinforce bike-handling skills through drills and simulations. The young riders also undergo supervised training intervals and practice races to learn basic safety, such as how to ride in a pace line and pass safely.

“This program provides a little bit of everything,” said Kenneth Avchen, president of Encino Velodrome. “We do some fun stuff and do some serious stuff.”

It’s the same program that trained up-and-coming cyclist Kit Karzen.

Avchen explained that Karzen participated in the program as a junior rider when he suffered from ADHD. Karzen has publicly announced that he went through drug treatments and many other sports to try to channel his energy. However, nothing helped with his attention deficit disorder until he started cycling at the Encino Velodrome.

“He just clicked with it and it really made him focus,” said Avchen. “He was able to focus on cycling instead of other things, and it helped his grades and everything. He went on to become a very successful racer.”

Karzen founded the Kit Karzen Foundation this year, which aims to enrich the lives of kids and teens with ADHD through cycling.

“The first thing he did was donated bikes to the velodrome,” Avchen said.

“I want to give other kids the same opportunity I was given,” Karzen said on the foundation’s website. “Cycling worked for me and I think it is a great outlet for kids to focus their energy on. The goal is simple: We are opening doors for kids and their parents who are looking for alternatives to ADHD medication. Activity worked for me and I think it can work for a lot of kids out there.”

The Encino Velodrome Youth Program is free for the young riders. The velodrome also provides bikes, helmets and gear.

Cyclists may come out and ride the track during regularly scheduled structured or open training sessions. The velodrome offers four training programs for beginners and three programs for those with sufficient track riding experience. Costs and times are listed here.

To learn more about the Encino Velodrome or how you can get involved, go to encinovelodrome.org. You can email Kenneth Avchen directly at trckrcr@aol.com.