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STRIDER BIKES ARE A CATAPULT FOR BATTLING HURDLES AND WINNING RACES

Becoming Determined

By Charlie Brumbaugh, Quality Control & Fabrication at Strider World Headquarters

If you had told me that my kids would be in the top two in their class at the State BMX Championships and that it would stem from the beginning confidence and balance derived from riding a Strider Bike, I would have giggled. From this simple little bike with no pedals? C’mon!

My wife and I watched our boys get back up…again, and again. They bravely tried bigger and better things on two wheels. We watched, cringed, and dressed wounds beginning with our oldest son’s first face plant into the gravel in our cul-de-sac after bombing down from our yard above. We looked at each other knowingly. We invested in full-faced helmets right away to prevent massive dental bills.

Strider Cup races were loved, but only after they got over all of the other hurdles. Just showing up on any given day could be the hurdle. Going up to the start gate could be the hurdle. Going down the ramp from the gate start with the other racers could be the hurdle.

All of these hurdles were battled. Sometimes they lost, and nervousness and uncertainty won the day. Eventually, they became more DETERMINED and took off like a rocket,  placing in the top three for a trophy. Pedal bikes quickly followed for the fun of going faster, farther, and breaking earth’s gravity if only for a little distance.

Since that time, we have cruised across neighboring states racing BMX first as novices, then as intermediates, and finally as experts. I don’t think any of us could have guessed how fun it could be to race at all of the different tracks and visit all of the various cities. After watching my sons at a national race a couple of years back, a realization came to me. What other sport do kids as young as three-years-old compete on the same day, on the same track as the paid professionals and Olympic medalists? How cool is that?!

But why stop there? We live in a mountain bike mecca! We, of course, needed more bikes. We got more mountain bikes to add to our collection of two wheels that already filled the garage. Mountain biking provided more opportunities to race but also provided adventures in the beautiful outdoors where we live and in other states where mountain biking and mecca are synonymous. Since my wife and I were already mountain bikers, we could now ride as a family, although she and I are much less likely to huck it off of something big like the boys are. Gravity is less kind to us.

Not all, but most of this lifestyle could be blamed on falling in love with riding on two wheels, and my boys becoming ever more DETERMINED to grow, overcome hurdles, and test their limits.  I’m quite certain of that.

Not all, but most of this lifestyle could be blamed on falling in love with riding on two wheels, and my boys becoming ever more DETERMINED to grow, overcome hurdles, and test their limits.  I’m quite certain of that.