News: Pedal-Free Singletrack Riding for Toddlers

Mountain bikes aren’t just for adults anymore. True, most of the riders we see on the trail are grownups. But the general consensus in the cycling industry is that getting more kids on more bikes earlier is the path to success. Pedaling, though, is an issue for the smaller children, which is why parents often …

Mountain bikes aren’t just for adults anymore. True, most of the riders we see on the trail are grownups. But the general consensus in the cycling industry is that getting more kids on more bikes earlier is the path to success.

Pedaling, though, is an issue for the smaller children, which is why parents often elect to put them on what’s called a Strider instead. Right below this sentence, unless I have again failed at internetting, you should see a photo of a kid on a Strider.

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Oh man, look at that little rascal, probably having the time of his little life. Just makes you think, he’s got a whole life ahead of him to enjoy things like mountain bike riding and doing homework and paying taxes and… well, let’s focus on the riding. Everyone likes riding.

Call me crazy, but if you took a bike like that and paired it up with a simple trail that a kid that age could handle, you could — no kidding — give a kid a gift to last a lifetime. Thankfully, Strider’s founder, Ryan McFarland, has done just that in Rapid City, South Dekota (PDF of their proposal here).

South Dekota’s not a place I think about much, but then, I’m sure South Dakotans think about me never. Ultimately, this could happen any place where there’s someone passionate enough about getting smaller kids on bikes.

Check out more info about the Strider singletrack on IMBA’s blog here. Kids on bikes!