The 2016 Strider Cup World Championship presented by FedEx will be rolling into San Francisco’s Pier 35 July 29th – 30th! Strider riders all over the Golden State are getting excited for the big day. Here are just a few stories from registered Strider racers:

Mason and Brooklyn – Newark, CA

Brother and sister duo Mason and Brooklyn of Newark, CA, are ready to race! Brooklyn, who just turned five years old, got her Strider Balance Bike when she was three. She shocked her parents six months later by immediately transitioning to a pedal bike.

“One day, she pointed to a pedal bike and told us she wanted to ride it – without the training wheels,” recounts her father David. “We were hesitant, because she had never ridden a pedal bike before, but we took off the training wheels. We just had to hold the seat for her first try. Then, the second time, she was off and pedaling. It was mind blowing. I didn’t think it would go as well as it did.”

Mason is two and started riding six months ago. David said that first he didn’t grasp the concept of sitting down. He started striding on it after about a month of watching Brooklyn ride. Mason rides his Strider Bike every chance he gets and loves to make motorcycle noises. David, who rides a dirt bike, has a kid’s Pee Wee 50 in the garage waiting for them and added, “I bet once they start riding the Pee Wee bike, the skills they learned on Striders will transfer over to riding a motorcycle.”

“Riding a Strider Bike gives kids independence and the ability to gain confidence on a bike without the having pressure of having to pedal or push back for braking. They have more control, as they can touch the ground and go at their own speed. As a parent, I don’t have to worry about them. On a bike with training wheels, if it tips, they are going down with the bike and it’s going to hurt more.”

Both of them compete at the Strider Races at the Santa Clara PAL BMX track. David said riding has helped them quickly learn the fundamentals of how to ride a bicycle and while boosting their confidence and independence. He added, “A tricycle may seem like a bike that would help them learn, but it isn’t. The Strider Balance Bike has a shorter learning curve than a tricycle, because riding a Strider makes it much easier to want to hop on two wheel bike and go, versus being timid and scared to ride on two wheels, when they’ve been used to riding on three.”

 

Harrison – San Bruno, CA

Greg first saw Strider Bikes at a bicycle shop and decided to buy one for his son, Harrison, because of its quality and features. The little guy was just 18 months old when he threw a leg over it and started striding.

“I love that Harrison is learning to balance on the Strider!” Said Greg. “Learning to ride a bicycle is about balance, not pedaling.  A tricycle or training wheels teach you to pedal, not how to balance.”

Harrison is two now and loves zooming around his backyard in San Bruno and says his Strider is, “Awesome!” He’s made his mark at the Santa Clara PAL BMX track, where he usually takes home the first place trophy in the Strider Balance Bike races.