Cyclo-Striding

Chasing our kiddos around on the STRIDER Snow Ski is not the only thing keeping Strider Staff outdoors during this brutal South Dakota winter. Some members are taking their love of cycling to a whole new level- the cyclo-cross course! You might be wondering the same thing as I did “What is cyclo-cross anyway?”  Cyclo-cross races typically take place in the autumn and winter and consist of several laps on a relatively short course (1 or  2 miles) with mixed terrain like, pavement, wooded trails, grass, gravel, mud, steep hills and obstacles that require the rider to dismount their bike, and carry it over the obstacle as quickly as possible.

There are bicycles that are specifically designed for cyclo-cross racing that are lightweight, with narrow tires and drop handlebars, similar to a road bike but also share some characteristics with mountain bicycles with knobby tread tires for better traction. Although lightweight cyclo-cross bikes are beneficial when lofting it over various obstacles, it isn’t necessary. I rode my mountain bike for my first cyclo-cross race and it worked just fine… it also made me pine for a cyclo-cross bike by the end of the race when I saw how flawlessly others were whipping those bikes onto their shoulders and clearing the obstacles.

At Strider we are very familiar with the importance of a lightweight all terrain bike, not only for ourselves, but for our children, and your children too! Whether you are looking for a bike for your one year old who is just learning to walk, or for your four year old who is not progressing on his heavy bike with training wheels, lightweight bikes are key to success. At only 4.9 pounds the STRIDER PRO is the perfect bike for your little one, there are tricycles on the market right now that weigh upwards of 20 pounds! Toddlers simply cannot handle that kind of weight. As parents, bicycle enthusiasts, and hopefully an inspiration to families everywhere, we are creating riders. This means getting kids off the straight, seamlessly paved sidewalks, and out conquering obstacles while providing them with the tools to do so. 

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