Meet Shams Rashad, Strider Distributor in Egypt

Meet Shams Rashad, our Strider Distributor in Egypt!

1. Why did you become a Strider distributor?
èMy husband and I are mountain bikers, and we were looking for a good, quality balance bike for our daughter almost 1.5 years ago. She was two at the time. I got one locally that was very big and unattractive. So I decided to search online. I found great reviews on STRIDER Bikes so I decided to contact you guys and asked if you were interested in selling them in Egypt because the concept is really new here and rarely do you find balance bikes in the market let alone the quality! And this is how it started. I got the first shipment last summer.

2. Tell us about yourself and your family.
èMy name is Shams Rashad, 34 years old, mother of Malak who is almost 4. She rides a regular bike now after riding her STRIDER Bike for 6 months. To see Malak’s progress, view this video: From STRIDER Bike to Pedal Bike at 3.5 years

I am an Engineer, but I quit working a few years ago and now I am mainly mountain biking, biking with kids, and selling Strider bikes! I just won two XC MTB races here in Egypt. I also particpated in a local triathlon last December and won 4th place in the Sprint distance. I attached two photos of my husband (Hassan Choucri) and myself mountain biking in Egypt.

We started a bike club for kids a year ago called KOBI (kids on bikes initiative) https://www.facebook.com/groups/657401577632003/. We started this club to promote the sport in Egypt for kids; we try to introduce them to different types of biking: road biking, mountain biking, and BMXing. We are also working on building a small outdoor bike park to have a permanent location for our club. We have junior KOBI classes for kid’s on STRIDER Bikes as well. Attached are photos from both groups and you can find loads of pictures on the Facebook group linked above. 

 3. What sets STRIDER apart from other balance bikes?
èSTRIDER Bikes are very attractive for kids because of the colors, the adjustability, and light weight.

 4. What is your most memorable Strider moment?
èWhen my daughter first got her pink STRIDER and she finally got used to riding it fast. She was over the moon.

 5. What are you most excited about the future of Strider in your territory?|
èThe concept of balance bikes is pretty new in my country. So it makes me so happy when people come and tell me that their kids are able to ride pedal bikes because of their STRIDER bikes. I have seen it first hand with my daughter and others have too! It’s amazing how kids skip the training wheels phase. International schools and nurseries started buying from me so I am excited for the day when there are enough schools and nurseries that have the bikes so we can have our first national Strider race!

 6. What are you doing to keep life exciting for STRIDER riders in 2015?
èAs I mentioned, I am building a bike park and it should be ready to operate this year and there will be a dedicated place for our KOBI juniors and STRIDER Bikes. I believe this will be a great place for kids to try out the bikes, rent, or buy them.

 7. Please provide a photo of yourself and/or your Strider team.
èYou can find many more photos on instagram and also on Facebook: https://instagram.com/kobiegypt/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/657401577632003/. If you would like to contact Shams by email, shamsrashad@gmail.com.