Most kids love bikes. Some love the freedom, being able to stop and look at flowers and butterflies, go visit friends, do tricks…. Others want to turn every ride into a race. They want to race their sister to the end of the driveway. They want to race the neighbor down the sidewalk. They want to race mom and dad.
This program is for the latter group.
The goal of the program is to have fun learning to go fast safely. We will introduce kids to the skills necessary to compete in cyclocross and short course mountain bike racing. We will educate parents on the ins and outs of finding and entering races.
Why bike racing?
- It’s fun.
- It is a lifelong activity. USA Cycling has age groups for ages 6 all the way up to 80+
- Everybody can participate. Unlike a lot of kids sports, there are no “travel teams” or “coaches selections.” If you want to enter a race, enter the race. It doesn’t matter if you have 2 teammates or 20 who are already going. Everybody gets to compete.
- Practice is portable. In a world where parents have become chauffeurs, kids can practice daily in the yard, on the driveway, or anywhere else it’s safe to ride.
So what is cyclocross, and why is it good for kids?
- Cyclocross is the fastest growing discipline in cycling. It has exploded across the US in the last 10 years.
- It involves racing on mostly dirt or grass, but with some sections of pavement, gravel, or sand.
- There are often sections which require getting off and running sections of the course with your bike.
It is great for kids (and their parents) because
- It’s on grass and dirt, so speeds are slow, and falling on grass is more fun than falling on pavement
- The courses are short, so kids are never far away
- There are no cars
This program is a way to get kids started in bike racing while having fun with other kids. There are quite a few cyclocross and short course mountain bike races in central Ohio starting in August and running into December. Participating in this program will get kids ready to participate in those events.
kobicocycling 