Tykes on bikes

Sierra Crest Real Estate gives away bikes to kids in the June Lake community.

Sierra Crest Real Estate and June Lake Accommodations, both owned and operated by Lynn and Don Morton, are giving away Strider bikes to children in June Lake. These no-pedal balance bikes are designed for toddlers as young as 18 months old, teaching them to balance, lean into turns, and steer, building their confidence on two wheels.

“There’s a general misconception about what’s making up this community, I think this is going to open people’s eyes,” Don Morton said.  “There’s a population boom I don’t think people realize how many rugrats we have running around over here.”

The goal is to give children a Strider bike on their 2nd Birthday, but at first the Mortons will accept applications for children up to four years old in order to catch up— although this policy doesn’t seem like it will be strictly enforced. “If there’s a five year old who comes in and asks me for a bike, what am I going to do, say no?” Morton said. “No, I’m going to buy them a bike.”

The Strider bikes come with a Footloose Sports gift certificate designated for the purchase of a helmet. “We want these kids to be safe,” Andrea Colasardo, owner of Footloose said. “This is a good introduction to bicycle safety. It’s a great thing and we are happy to be a part of it.” The bikes also come with detachable plastic ski blades so kids can ride them in the winter as well.

Morton grew up the oldest of eight children in the Ozarks (the mountainous plateau of Arkansas) and he often had to learn to live without. “There’s a lot of people here who work two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Well, their two year old should be on a Strider bike,” he said. “I have really strong feelings that no young kid in this community should be without a bike if other kids their age have a bike.”

Morton first had the idea two years ago when he saw a two-year old on a Strider Bike riding the Rock Creek single-track mountain bike trail. “You’ve got to be pretty jaded to not fall in love with a two year old on a Strider Bike,” he said. Then he bought his 4-month-old grandson, Kaden, a Strider Bike for Christmas.

The first shipment of 15 bikes from the South Dakota-based company arrived Monday May 19. Morton said he will put in a second order as soon as he gives those away. “Strider is all in on this,” he said. “When I told them my story they were just as excited as heck.”

Morton called his plan an “ingenious little way of marketing that is so self-satisfying,” but said the bigger picture is about building community in June Lake. He plans on hosting the first ever Strider Games at the beer festival in October and then again at the expanded two-day June Lake Triathlon in July 2015. “Every event in June Lake should have a Strider Games,” he said. “Little two and three year olds running around out there on a track— how much fun can that be?”

“We’re in an outdoor activity community and why not start them young?” Morton said.  “In 15 years we’ll have world class athletes if their first bike is a Strider bike.”

The basic application can be filled out at the Sierra Crest Real Estate Office and requires an agreement from parents that they won’t try and resell the bike or hold the Mortons liable for injury. More information is available on the Facebook page ‘ June Lake Strider.’ Morton gave away the first two bikes to Nico March (19 months) and Natalie Kramer (17 months) on Wednesday May 21.