Tonight I guided a Cub Scout Tiger Cub den through Cycleworks and did may best to infect them with the bug. You know the one, because if you read this blog, you've been infected for sometime yourself. Evangelist? Yes. Zealot? Maybe.
I started with the obligatory helmet speech and "It fits like so" explanation, but did it with a pink and black helmet. "Ewww!! Yuck!! It's pink!!??!!" I knew there was work to do with these little cats. We hit the various types of bikes then marched our way into the shop area with Jerrod's fixie in the stand. (Thanks again for the help, Jerrod.) I had the kids calling out bike parts and moved into explaining what a fixed gear was and why people ride them. Occassionally having to dumb things down for the parents as much as the kids. I'd let the air out of J-Rod's front tire and asked the kids to figure out what was wrong with the bike. Scream and scream. "It's flat!! It's flat." So I lead them through a tube change and let them pump up the tire. Who knew this would be the highlight. "I wanna pump!! Can I pump!!??!!" I also spewed a little bike history regarding fixed gears and the Tour.
As we finished up, I passed out spoke cards which Mrs. Snob designed with Pack and Den numbers prominent for the kids to rock at the upcoming bike rodeo. They didn't surpass pumping up the flat, but they went over pretty well.
All in all, a success. Most of the kids seemed stoked. The parents were also asking questions (even the jackass know-it-all who clearly didn't) and a few purchases went through the register as well.
Now if one or two of the kids gets into riding, I'll chalk it up as a victory.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
pumping up tubes is the #1 form of entertainment for my grandkids! go figure
very cool, skip. keep up the good work! heck, if you get one on board it'd be a success
Good on you for stoking the next generation's fire!
Spoke cards for kids, maybe you are on to something big.
But Mr Snob...why do people ride fixed gear bikes?
I ride one myself, but often times don't know why. Perhaps it's because the cool kids do and I want to be cool.
inebriationist,
that came out in response to a question and, like everything else in life, I said there was more than one reason...
- history of the sport
- simplicity
- develop power
- they're just cool
- Major Taylor was my uncle
- etc, etc.
good job on the tootalige man..
maybe your a zealot, because of course kudos on the tutoring, maybe your a zealot, you have not one but two pink and black bikes, oh yea you have zealot working for ya.
AWEsome!
way to go man!
Post a Comment