My first encounter with Bikin' Dads Adventures was while being a vendor at Open Streets 704 in Charlotte, NC. My employer, Spirited Cyclist, had a small kids bike course, our first, while Mark Gordon had a highly impressive bike course set up for kids, "obviously wasn't his first rodeo." The Opens Streets committee set us up beside each other to encourage youth to ride through our bike courses. Mark had ramps, hoops, cones, etc., you could tell he genuinely loves to encourage youth ridership and safety. If you follow Bikin Dads Adventures social media you will see they rarely ever turn an invitation down. You'll see them volunteering in many surrounding counties, writing letters of support for grants that are geared to increasing youth ridership, providing fun bike courses in local parks to support bike trail advocacy, etc., Always generating interest both for those in the local area, and expanding into other regions as well. This "all inclusive," nonprofit is vital to engaging community and brings, as they say, "smile for miles,"
My wife and I didn’t choose to be bikers. Our son Atticus did. He was shredding single track on a Strider bike before the age of two, so my wife and I were sort of thrust into the sport by necessity. By three Atticus was peddling without the assistance of training wheels; and by four he was already catching air. The first time our family came across the Bikin’ Dads was at the Cedar Valley Huck Fest. My son was immediately drawn in to their obstacle course. Their progressive obstacle provided Atticus with hours of entertainment as he cycled through all of them again and again. The Bikin’ Dads themselves were nurturing and offered parents and kids the encouragement they needed to surmount their personal hurdles. It was a joy to see our own son’s stoke on the Bikin’ Dad’s man-made obstacles and we look forward to seeing them again at the next local event.
While visiting the National Whitewater Center with my son we saw a fun kids bike course set up with other children older and younger having a great time. My son having some experience with his glider bike, still a bit shy to it, was excited to go see what was going on. Within seconds he had his helmet on waiting his turn to try out his first bike course. Mark introduced himself and he and my son were off!! He started him off on the easy course. Mark gave him great encouragement and guidance every step of the way through the course. My son was on the advance course in no time full of smiles and excitement! I am thankful for Bikin Dads and all they are doing to help excite and teach our children how to ride. Most of all they love what they are doing and it shows!
We met the bikin' Dads this past weekend. We can't say enough good things about them! Their positive attitude, love for biking an awesome rat little rodeo skills course! My kids loved the setup and wrote it endlessly for hours. It's so cool to see parents getting involved sharing their passions for the outdoors with their kids and that's what the Bikin' Dads seems to be all about!
What can my family say about this crew, nothing but thankfullness. Their paitence, their open communication, their bright, colorful & fun obstacles have only encouraged my daughters to ride bikes more & even want Mom & I to ride with them. Our family would give them 10 stars if we could. I sure hope they stick around & gain the support their founder expressed to me while the kids played on their bicycle course. Be sure to give them a follow, their easy to find on social media and their YouTube videos are quite cute.
All you need to know about Mark and Bikin' Dads can be gathered by watching the kids that participate in his Rad Little Rodeo's. Smiles, laughter and high fives rule the day.
Mark brings an amazing sense of fun and energy to the events. He is continually working on new and exciting activities for the kids to help them build confidence and skill, all while having fun riding a bicycle. Supporting Bikin' Dads is a very good decision for anyone that wants to see kids given new and fun opportunities to build self esteem.
From a parents perspective, these guys have a true passion & PATIENCE in what their doing. Watching them take the needed moments to educate, encourage & "ignite the inner bravery" of the many youth that attempt their next obstacle on the bicycle courses they bring cross the region. Not knowing of the whole concept initially, these guys & gals after speaking with the founder, Mark Gordon are all volunteers. With Mark funding 95% of the program since inception in 2014. His creative & obviously colorful bike courses keep the kids & adults most definitely entertained and enthused in learning those imperative skills for proper bicycle handling. Now, if they only had this when I was young, though I grew up with cinder blocks & plywood ramps in my day!
On a side note, I just hope these guys & gals find more support in both financial & physical help. Most events I've witnessed, the founder is out grinding in the heat & cold alone, with only one or two volunteers. While we know it's hard these days for all non-profits, these guys definitely have a niche in their programming. If only I had the funds, they would indeed be on my top list of tax deductible donations.
Bikin Dads have provided adventures for my family to bond, enjoy the great outdoors, and meet families doing the same. Mark has created family adventures for kids of all ages. In addition, Bikin Dads has been a blast for my kids and I to volunteer with. I look forward to biking, hiking, and more great activities with Bikin Dads families.
Bikin' Dads Adventures is a wonderful addition to the annual Charlotte Kids Festival. This group not only provides a fun experience for the children but also teaches safety. Bikin' Dads also goes the extra mile and assist with promoting the festival.
Watching these guys from the sidelines. Helping out a fellow non-profit operate a most "endeavorable" bike ride fundraiser for the regions Loaves & Fishes. Over the three years they've partnered with the Tour De Turns crew, registration (s) have almost tripled as well netting over $50k each year with all proceeds going to the Loaves & Fishes of Charlotte. In a time, where its tough for all non-profits, thats a most admirable feat.
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BikinDad 10/25/2019 Thank you Cathy and we look forward to working with you all on Nov. 3rd to help re-vitalize the North Mecklenburg Park MTB Trails & Pump Track. Until then......