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FATHERS DAY SPECIAL: Rad Dads!

I was asked to put a little piece together on a subject I can totally relate to, and have experienced first hand – “Being a BMX Dad” (A BMX dad is the coolest type of dad there is of course, without a doubt cooler than all of the other dads in the school playground.)

Sure, I can totally appreciate that a lot of you may not have, or even want kids and there’s a large number of people who won’t even relate to this article in the slightest, but with Father’s Day upon us it’d be rude not to give a shout-out to some of the RAD DADS out there. It’s a tough job being a dad and it’s even tougher trying to fit valuable ‘riding time’ into your very busy schedule.

Personally I struggle to get a good session in these days. Trying to balance a full-time job in sales, a part-time job with Ride and spending time with my two kids is quite a tricky task at times. Stress levels are always pretty high on a daily basis, but that is just family life I guess…

Occasionally I’ll have a chance to dust the cobwebs off and hop back on the trusty steed. It’s funny though, no matter how long it’s been since I’ve been out riding, or how rusty I feel. It always seems to completely refresh my love for BMX and makes me stoked for the future. The day when I can roll up to the local skatepark or street spot with my little boy will be the day I can die a happy man. He loves bikes already so it’s going well!

Enough about me though…

The whole point of this article was to give you guys props for doing a great job.
We asked a bunch of you ‘RAD DADS’ out there to send in videos or pictures with a bit of a background story, and the response was incredible! I really didn’t expect to have so many emails sitting in my inbox this morning, not to mention the posts in our RideUKBMX FB Group and numerous messages we’ve received over the past 24 hours. It’s sick that you guys are feeling this article, and we’re stoked to share your stories!

Adrian Cunningham

“I am a 48 year old father of one, got into BMX cause of him, now love riding with him every time I can, mainly weekends!”

Kris ‘Tank’ Telfer

“Got my son a balance bike for this birthday last month. He loves anything with wheels on, I took him to the outdoor skatepark the other weekend. He sat on his bike and watched me ride, he bounced on his bike every time I did a run”

Paul Senter

Paul got in touch via messenger to tell us about his love for BMX, and that his son is a keen photographer who ventures out with the camera from time to time. Here’s a couple of snaps his son took of a fellow #RADAD doing his thing! Always great to see a bit of flatland.

Stephen Thomas

“Here’s me and my daughter her first time anywhere near a BMX, she was only about 9 weeks old in this picture.”

Les Broadent

“I couldn’t help myself. I had to get my son riding as soon as he’d mastered walking, I bought him a Haro balance bike when he was around 18 months old and we spent every dry day in the garden working on his skills. 18 months quickly flew-by, he’s 3 years old now and outgrowing the balance bike. It was around this moment that I knew it was time for a proper bike!

“Logan spent around a month riding with stabilisers when one day the stabilisers accidentally broke. Another week went by with a few tumbles here and there, then BOOM he was off! It was such a proud dad moment. We regularly visit skateparks on his bike and scooter (I know right what am I thinking letting him have a scooter) and he’s well aware of the rules regarding skatepark etiquette.) – I’ve just bought him his first full size BMX and he loves it! A shorter stem and some 160mm cranks are in order though, just to make him feel comfortable then I’ll be shredding the skatepark/trails/streets with my little sidekick busting tricks and pulling chicks!”

Ross Futter

“My 2 year old daughter Lilly’s first time on a bike. Hoping she gets into BMX just like her dad!”

James Holmes

No pic of the kid on the bike, but a sweet turndown with a quality caption made it into the feature!

“I’m a father of a cheeky little 7 year old, I’ve been riding from his age and have met some of the best people. I can only hope he has the same opportunity.”

The Hobsons

A Family Affair – This is too sick! We had an email from Jay Hobson who rides BMX regularly with his two sons.

“Hi Neil, Jay here. I’m just replying to the post you put on Ride UK. I’ve been riding since the late 70’s and still ride with my sons, James and Michael. I’m now 45 and they are 20 and 22.”

Ragner Trepp

“I’m Ragner Trepp, 28 age, from Estonia, living in Finland. I have an 8 year old son called Sebastian.

I’m full working full time as electrician and operating my own brand/crew thing at same time. I just hosted a BMX jam in Helsinki and there is another coming up soon in Tallinn as well. I’m still able to ride and I bring my son to the skatepark as often as he want also.”

One clip from our Christmas edit which we made with Sebastian: