20 million kids on bikes – that’s Our Mission! Through a collective effort with others, we are working to return youth cycling participation to the levels found in the year 2000. In the year 2000, there were nearly 20 million kids riding bikes each year in the US. Sadly, today there is half that number yet the population has grown over 12%. Together, let’s work to rebuild youth cycling and get 20M kids riding again in the US!
How We Do It:
Why This Matters:
Through youth cycling education, we champion the broader life skills children acquire from biking, such as self-confidence, resilience, connection to nature, and connection to community.
Our ultimate vision is a greener, more connected community, where the children of today become the inspired leaders of tomorrow thanks to the power of the bicycle.
Turning Rides into Revolution.
We’re not just teaching kids to ride, we’re trying to spark a new era of connection, wellness, and exploration through bicycles.
A movement that revolts against the sedentary, screen-based, modern childhood, championing instead the joyful revolutions of bicycle pedals as a path to wellness, connection, and discovery. This isn’t just about teaching kids to ride—it’s about transforming families and communities, one pedal stroke at a time, into a movement of health, empowerment, and shared outdoor adventure.
Together, we’re building a revolution that revolves around kindness, resilience, and the simple, powerful act of riding.
And the revolution happens outside!
S.T.O.K.E.
Stewardship
Teamwork
Ownership
Kindness
Empathy
Prioritize People
Lead With Kindness
Tell It Like It Is
Adventure Together
Push Past Boundaries
We Believe:
At Pedal Kids USA, we are driven by purpose: to create a kinder more connected world. We believe that the path to a healthier, more sustainable world begins with fostering a deep connection between communities through cycling.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are not just ideals; they are essential components. We recognize that a healthier world for all can only be achieved when everyone has the opportunity to engage with one another, participate and thrive. The bicycle, in its simplicity and universality, serves as an extraordinary vehicle for connection. A tool that brings people together, fostering a sense of community, understanding, mutual respect, and mutual purpose.
Our STOKE values:
Stewardship, Teamwork, Ownership, Kindness, and Empathy – are the guiding principles that drive us forward. Kindness and Empathy, in particular, are the cornerstones of these values. They are the foundations that empower us to be better stewards of our planet, to work effectively as a team, and to take ownership of our actions and their impact on the world.
Building a More Connected, Respectful, and Empathetic Community
Through our commitment to these values, we strive to create an inclusive cycling community. A community where every child feels valued and empowered, where differences are celebrated, and where empathy and kindness lead the way in every interaction.
At Pedal Kids USA, we are more than a cycling program; we are a movement towards a more connected, respectful, and empathetic world – one pedal stroke at a time.
We believe that bicycling delivers a childhood full of outdoor adventure, critical lifelong leadership skills, and a gateway to environmental stewardship our planet so clearly needs.
Today’s kids will be the ones preserving our home planet for future generations…. Or not.
From that perspective, it’s not just the responsibility of government and business to save our home planet, we’re all in this together.
While owning and running our local bike shop for 14 years, our favorite moments were always helping kids pick out a shiny, new bicycle.
We loved it because we knew this simple tool would make a lasting impression on our little customer. It would make a difference in their sense of self-confidence and their connection with the outside world. It felt inspiring.
Sure, we’ve always been excited about biking and spending time outside. But when we heard that the majority of children in the world today get less outdoor playtime than a prison inmate, we were alarmed and knew we wanted to do something about it.
Wait, what?!
Yep, our kids are spending more time plugged into screens and less time playing outside.
You see it right? The largest companies in the world are spending billions of dollars locking us to our screens and robbing us of what we hold most dear: the relationships and real experiences that define our lives.
And parents are growing more and more protective of their children, which is not inherently a bad thing. But, it does limit the time children develop critical life skills that come from independent exploration.
And the result of all this? Massive declines in children mental and physical health. Not to mention the same in adults.
We’re on a mission to help change all that and we think it starts with supporting a childhood full of outdoor family adventure. And we believe bicycling is the key.
We believe that when families explore their world from the seat of a bicycle, something incredible happens.
You’ve probably witnessed it first hand! Kids who ride bikes have an early taste of life’s adventure and build healthy relationships with their bodies, their planet, and each other!
But it’s more than that… and it all starts with a MOMENT.
That moment when YOUR Mom or Dad let go of the seat and YOU were free. Free to chart your own course. Free to explore a little bit further outside the safety net. Free to fail. And free to get back up and try again.
That moment, and the childhood on two wheels that follows, has the ability to build confident kids and connected families.
So together, let’s be the change we want to see.
Together, let’s #raiseriders
– Jannine & Scott Fitzgerald
