Joplin Elementary helps kids get onto bikes

JOPLIN, Mo. — Believe it or not – the practice of riding a bike nowadays is foreign to many youngsters.

McKinley Elementary in Joplin is looking to change that.

Kindergarten students, Thursday, spent some time riding stryders. The term refers to bicycles that don’t have pedals, and force the kids to stride on them with their feet.

Adrienne Carson is the schools P.E. teacher, and says a donation from local businesses and individuals paid for the bikes.

Adrienne Carson, McKinley Elementary Physical Education Teacher, said, “Essentially it’s an ulterior method to learning how to ride a bike the traditional way, most people are used to using training wheels and then you take them off and let the kids go, with these bikes you stride and in theory, once you get used to striding, you can balance and then we have then we have the actual pedals and the kids can take off.”

Carson says the plan was to implement this program into every Joplin elementary school last year – but that changed due to the pandemic.

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