Steve Reed built a totally unique Strider bike for this year’s Flying Piston Benefit, with a strong twist to the left. What does that mean, you might ask?
Well, Steve’s bike went full single-sided – from a single-sided front fork to the single-sided, fully functional swingarm. See, the “swingarm” portion of a stock Strider is fixed, so there’s no suspension. Steve set out to change that, using a CAD design program and 3-D printer to mockup the parts, and finally a CNC machine to create the swingarm out of billet aluminum. He added a small shock to the rear as well.
Upfront, the fork matches with a single-sided billet aluminum piece. He also designed new rims with hubs designed to be supported by the single-sided parts.
The frame was sandblasted, then powder coated white. He then chose a fun character patterned print, which was applied to the frame with a process called Hydro Dipping. Steve wanted something different than just paint, and this is definitely it!
Steve then enlisted his friend Curt Greene of Bare Bones Leather to hand tool the unique seat, giving this bike just a little more oomph and a badass edge.
Steve runs a small shop, more for the passion than the profit, he notes. He enjoys giving back and supporting good causes whenever possible. He was very excited to participate in the Flying Piston’s custom Strider program and has been a sponsor of the Flying Piston Benefit’s Builder Breakfast, held at the Buffalo Chip, for a number of years.
Steve said he was excited to work alongside the other builders, friends, and people he respects to further the same cause – building cool little bikes to promote new ridership through AllKidsBike.org. He remembers spending time on his bicycle from dawn till dusk as a kid, so he found it very fun and personally fulfilling to build a small bike for such a big cause.
About All Kids Bike®: All Kids Bike® is a national movement led by the Strider® Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for free, using donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. 100% of the proceeds will support All Kids Bike and its mission to get Kindergarten Learn-To-Ride PE Programs into schools across the United States. For more information visit www.allkidsbike.org.
About The Flying Piston: The Flying Piston Benefit produces charitable events to promote motorcycling, encourage new motorcycle ridership and in support of U.S. military veterans. The Flying Piston works with sponsors to increase their brand awareness and integrate their participation with cause marketing. Flying Pistons does this by developing programs and providing materials that sponsors can use for their outreach and to increase their effectiveness. The Strider Custom Bike Program is one such example. For more information visit www.flyingpistonbenefit.com.
About the Strider Custom Bike Program: The Strider Custom Bike Program is an initiative of The Flying Piston Benefit produced by Marilyn Stemp of Iron Trader News and Jeff Najar of Biker Pros to raise awareness and funds for All Kids Bike. Each year a new class of bikes is unveiled at the Flying Piston Benefit Builders Breakfast at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip the first Sunday of the annual Sturgis Rally.
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