Pay It Forward

By Mark Jordan

Many of us can look back and see how bikes played a huge role in our childhood development. As a kid, a bike was the fastest and easiest way to get around, and bikes gave some of us our first real taste of independence and freedom. It wasn’t just the ability to go places. Bikes help connect friends and build camaraderie, skills and confidence, and they’re really fun.

The world is certainly a different place now than it was when many cycling parents were kids. You don’t see kids racing around the neighborhood on bikes like you used to. But, bikes can still play an important part of childhood, and kids can still enjoy many of the things their parents remember about riding bikes as a child. While balance bikes have replaced training wheels as the best way to start on two wheels, the memorable satisfaction and self-confidence begin with that first pedal stroke.

Many of us can still remember the first bike we loved—the places we’d go, the laughs and smiles, the growth and learning, the self-confidence and independence. It’s a staple in many kids’ lives, and it can radiate to other people around it.
This is a story about such a bike—a bike that keeps on giving.

WHERE IT STARTED: OWNER #1, GUS WEIR

Like every bike dad, when Mark Weir’s son, Gus, was about 3 years old, Mark wanted to get him a bike. Being a professional cyclist, he didn’t want his son to ride just any little 16-inch wheeler. He wanted it to be a full-on mountain bike, complete with gears, disc brakes, proper-length cranks and brand-name components, just like dad’s bike.

There weren’t many options out there, so Mark started with an aluminum Lil’ Ripper frame, bought a little MRP suspension fork and built up a set of 16-inch WTB wheels, and then compiled a load of extra parts from his race bikes: Shimano XTR brakes; a Saint shifter and rear derailleur; an MRP chainguide; WTB grips and saddle; Cane Creek headset; and a Pro bar, stem and post.

Mark found a pair of tiny flat pedals that were size-appropriate, but had no luck finding a short set of quality cranks that fit a threaded mountain bike bottom bracket. So, he chopped down a set of Truvativ cranks, made a jig in his garage, and drilled and tapped them. A little orange legend was born.

Gus probably rode that bike around their Novato, California, backyard pump track over a thousand times. With its orange metallic paint and high-end parts kit, it was a beaut. And, it exuded the pure joy of a boy and his first mountain bike.
But, as kids always seem to do, Gus grew and the bike didn’t, and he was ready to graduate to 20-inch wheels. The little orange mountain bike needed a new home.

A NEW LIFE: OWNER #2, JACE MOESCHLER

One of Mark’s good friends and racing buddies, Jason Moeschler, had a son who was a few years younger than Gus. Jace was just the right age, and the little orange mountain bike was soon doing hot laps around the pump track again.

Jason started working for Evil Bikes up in Washington, and it wasn’t long before the little orange bike became an Evil bike with a fresh set of black frame decals, just like dad’s bike. It already had a set of Fox fork decals and other stickers from Mark and Jason’s sponsors. Jason added a set of WTB PadLoc grips made for Grip Shift that were just the right width for small hands, and the little orange bike had a new life.

Jace rode that bike in the Sea Otter Classic kids’ race and all around the neighborhood. But, as kids do, he grew and Jason was faced with a dilemma.

He wasn’t ready to give away a bike that had started his son’s love of cycling and delivered so many good times, so Jason built a set of 20-inch wheels and bolted on longer dropouts to accommodate the bigger rear wheel. He found a set of cranks that were a little longer than the custom set Mark had made, and the Evil kid’s bike grew, too.

The larger 20-inch wheels, a pair of 2.6-inch tires and longer cranks made the bike much more capable. Jason installed a Shimano Di2 electronic shifter and rear derailleur to make shifting easier, and Jace rode that bike all over Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park for the next couple of years. On his rides, it was common for people to stop him to ask if Evil was making kids’ bikes and where to get one.

MILES OF SMILES: OWNER #3, CONNOR JORDAN

When it was time for Jace to move on to a bigger bike, he already knew who was next in line for the orange bike. Another good friend of theirs had a son who was just the right size. The bike was put back to 16-inch wheels, shorty cranks, and the Saint shifter and derailleur, and my son, Connor Jordan, and I took ownership.

Under Connor, the little orange bike rode miles of trails in Ventura, Ojai and Santa Barbara, California. He would blaze the rail-to-trail path to the farmers’ market, cruise the beach promenade and stop mid-ride to look for turtles at the pond in the Ojai Meadows Preserve.

When Connor grew, so did the bike, and they sought out pump tracks, went on camping trips, rode to swim holes and even journeyed to Mammoth Lakes, California, to explore the Lakes Basin and St. George, Utah, to ride in Snow Canyon State Park.

The little orange bike seemed to garner attention wherever it went. Excited mountain bikers continued to ask if it was a real Evil kid’s bike, while others commented the bike was set up better than their adult model. People smiled and pointed, seeing a little kid zipping by on a mini mountain bike, ringing his bell, shifting gears and navigating the trail.

But, Connor kept on growing and soon the little orange bike needed a new home yet again.

PAY IT FORWARD: OWNER #4, NOLAN HARROLD

Out of all of Connor’s friends and family, it seemed like nobody needed a little mountain bike. If they were the right age, then they already had a bike. If they needed a bike, they were too big or too small. What were we to do? This bike could not be sold; it had to be paid forward.

Then I remembered a colleague who had a son that was about the right age. He was a bit small for the bike, even with the 16-inch wheels, but he’d grow into it in no time. The little orange bike and a jumble of extra parts headed south to meet its fourth owners, Nolan Harrold and his dad, Bryan.

Bryan freshened up the bike with new grips, saddle and a set of Fox RAD decals on the forks that perfectly matched the frame. He gave the bike a good cleaning and buffed the orange paint until it shined like new.

Nolan was already eager to ride the bike. The day it showed up, he helped his dad pull it out of the box and climbed right on, itching to go. But, he still needed a little more time before he’s able to send it down the sidewalk.

The little orange bike is ready to go, just as soon as Nolan is big enough. And waiting for him are miles of fun and experiences that he’ll add to the years of happy memories of three boys who have already loved this bike before him.