Many Rockford area kids had the day off of school for Presidents' Day and they wasted no time making other plans.
No matter which way you spin it, these kids love to ride. If they didn't Spoke Monkey owner Marc Miller wouldn't have a reason to stay in business.
He turned the old north town theaters into an indoor track. The bike shop opened last summer. Miller got the special use permit to build the track in December.
"I see kids that come in hear and they've never raced a day in their life," says Miller. "They look over at Mom and Dad and say maybe I want to try this racing thing and then so we can also teach them the basic skills of being able to go around a BMX race track."
Ages on the track range anywhere from five to 75 and being open seven days a week gives riders multiple reasons to put the pedal to the metal at Spoke Monkey.
"Just that there's all kinds of good people and they're really nice and you meet lots of friends. Its a good workout. Your outdoors, indoors, and its just fun," says Ryder Ward, a frequenter.
All but one rider I saw today was a boy. But 8-year-old Ashley George isn't phased a bit. In fact, she enjoys the competition maybe a little too much.
"I like to beat boys, it makes them cry," she says.
Find out more about Spoke Monkey at their Facebook Fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Spoke-Monkey-Cyclery-Inc/114584505284338
