Why isn’t Mirraco sponsoring any riders?
Some of best riders in the world, not to mention Dave himself have ridden Mirra bikes. Guys like Ryan Guettler, Nigel Sylvester, Harry Main, Kyle Baldock, and Andy Buckworth to name a just a few. And we still have a ton of respect for them and every pro, no matter what brand they ride for.
We get it. Sponsoring guys like that is good for the image of a brand. Nearly every BMX company does it, but Mirra bikes won’t be one of them. We going to take a very different approach in trying to earn your respect and loyalty.
We know, it sounds crazy, but Mirra bikes will not be sponsoring any pro or amateur riders. We have our reasons. The first is that it’s expensive. Secondly, we’ve learned it’s just not that important to the majority of kids getting started who need a good, but affordable bike.
Instead of spending that money, we’re going to give it back to a few organizations that are trying make riding safer, more accessible, and more fun. So really we are going to spend that money, it’s just that we’re going to spend it on you, instead of a team and a big ad budget.
Why should I wear a helmet?
Dave always wore a full-face helmet. Even so, he still had concussions. There’s a reason professional athletes playing football and batting in baseball wear helmets. Hard hits to your head can knock you out, give headaches for weeks, cause you to lose your memory, or even kill you.
You may think it’s not cool to wear a helmet. We get it, but we don’t agree. A lot of guys don’t want to be bothered wearing one or don’t wear one because someone they ride with or respect doesn’t wear one. Protecting your brain is just common sense. It has nothing to do with being cool. The risks are too great and the consequences for not wearing one are too severe to blow off wearing a helmet.
What is CTE and what do concussions have to do with it?
CTE is a degererative brain disease that can severely affect the functioning of the brain and body. CTE and concussions have been linked in some studies, but there's a lot more to be learned. Unfortunately, CTE can only be detected following the death of the person infected by it.
Doctors found that Dave had CTE, so we’ve included several links if you want to learn more about it. We’re not doctors, so the only advice we’re going to give you is to wear a helmet and ride safely. Helmets can prevent or lessen the severity of a concussion and save your life.
Even if Dave knew as much about CTE as we do now, it wouldn’t have stopped him from riding. He was passionate about the sport. Getting hurt was a given, but he didn’t spend time worrying about it.
Why doesn’t my local skatepark allow bikes?
Not that long ago many skateparks excluded bikes. Unfortunately, some still do. There are few reasons for that. One is that park operators thought bikes damaged the parks. Another is that they believed skaters would be injured in collisions with bikes.
Over the years, those two concerns have been largely disproven. If your local park still doesn’t allow bikes, get involved with community leaders and find out why. The Tony Hawk Foundation is a great resource for learning how to approach park operators and what to say when you do.
What’s the difference between DaveMirra.com and Mirra bikes?
Although they share the Mirra name, they have very different purposes. DaveMirra.com was created to commemorate Dave’s life and to continue to celebrate his legacy. He loved the sport and did far more than he realized to inspire and motivate others. DaveMirra.com will serve as a rallying point to continue Dave’s impact on the sport by providing information about and funding for organizations that support youth cycling.
Mirraco Corporation is a company formed by Dave and Jim Ford in 2006. It does not own the DaveMirra.com domain and will operate separately from DaveMirra.com. Mirraco Corporation owns the Mirra name and licenses those trademarks for use on bikes to several different companies who produce and sell Mirra branded bikes. We are directly involved in the design, specifications, graphics, and quality of the bikes being produced to insure they meet our standards.
A portion of the revenue earned through licensing the Mirra trademarks will be given to DaveMirra.com to support youth cycling.