Six-year-old Ryder Merki riding way to BMX stardom

His name is Ryder Merkey and man can the 6-year-old ride a bike.

“It’s my favorite thing to do.” Ryder said.

“He’s faster than anybody out here, getting faster and faster especially with the worlds coming on. He’s really starting to hit his peak but I don’t want him to peak too early either.”

Already racing at the expert level, and after winning a National Main Event in Salt Lake City, he punched a ticket to the World Championships late July.

“Oh yea he has a great shot, as long as he is mentally there he is going to be good. It’s a big race when you’re a 6-year-old.”

“I win a lot of races.”

So from South Carolina for the World Championships to Palm Springs or Yucca Valley… the 6-year old has a busy summer showing the competition what he’s made of.

“All over the state, all over the country, this year alone we’ve gone to Arizona, Utah, Texas.”

“With BMX some kids just have that gift to be able to move up fast.”

To be fast, you have to want to be fast.

“Practice is really important, cause it gets your energy up for racing.”

“Very self motivating and you can’t teach that. He wants to be good, and I don’t want it more than he does. That is a problem with a lot of the kids I train, I want them to be faster more than they want to be faster.”

Mom and Dad first road the bikes, and now as you’d expect they are Ryder’s biggest fans.

“It’s pretty cool when they are watching me, it makes me go faster when they are watching me. Pedal Ryder.”

We’ll see if he can peddle his way to a World Championship later this month.