Help Autism MX get to the races

Noah, I must admit I'm confused and intrigued by your post.

Are saying that you have Autism or are you just racing to raise Autism awareness?

Your Gofundme doesn't mention anything about you having Autism and I think that would be an extremely important piece of information to include. Since your new here maybe you could give us a little more information about yourself and the difficulties you've had to overcome to get where you are today.

Damn, I want a free bike too. Maybe Ill say I have terminal cancer or something and get people to chip in, instead of, you know, earning money and buying one myself like everyone else does. Need me some free handouts

Unlike Slip, I am not intrigued. Sounds like you just want people to give you money for no real reason. Some of those campaigns on gofundme and the like are borderline fraud !! Do you also have sponsors from those "sponsorship" websites ??

I'd also be interested to know why you think there needs to be autism awareness ?? The amount of kids diagnosed as ASD in schools these days borders on the ridiculous. I would think most people would have a relative understanding of autism, its wide ranging spectrum and it's over-diagnosis. Where on the scale did your autism fall ??

What exactly is your expertise with Autism?

I've been battling Cancer for the last 5 years. Nobody has bought me a new bike, or sponsored me in any way, just help from my family. Thank God I'm on the other side of it now. I find the gofundme stuff a little bit iffy.

Congrats on the progress you have made. Continue to push and grow. I wish you luck but cannot help you financially.

My youngest, who is 18, has aspergers (a form of autism). Like you, he has made tremendous strides in his development. Too be brutally honest with you, if his desire and/or ability to ride and race was there, the cost of a bike and gear would be peanuts relative to the amount of money we spend on other treatments. Good luck.

Noah, I think you heart is in the right place and you are a tremendous person, but trying to fund a new bike to race local D17 C class races is a tough sell. Why do you need a new bike? Can't you find something used that's reasonably priced? I tell you what, if you buy a used bike, and need help with the mechanical side of it, i'll help you out with some free labor. I'm only 45 minutes from East Peoria.

It is my own opinion that you should be focusing your time and money on your college program. If you really can raise $10,000 like you are shooting for, please please don't blow it on a dirt bike. That money could easily cover 2 years at a community college.

I'm sorry to say this but I am feeling as if you are playing up your own experiences with Autism as a tactic to raise money. What are you actually doing to raise Autism Awareness? I've seen some of the bikes from the area and you have "Autism Awareness" on the shroud graphics and T-Shirts...that's it...but what else are you doing? Are you guys campaigning or rallying at local charity events, parades, fundraisers, etc? Are you active at your local hospital and special education programs helping other Autistic children? Please help us understand better....

Noah, I know it's tough having to re prioritize and give up hobbies for a while to focus on education and other responsible things, but that is part of growing up and becoming an adult. While I was in school I wanted to have a bike to ride, but I needed to pay bills and study. So I went four years without a bike, graduated debt free and got a job that allows me to afford some of those "want list" items I had to put off for a few years. Did I get bored and frustrated not being able to ride? Of course. Was it worth it in the long run? Absolutely.

Best of luck to you, Noah. If you end up with a little bit of extra spending money I would get a nice used mountain bike, they are much easier to maintain, store, and transport on a college student budget.