Roller Racers and Flying Turtles
How I Re-Discovered the Missing Ride-On, Self-Propelled Toy Scooters
When I was a kid I used to watch the commercials for the Roller Racer snaking across the ground, but as an adult I forgot the name, and had been searching for the name of this triangle-shaped, red seated toy. I knew that it had a handlebar underneath and that you had to move it back and forth to go forward, but because I didn’t know what it was called and so I was having trouble finding it. Finally, a friend helped me out by doing a Google image search for “80′s toys” where he happened to find it. Once I knew what it was called I was thrilled to find the Roller Racer and it’s cousin, the Flying Turtle, on Amazon. Both are manufactured by the Mason Corporation in the United States.
The Original Roller Racer
It’s called a “Roller Racer” and Amazon.com defines it as a seated scooter. The rider sits very close to the ground and instead of using your feet to push you forward, you have to move the handle bars back and forth, kind of like a snake. One Amazon.com reviewer said it was good for preschool children or children with disabilities because even, “Kids with splints or whose legs are too short can ride with their feet on the T-bar connecting the handlebars and, again, enjoy a great ride.” According to Wikipedia, the Roller Racer was originally sold by WHAM-O brand name, but is now sold by the Mason Corporation and is available on Amazon.com.
Frequently used in schools, day care centers, and roller rinks, the Original Roller Racer is a fun and easy-to-operate kid-powered scooter. Designed for children aged 3 to 12 years old, the Roller Racer provides an unforgettable ride at only two inches off the ground. To operate, just sit on the injection-molded seat, put your feet on the steel handlebars, and swing from side to side and the scooter zips forward on any hard smooth surface, indoors and out. With “rams-horn” design handlebars with buffer wheels, the scooter features superior institutional quality construction. The Roller Racer is made in the United States
The Original Flying Turtle
Fun and fast, the original Flying Scooter is a kid-powered seated scooter that provides hours of indoor/outdoor play for children aged 3 to 12 years old. This award-winning toy’s unique method of propulsion has made it the subject of studies in experimental nonlinear physics–but we like it for the good times it provides. Simply sit on the molded seat, put your feet on the chrome handle bars, and swing the handlebars side to side to propel yourself forward on level surfaces.
Ready for vigorous play, the Flying Turtle can handle up to 150 pounds and is constructed with a high-quality molded plastic seat, a chrome-colored, powder-coated handlebar, and polyurethane wheels. Great for indoors or outdoors, the Flying Turtle can be ridden on linoleum or hardwood floors, as the polyurethane wheels will not leave marks or scratches. It works great on concrete or asphalt surfaces and on the sidewalk or driveway outside.
Kid-tested and kid-approved, the Flying Turtle was originally designed by a retired Boeing engineer in the 1970s for his grandson. He used a tractor seat on the prototype model that still resembles the seat of today. The Flying Turtle’s front wheels are connected to the handlebars by a lever in such a way that the torque applied to the handlebars when the rider swings them causes a lateral friction force by the wheels on the ground and accelerates the car forward.
About Mason Corporation
Mason Corporation has been serving the industry since 1982. It all started when they began manufacturing the Flying Turtle® and the Roller Racer®. Since then, their line has expanded in various directions, but always with a focus on creating quality products backed by exceptional service. Mason’s customers circle the globe and they can be contacted here if needed.