A ride to the park with cousins, Aunt Jennie, Mommy and Daddy.
And a little three on the rear seat of the Big Dummy while towing the Electra action.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
New bike bash!
The bike is a snazzy new 16 inch wheeled Electra Hawaii, in pink of course. A very cool little bike, well built and appropriately equipped.
A ride to the park with cousins, Aunt Jennie, Mommy and Daddy.
And a little three on the rear seat of the Big Dummy while towing the Electra action.
A ride to the park with cousins, Aunt Jennie, Mommy and Daddy.
And a little three on the rear seat of the Big Dummy while towing the Electra action.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hooray for Stella! There's not much in life that's more exciting than a new bike. She'll never forget this birthday, for sure.
ReplyDeleteShe was surprised, but honestly probably not too much. Mostly she was excited and wanted to know when Julie and I went to get it. In an attempt to keep some parental mystique, I didn't tell her.
ReplyDeleteI really do hope this is a lasting and good memory, but I also hope that it is one of many positive bike related memories throughout her childhood. This is likely to be the first birthday that she remembers.
How are you liking the bike so far? We are looking at this bike for our 5 year old who hasn't gotten into riding so far. I'm wondering if it will be too heavy for her.
ReplyDelete65th Ave.-
ReplyDeleteThe Electra Hawaii has been a great bike. It is a good value, stylish, well built and my daughter has enjoyed riding it. It is a bit heavy, but not noticeably different than other 16 inch wheeled bikes. An advantage of the Electra is a shallow seat tube angle, which makes the seat closer to the ground than other similarly sized bikes, instilling confidence that she can put a foot down if needed.
However, if your daughter isn't yet riding, I would recommend using the balance method to start. For us, it was quick, easy and fun for both parent and kid. We started out with a Scuut balance bike followed by a 12.5 inch wheeled pedal bike (seen here: http://bigdummydaddy.blogspot.com/2010/07/tale-of-transition.html), followed by the larger Electra.
The gist of the balance method is to learn to balance first, then introduce pedaling once balancing is mastered. Any bike can work, but smallish bikes are easiest. A cheap second hand 12.5" bike is a good starting point, depending on the kid's size. Just take the pedals off and lower the seat so that the rider can put both feet flat on the ground. The kid pushes herself along with her feet, quickly learning to lift them to coast, and thus learning to balance. The whole process can be mastered in as little as a few hours of practice. After balancing feels comfortable, then you can introduce pedals.
My daughter rode her balance bike on and off for a couple of months. One day she asked to try her pedal bike of the same size, and immediately took to it, never using training wheels. Within an hour, she was riding reasonably well, starting, stopping and turning with confidence. If you have other questions, I would be more than happy to help.
Good luck, and enjoy!