A New Biker!!

[Pyannyplayer]

I just had to share that my son's new Gary Fisher "Tarpon" arrived today and he's in BIKE HEAVEN!

A little background: He had a cheapie WalMart bike which he got frustrated with last year, understandably, and....well, THREW into the ditch and bent the rims. This year he's been riding my old, OLD girl's Schwinn that we put new shifters on. He's been riding, taking care of the bike, asking questions, having fun with that bike, wanting to learn, etc. He decided to participate with my husband and I in a fun family ride called "Tour de Phelps" here in Rolla. WELL, you can't have a guy riding a girl's bike, so last week we went "underwear shopping" (a fate worse than DEATH at my house). We got to the bike shop and he asked what we were doing. I told him we were looking for new underwear....oops, a NEW BIKE! He picked it out, but the size was too small, so we had to order it. Unfortunately, the "TdP" was Saturday, so I made a sign for the back of the old Schwinn: "My brand new Gary Fisher is on order at Route 66 Bikes and will be here MONDAY!" Aside from making people smile, it also let them know that he was getting a "real bike".

Today while I was running errands, I got the message that my son's "undies" were ready to roll, so I picked it up (am I the only person who NEVER removes their bike rack??). I got home, got my socks, bike shoes, and helmet and asked him why he didn't have shoes and socks on (he was reading). He asked why; I told him it's hard to ride a BRAND NEW BIKE barefoot! I've never seen him SO EXCITED! Socks and shoes flew on, helmets and gloves on both of us and off we rode our gravel road to the end and back; he's been up and down the driveway MANY times since then (this was at 2:00 today)and we'll go for another ride when his dad gets home.

Just wanted to share his excitement. Reminds me of my excitement 2 weeks ago when I got my new road bike.........

Lorie

BTW We now HAVE to build a new garage for bikes! I have 3, hubby has 2, son #1 has 2, son #2 has 2!

[DeniseGoldberg]

That is totally awesome! I'm so glad your son appears to be embracing cycling.

[ladyfish]

Sounds like he's a happy camper (or is that happy biker)! How old is your son? Let us know how he likes his bike. My son is going to soon outgrow his bike, and I'm sort of window shopping for a bike that I think he'll enjoy and be able to get a lot of miles out of. Enjoy!

[Geonz]

I love imagining the look on his face when he realized you weren't underwear shopping!!!! It's neat that he knows for sure you noticed his improved attitude... those are the best kinds of surprises. (Kids should *always* think their parents are really taking notes and making plans based on their behavior )

[ladyfish]

Well, you got me wondering about bikes for my son. He really doesn't need one right now, but we found ourselves right next to the bike store last night (doing a fundraiser for my older son's scout troop). We wandered over to the shop, since I knew they sold Fisher. Saw the Tarpon, so I know what your son is riding--very nice.

Then had them (including a guy standing around looking for bikes for his son) try and sell us a Fisher Marlin (The guy looked at it for his son, but his son didn't like the color--bright green--I thought it was nice). Wow, it was sweet. They let me son ride it. It is an 05, and since it is a small frame (13.5") they've had it awhile. They've already marked it down $100 and are willing to go lower. Such a temptation! As I said, he doesn't really *need* a bike, but it sure was nice. Oh the temptation.

My son is my bike buddy. He always wants to go for a ride. So, I would like to get him the bike. But on the other hand, he likes his current bike, although I think he'd love the new one when he got used to it.

Sigh, so many bikes so little money! What to do?

[Tuckervill]

When I went to get my new bike, I ended up buying my 12 yo son a bike, too. He was so thrilled. But after all, how much fun would it be with me on a new bike and him on an old Buick?

He wanted to pay for it out of his allowance, but I wouldn't let him. He said, "Oh, I get it. It's like when Dad got ME golf clubs for HIS birthday!"
Yes. Since our son doesn't go to school, he gets to tag along and do things with his parents almost as much as we tag along on the things he likes to do!

My son is going to be tall--my husband is 6'7"--and he is already 5'3", so I made sure to get him a bike to grow into (a 16" Trek 4500). By next summer he'll probably be towering over me, so I wanted him to still be able to use this bike. So it's something to consider when buying a bike for a growing kid.

Karen

[hirakukibou]

It's so great that your son has taken to cycling. My daughter and I went out a couple of times when she visited. (She lives out of state with her dad.) I am hoping when she is here this summer we'll do some more biking. She seems to like it, but only time will tell and you never know with a twelve year old which way the wind is blowing!

[Duck on Wheels]

My son is going to be tall--my husband is 6'7"--and he is already 5'3", so I made sure to get him a bike to grow into (a 16" Trek 4500). By next summer he'll probably be towering over me, so I wanted him to still be able to use this bike. So it's something to consider when buying a bike for a growing kid.

Karen

Oh yeah! Just wait til that boy hits puberty. Mine shot up an inch in one week, then slowed down for a wee bit, then another 4 inches in one 9 months at 17. We went through 3 sets of clothes and two bikes that year (well, one bike was stolen, but he might have needed a bigger frame anyway). It's great that these boys are so active. When they hit the end of their growth spurt, they'll fill out with muscle and not just ... fill out. They'll be heartthrobs for sure!

[Pyannyplayer]

My son LOVES his new bike! He spent the night at Grandma's last night and HAD to have his bike (good thing my rack NEVER comes off my car!!). He's 11 and we got the 18" frame. He said that his back doesn't hurt (which it did on my old Schwinn girl bike) and he's gotten the hang of the gears. LOVES the "Mega Drive" for going up steep hills. He should have some room to grow with this bike. He's also VERY careful with it; it's so heavy I KNOW he can't throw it in the ditch!

My oldest (13) still needs some convincing. He's a runner (my running buddy), but I'd love to see him enjoy riding. I think his biggest problem has been comfort. On our next Katy Trail ride (this Sunday), he's going to ride his dad's commuter (Trek hybrid....our LBS calls his the "SUV of bikes" because of all the panniers, lights, bell, computer, etc.!). I think if we can get him comfy, he'll be happier. He had been riding this older Schwinn road bike and said his hands fell asleep and his elbows hurt - not a good thing. We tried changing the seat, handlebars, etc., I just don't think it fits him. His other bike may be a bit too small (it's a MTB) and he's said a lot of the same things when he rides it (I'm mean and MAKE my boys ride). I see a sale at my house......then we can buy MORE bikes!

I'm so glad that my boys are getting active - it only started once their dad and I got active (I'm proud to say that I've gone from 260 lbs to 149 and from a "couch tater" to an active athlete!!). Besides, there are so many things they might have missed.....the WONDERFUL smell of honeysuckle, the wind through your face as you SPEED down a hill, the elation at FINALLY conquering "that" hill, the baby deer we saw that was a newborn the size of a small dog, the cool snakes (EEK!), the turtles, scaring cows.....and the QUIET! Ah, I could go on, but I need to go ride!

Thanks again for letting me share his joy. It's one of the many, many things I love about my kids!

Lorie

[Duck on Wheels]

I'm so glad that my boys are getting active - it only started once their dad and I got active (I'm proud to say that I've gone from 260 lbs to 149 and from a "couch tater" to an active athlete!!).

The lady who bought my car told me she'd recently lost 400lbs ( -- big eyes from surprise and being impressed, btw, not from horror). I'd never have guessed. She looks pretty darn good now, though she said she still wants to take off a few more, and also get a tuck on the spare skin that all that loss left behind. Her reason: She wants to get active and be prepared to be a good example before having kids. Your story tells me she's onto something there. Getting to the point where activity is fun (which can mean taking off some weight, but also finding that fun activity) is full of extra bonuses -- like kids joining in and sharing the fun, self and kids being healthier for it, and of course all those extras that make it fun in the first place: wind through the helmet holes, smelling the flowers, seeing the animals, etc. GOOD ON YOU FOR GETT'N THERE! In fact, good on all of us!