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