would this be crazy

[moonfroggy]

would it be totally off the wall crazy and way to much work to try and build a bamboo bike with free internet info for my sons 3rd birthday present? he really wants a bike "with pedals and a chain" he has a strider rider and he loves it but he keeps asking for one with pedals and a chain and i have measured his inseam and i am doubtful he will be tall enough. his birthday is october 27 but his legs need to be 2 or more inches longer than they are now. i am just itching to make a bamboo bike but i really don't have the money for a workshop or the space for another bike for me. sooo i was thinking wow maybe i could make a bike for my son! how cool would that be! but realistically maybe i should just let this be a day dream and let him wait until december for a bike with pedals and a chain.

[Zen]

It might be December by the time you finish

Kids grow so fast, it would be more trouble than it's worth but I can see your reasoning

[jessmarimba]

No experience here but it could be a fun project! A friend of a friend retrofitted a tandem bike for a child on the back and I doubt too many people thought that was a good idea either...but I thought it was pretty cool good luck!

[OakLeaf]

I don't remember from your earlier posts what your skill set is.

Frame failure can be catastrophic. If you're comfortable with your skills and you have (or are willing to buy) the appropriate tools, then why not? If you haven't done this kind of thing before, I might think twice.

It's not that I'm opposed to the idea in general. I'm totally comfortable working on my motorcycle - a mistake there could mean I die or worse, just like frame failure on a bici. I learned the skills under the supervision of my DH, a trained mechanic. He still checks my work when it's something I haven't done often, like bleeding brakes or valve adjustments.

It's all in what you know how to do, and in what you want to do. It sounds like it would be a really cool project.

[moonfroggy]

i think my skills would be good enough but also this bike will only ever get ridden on the playground at the nearby school.

i am realizing what i really want to do is make my own bamboo bike for me but it would be easier to justify making one for my son. i guess i will look into local sources of bamboo before deciding on anything.