Part of the growth of turning 6 that we were so excited for Ryder this year was the stepping stone that every kid remembers… a new bike. He was ready, more than ready to step it up to a big boy bike.
We wrestled heavily with what direction to go since there are so many more options now than when we were little or even when I was working in bike shops in Colorado. I was leaning towards a BMX bike since they are the building blocks of bike handling skills. There is a track not far from here (30-40 mins) that I thought would make great weekend jaunts and I could even participate with my 24″ cruiser.
I was convinced otherwise after a few conversations with some old riding buddies and we went in the direction of a mountain bike…. and holy smokes are there some awesome mountain bikes out there. Knowing that it was time for a real bike (non-department store) they range in price from a couple hundred bucks to more than $3k(!). We opted for something a little more fitting on the reasonable scale with a brand I’m very familiar with after selling them at Hillside Cyclery in Broomfield, CO so many years ago. At that time, they certainly didn’t make a bike like this for the 6 and up jet set…. wow!
20″ wheels are mounted with healthy 2.6″ tires, front suspension (which I would have passed on personally, I think they’re kind of a gimmick until the rider hits a certain weight), 7 speed rear and very adjustable disc brakes. This thing has everything. Frankly I’m a little jealous and will restart my search soon.
Actually obtaining the thing during a pandemic proved to be one of the biggest challenges. The manufacturers supply chains were all out of wack and no one was shipping, so whatever the shops had was it. The shops were beyond crazy with cycling being one of the few approved activities so I literally called 25 shops before I found the bike we wanted for Ryder. I paid for it over the phone immediately and picked it up a week later in NE DC (an awful experience really, but that’s a different story).
The day finally came. That we revealed his new ride and his reaction was priceless. beaming from ear to ear, he couldn’t wait to ride it. Since then its been nary a day that he hasn’t been on it and he’s found new confidence riding through the backyard and we’re now making plans to cut trails elsewhere on the property.
We’re hoping this turns into a lifelong passion as it has for me and I’m looking forward to some father/son rides at real trails in the near future.
