Bikes: Did you have one as a child? Do your kids?

Just wondering. Our kids have always had one to suit their size... but not many of their friends seem to. It used to be an absolutely necessary item of childhood... every kid had one, even those from the poorest of families... I think it's sad that this aspect of childhood had changed. Any thoughts?

Both my boys have bikes. Kameron's was a bit big for him when we got it, but he has now grown into it. They love riding them around the backyard, now we just have to teach Kameron to ride without training wheels.

Love

All of our boys have bikes to suit they're age/size, they usually either get them upgraded for their birthdays or christmas when needed. Also over our back fence is a community centre with a mini area for the kids to ride their bikes and learn the road rules. It has round-a-bouts, give way and stop signs, a lane going in each direction. It's great, they love it there and we can also take some snags to have on the wood BBQ.

hugs xoxo

Sounds excellent Amanda :) We have some wonderful bike paths in our area and often say to our DD "ask your friends if they would like to come on a bike ride"... but she generally says "they don't have a bike".

I also wish DH would feel comfortable about hoping on a bike... but i doubt he will... but that's another story... I think he thinks it's too undignified :( Pfft! I reckon you gotta show kids that you don't take life too seriously some times!

There is a kiddie traffic school 5 minutes walk from us, looks great, DH can't wait till Maggie is big enough to go there. At the moment he is looking at getting her a trike with a parent handle so he can take her out, he did almost buy her a bike though, I had to wait till she is bigger.

I had a bike as a kid, but I was never very good at riding it, plus there was very little encouragement from my mother and dad was never around. I am still not good at riding, the whole concept of riding on the road just freaks me. DH had a bike when I met him, but he did not bring it with him when we moved. He has spoken about getting it sent over when Maggie is big enough to ride one herself.

I reckon our kids will be dying for a bike when the time comes. Our latest idea for a twin pram is actually a bike trailer than can be used as a pram, so DH intends to make great use of it with his bike. Me - I am a sloth, but DH will ride heaps with em. In fact, when DH took him for a test ride around the bike shop, Flynn was grinning from ear to ear....

Wow Bath...that is unusual hey. We all have bikes..the kids get new bikes every couple of years. All of the kids friends have bikes and they ride around and hang out together...Maybe its an area thingo?

Jo

My girls both have bikes (nanny seems to buy one each year ;) ) But my sister and i weren't allowed to have one when we were young. (dad's brother had came off one on a busy road - ok though) I think it is such great exercise for them, and for us when we take them to a bike track. We get to walk fast following them, rather than our usual snail pace.

DH loves cycling and mountain biking, for me it was always a way of getting from A to B. We're looking forward to getting a seat on the back of DH's bike so we can take DS out on a bike ride and eventually him getting a bike too.

However, we will be looking for family-friendly cycle routes as traffic around here is lethal.

My brother always had a bike but I was never interested and don't think I ever had one, I was a roller skate and skate board kid. All of my kids have bikes but only my middle one actually spends much time riding. I think most of their friends have them but don't tend to ride them. We live in a relatively small and quiet town so you'd think you would see more kids on bikes than you do.

Ashy has a bike and me and DP also do so we all go for a bike ride together
We have a beautiful track down by the beach perfect for bike riding along.
Ash learnt to ride without training wheels just before her 5th birthday.
She had a 16 inch bike now and will probably get a 20 inch for christmas this year cause she is growing way too fast. She learnt to ride on a 12inch.

We would have been lost without our bikes as kids - we rode them everywhere! We rode them all weekend and would make jumps and tracks to ride around. Out three now all have bikes (Paige got hers this morning for her birthday) and they ride them heaps around the farm. Poor old Paige had to run along behind them LOL, but now she'll be out there with them.

I think it is really important for kids to have one in a way as it's another skill set they have to learn to be able to ride one - first with training wheels and then without.

I didn't get a bike until I was about 13!! But Zander has a trike with a parent handle that he got for Christmas last year. He knows the rules & will not sit on the seat until his helmet is on, I know a trike I'm pushing isn't likely to fall over, but better to get him used to the idea from the start. He can almost reach the peddles & I can't wait to see him zooming around on his own :)

I had a bike to suit my size from age 4 or 5 onwards, and learned to ride without stabilisers at 5. DD already has a little wooden trike she pushes along with her feet and a bike seat and helmet for riding behind me on my bike. We love it :) Transport AND fun! I see a lot of kids out on bikes in the park i live at, so they must still have them, though i think the richer kids are the ones who miss out - they all have playdates and entertainment systems - the poorer kids get a jam sandwich and a bike and told to come back for dinner....

B

I agree Niass... infact if we move O/S that's exactly what we'll be doing... don't need to look flash... just work!

ETA: Actually we might end up taking the kids bikes over afterall.... One thing we have always done is buy gender neutral colours for our eldest (DD)... greens and blues so that her brothers can use them without bawking at girly pinks! I've also bought mountain bike styles... so their shouldn't be too much of an image issue.

This is the first time we've even had to buy a bike for the kids - Lindsay's is a hand-me-down from my youngest brother and Mum brought Erin's for her birthday a few years back. Soon she will give us a bigger one for Lindsay that my brother has grown out of. Kids aren't fussy about what their bike looks like - so long as it goes fast! LOL

I'm looking at getting Kimberley one this Christmas.
We always had bikes as kids and got them at Christmas we never got bikes at the same time they would do one of us one year and then the other the next.

I had bikes, and my kids will always have bikes. They are hoping Santa will bring some new ones at Christmas ;)

*hugs*
Cailin