As you’ve probably read earlier – we had a bunch of birthday parties for Ryan. What we didn’t mention is what he wanted and what he got for his birthday. About a month or two before his birthday Ryan started asking for a bike with pedals for his birthday. We thought he was crazy and probably was basing it on the other kids he saw riding bikes with pedals at his daycare (ages 3-5).
I asked around at the daycare and one of the workers thought that Ryan was quite young for a pedal bike but advised us to get him what he asked for. After some research we decided to bite the bullet and get him a pedal bike. We were quite concerned about his starting and stopping and just how fast he would be able to go.
In choosing a bike for Ryan I went to a bunch of local bike shops and asked around what to look for in a kids bike. The main thing I learned was to avoid a heavy bike so that he can maneuver easily and to make sure that he could reach the ground while seated. This does not put his knees in the perfect setup but is much safer for someone his age learning to ride a bike.
On his birthday daddy took him down to the park for his first ride. It was a beautiful day and daddy was a bit nervous as the entire neighborhood was there to watch as he tried out his bike for the first time. It took just a few minutes before Ryan was telling me to let him go. For Ryan it really was a natural transition from walking bike to pedal bike.
The hardest part for Ryan was learning how to start and stop on his own…it is a work in progress.
Check out the videos of Ryan on his bike.
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