My daughter's new bike (the
Puky Skyride pictured at the top of this thread) arrived today! It took just over two weeks to come from Germany to North Carolina. It arrived mostly assembled. All I had to do was mount the front wheel, rig the front brake cable, align the handlebars, adjust the seat post and tighten everything up. There were, however, two wires to attach to the front dynamo that I don't think I got on quite right.
My daughter loves the bike! The SRAM i-Motion 3 shifts very smoothly and she was able to figure it out how to work the twist grip shifter within 15 minutes. It has front and rear caliper brakes but the rear hub includes a coaster brake so she can still stop by back pedaling - nice! The rear rack is very sturdy and even has a sprung clip. I think I'll look for a small trunk bag for her so she can carry some cargo. We have the seat post almost as low as it will go so, between that and the handlebars, this bike should last her several years.
Overall, I was really impressed with the Puky. The components and the overall build quality are just terrific - nicer than a lot of adult bikes I've seen. When she parked it next to her brother's Specialized Hot Rock, there was no comparison between the two. The Puky was noticeably nicer in nearly every respect - even down to the reflective sidewalls on her tires. Highly recommended!