My daughter is 8.5 years old and has been riding solo for less than a month and two days ago I upgraded her ride from a 16 inch single speed bike with a coaster brake and hand brake to a 20 inch hardtail with a five speed, dual hand brakes, and a grip shift.
It took her all of 15 minutes to get comfy on the new bike, a long evening ride got her using the gears efficiently, and yesterday we went on the biggest ride ever.
With her older sister we rode 20 km to my shop (round trip) and back and along that route there are a couple of good hills... this picture was taken when she was climbing what is a 10% - 12% grade and she did most of this out of the saddle... and was singing the whole way.
We averaged 13kmh on the ride and on the return leg we had to ride into a headwind and she kept the hammer down on almost the entire return trip... I clocked her at 20 kmh going into the wind and she can crank it up to 25 kmh with the extra gears on her new bike.
After we got home her sister crashed and while her sister caught some z's she spent another hour riding out front of the house on the sidewalk.
So in a period of about 8 hours she spent more than 6 hours riding her bike, had no complaints of being tired or sore, and spent a few more hours riding at home today.
She';s been lifting small hand weights and doing sit-ups because she says she wants to be really strong for cycling, wants to go and hit the trails with dad, and wants some of those shoes and pedals that make me climb hills so well.
I have been joking about the force being strong in this one but damn... she's doing tricks, jumping up and down curbs, will do one handed passes so she can high five me, and I've seen her trying to pop wheelies and bunny hop the bike.
Is this normal ?
BKXray
06-01-08, 10:26 PM
My older girl was like that. She learned to ride without training wheels one day and the next day she rode7 or 8 miles. Two days later she rode 13 or so. By the time she was 11, she was doing the Elletsville, IN Hilly Hundred and making it up all the hills. Her younger sister didn't take to it nearly as well. It has taken her much longer to get into it.
Creakyknees
06-01-08, 10:30 PM
cool!!!!
sure it's normal, it's what kids used to do all by themselves before we enslaved them with tv's and video games.
oh to be young again.
.
dingster1
06-02-08, 05:02 AM
Amen Creaky!! :)
twahl
06-02-08, 05:18 AM
Way to go Dad!
My daughter rode her first metric century at 10, and she's a drafting animal. She'll pull in behind me no more than 12" off my wheel at 25 MPH and just sit there, no problem. My guess is that your daughter will be doing the same, or achieving comparable mountain biking feats by the time whe's 10.
DieselDan
06-02-08, 06:49 AM
There is such a thing as natural talent. She's got it. Encourage it. Find some smoother road going tires for her bike.
cleansheet
06-02-08, 09:30 AM
Ahhh, a Raleigh Rowdy. Picked one up for my 7 year-old's birthday last week. We did a nice 7.5 mile ride without any problems. Seems like a nice kids bike despite it being a little heavy.
Sixty Fiver
06-02-08, 10:08 AM
"There is such a thing as natural talent. She's got it. Encourage it. Find some smoother road going tires for her bike."
I think it's natural talent and a good work ethic... I can see how much fun she has when she is on her bike (which is whenever she's at home) and can see her practising manoeuvres like stops, standing on the pedals, and now she is working on wheelies so she can hop curbs.
The bike has Kenda hybrid tires (semi slicks) which seem to be pretty good for road / trail and I will probably upgrade some things to lighten the bike and expand the gear range... she thinks it's pretty great that her dad is a "super bike mechanic" and can do these things.
I think she is eventually going to need a road bike which is what her more sedate and cautious sister now rides and has already said she wants to come with me when I ride across Canada in 2015... she will be 15 then.
HardyWeinberg
06-02-08, 10:41 AM
Outstanding. I think that is the exact bike that a neighbor got for his 5 yr old. He got his 7 yr old a 24" bike and 5 yr old a 20" bike. Both kids kinda need to be propped up onto the bikes until they can get the pedals oriented so they can take off but once they're going they go.
My almost 7 yr old has pretty clearly outgrown his 16" bike (not sure if the seat post has a 'do not extend past here' line but I think I am getting close to it. Not sure if I want to move him to a 20" which would be his size, or push him to a 24" which he would grow into. Actually I am pretty sure that knowing his basic conservativeness 20" would be the way to go.
He does like to ride, though!
http://home.comcast.net/~adrian_spidle/may04b.jpg
Sixty Fiver
06-02-08, 10:54 AM
Hardy - You have some cute kids.
I think that children need to be put on proper sized bikes... when I rode as a kid I was always jacking my older brother's larger ride but it was not optimal.
My youngest daughter rides with her seat set to a proper pedalling height and can touch her toes when she stops or straddles the top tube but pretty much always leaps onto the bike when she takes off. :D
My older daughter is in that just between phase where a 24 inch bike is a proper fit for her height and reach but the altitude, speed the of the larger bike, and different handling are things she will have to get used to.
She is an extremely cautious and conservative rider but is also pretty confident in her bike handling skills, this is her new commuter (which is now sporting a rear rack for paniers).
I brought home several stems from the shop so we can adjust the bar position to best suit her preferred riding style and as always... upgrades are in the works as it's a really nice old bike that can be made much better.
Very nice norco. I like to see all the pics of kids on bikes.
I guess a bike like that one will be 2 bikes down the road for my son. He is generally conservative and can control his bike down way below walking speed but he prefers to just bop along around 5 mph. He can do a virtual track stand at corners waiting for traffic to go. All his big mileage has been on the trail-a-bike which he enjoys. He finally started letting me pedal going down some hills (progressing through the continuum from riding the brake down hills through coasting down hills...).
My daughter is still too small for the t-a-b so she rides in the trailer for distance. She's a total daredevil, she will absolutely want me cranking hard down hills when she's on the trail-a-bike. When she got her 2-wheeler home (w/ training wheels) she hopped on it and pedaled half a mile uphill to my son's school, which some of his classmates still wind up getting off and pushing their bike up. Kids are funny.
rugerben
06-02-08, 03:53 PM
I would be honored to have a monster like that some day.
st0ut
06-02-08, 07:36 PM
Sixty fiver that is awesome my son was wondering when he could start doing the 12 mile loops on our club rides on his bike not the tab
knatchwa
06-03-08, 02:07 AM
to think of the excitement the future holds, good to see pics and stories on kids who grasp biking so well. Sixty Fiver: That is great to see and hear makes the day a bit better.
hardyweinberg: that is good to see, to look forward to one day I may have me one of those kids :)
st0ut
06-03-08, 11:33 AM
we think this is cute now when our kids ride at a good level at an early age..
are we going to think it cute when they are 14 and want a $4000 Carbon bike :)
remember she may want to be with a Prince soon :) Prince Paranello
atbman
06-03-08, 02:48 PM
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Boy, are you doomed, my friend. We've had kids like yours in our Saturday Bike Club. Before you know where you are, she will:
Prove to be a speed/skills/jump/endurance demon
Require a full stable of road/mountain/cyclo-cross/maybe bmx bikes
Have your lungs coming out of your mouth trying to keep up with her up hill
Have your heart coming out of another orifice going down a technical descent
Have you trekking across country to take part in kids/teenager/junior/senior/international races
Have you taking a coaching course so you can help her with the above
Do all the above because you knew how to coach her
Etc., etc., etc.,
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear
atbman
06-03-08, 02:49 PM
In short, yes.
HardyWeinberg
06-04-08, 10:27 AM
we think this is cute now when our kids ride at a good level at an early age..
are we going to think it cute when they are 14 and want a $4000 Carbon bike :)
Article from yesterday's paper:
As Psaltis' commitment to racing increases, the quality of his bike has also improved. He's gone from an old mountain bike to his dad's bike to a new carbon-fiber bike that weighs 16.8 pounds.
I'm with atbman on what the future holds for you though.:p
Kotts
06-04-08, 11:25 AM
Is this normal ?
Wait just a second here. You are a cyclist, and you are asking if your kid is normal?!? :roflmao2:
Normal for what?
If you're asking "Normal for a cyclist's kid" then the answer is "Heck, yeah"!
If you mean "Normal for today's overweight, underexcercised, videogame playing kid", then the answer is "No."
My daughter got a similarly equipped Trek 220 for her 8th birthday, because when she was 7 she went with me on a 17 mile (27 km) charity ride. Same results.
Enjoy it!
knatchwa
06-09-08, 08:04 PM
Keeps this one interesting, nice to hear about psalts that is good to hear.
chephy
06-14-08, 09:38 PM
Is this normal ? Nope. We're all in a lot of trouble. The kid will be taking over the world in a few years. *gulp*
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WAY TO GO! :)
Sixty Fiver
06-22-08, 12:34 PM
Last night was our first night ride (as a family) and we took a trip into the river valley to watch a "ride in" movie...
The distance was 8 km and included a long descent into the valley which the girls handled really well and both the girls were really cautious on a descent where I can easily hit 50 kmh on my own with little effort.
On the return we had to climb back out and my little monster stuck to my back wheel the whole time and sang her way to the top while her older brother, cousin, and sister struggled a little.
She already understands the concept of drafting.
And when we hit the last leg of the trip she kicked it up a few notches and with her headlight blazing and blinkies blinking, was hitting 25 kmh which stunned my friend who was riding home with us.
:D
JoelS
06-22-08, 05:11 PM
That's fantastic! My 6 year old has a toy store BMX type bike. It's pretty junkie, but he rides it well. He does 11 and 12 mile rides with me during the week. Speed is pretty slow, those rides usually take about 2 hours.
Last week we went to a local bike shop looking for a better ride for him. He got on one that was the right size, with 6 speeds (I think) and handbrakes. He took off like a shot on the test ride. The bike is exactly the right size for him. When he has the next growth spurt, it'll be too small. So we're going one size up. It's a hair big and I have to help him get started and catch him to stop, but when he's on it, he's moving. By the time his birthday rolls around in September, he might just be able to get it going on his own.
I got my 10 year old daughter a beautiful Raleigh Saffron which is the non folding version of the Raleigh Compact... it has an SA 3 speed (which I have geared down), fenders, generator lights, and will be a good ride unless she reaches a height of six foot 4.
With the seat and stem adjusted I can ride this bike although the Saffron is really set up as a ladies bike with a more compact tt than my Twenty, short reach brakes, and the very low step over is great for anyone.
She is very utilitarian and wants to join me on shopping trips and for that I do have some small paniers to fit her bike although am looking for nicer ones.
condiment
06-23-08, 03:04 AM
Teach her to trackstand. Then you will have created a monster
HardyWeinberg
06-23-08, 09:59 AM
I have a solution for growth spurts...
...
I got my 10 year old daughter a beautiful Raleigh Saffron which is the non folding version of the Raleigh Compact... it has an SA 3 speed (which I have geared down), fenders, generator lights, and will be a good ride unless she reaches a height of six foot 4.
That is a sweet ride and talk about flexibility.
She is very utilitarian and wants to join me on shopping trips and for that I do have some small paniers to fit her bike although am looking for nicer ones.
Cool. I don't know if one of these that my wife just got one of is too big or too pricy but it is pretty functional (w/ more form than just hurricane-grade pvc):
I had always bought my son bikes from the big box stores and he just rode around the neighborhood. Well, for his 11th birthday I was looking for a more appropriately sized bike, and after driving by our LBS he suggested we stop in.
Long story short we both got new Trek 4300 hardtails for his birthday, packed them up and went to the Virginia Creeper Trail and rode 18 miles! Not that there were any big hills, but we've been going strong since then. Actually 200 miles and counting since June 2nd.
He's now wanting to go car free and commute everywhere on bikes (which works for me).
Gotta love kids!
Tim
knatchwa
06-30-08, 10:13 PM
That is good to hear, and it keeps getting better, xbikes are never meant to last to long.
nice shots on the rocks :) Looking like she more then ready for whatever the trail throws at her :)
Quadranut
07-03-08, 06:57 PM
ditto to the above positive for you kid riding like she does ............. BTW...............
what's a video game and what's TV ??
sorry I couldn't resist
Many happy miles of trail to you
Red
Sixty Fiver
07-26-08, 06:51 PM
It was a father monster day today so we decided to take a ride down to the shop which is still a 20 km round trip... our time getting there was much faster today.
I expect that the girl's future riding mates are going to get used to this view...
The big sister was most pleased when she saw her new ride... it's like a larger version of her little sister's albeit with 15 speeds and a better parts spec.
She is sooooooo lucky to have a dad that has the know how to teach her these things. Perhaps when she gets older you two should open up your own co op...."65er and Daughter" She is going to be your legacy. And if you can get the older one into it too that would be even better! You can add 's' to the sign.
Sixty Fiver
07-27-08, 10:37 PM
They are both keen cyclists and if that is all there ever is, I will be a happy man.
And they are both pretty sweet and not really monster-like at all.
maddyfish
07-27-08, 10:48 PM
I love riding with my kids. Right now I have to watch out for my older daughter though, every now and again, she'll give me "the look" and try to take off.
Sixty Fiver
07-27-08, 11:02 PM
My 8 year old does that when we hit the bike path (where it is wide open) and I have clocked her at 25 kmh / 16mph... my oldest daughter is actually faster but much more cautious.
knatchwa
07-28-08, 10:35 AM
Keeps getting more exciting to see the progression that is good news. Great to see her grasping the potential.
Ka_Jun
07-28-08, 10:43 AM
I love riding with my kids. Right now I have to watch out for my older daughter though, every now and again, she'll give me "the look" and try to take off.
Ha! The day she drops you is the day you have to start worrying about it.
HardyWeinberg
07-28-08, 11:02 AM
And then she helped me lace up a wheel...
http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/fatherdaughter5.jpg
Nice to see her developing a trade, too. We took a 27 mile outing yesterday, 7 yr old on t-a-b w/ me, 3.5 yr old in trailer behind Mom. 7 yr old likes the long outings but doesn't really want to ride on his own outside the neighborhood. Apparently he can tolerate the descents out of our neighborhood on the t-a-b but really doesn't want to deal with them on his own bikes. He says he likes climbing hills, not going down. I wonder how much he'll like climbing them when he is the one doing more of the climbing. Anyway, it's past time for a geared 20"er for him.
happyfeet
07-28-08, 11:06 AM
The monster...
http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/danirocks2.jpg
I love this photo! It's like her eyes are saying, "Don't mess with me!" :eek::thumb:
atbman
07-28-08, 04:20 PM
Another word of advice. Never race your kids. One day they will beat you and your period of humiliation will last much, much longer
Sixty Fiver
07-28-08, 10:38 PM
I'll be more than happy to pass the torch to any of my kids that can drop me... :)
knatchwa
07-28-08, 11:14 PM
Great views, and says alot about who you are. Having no problem passing it on is a great thing.
HardyWeinberg
08-08-08, 09:55 AM
Ahhh, a Raleigh Rowdy. Picked one up for my 7 year-old's birthday last week. We did a nice 7.5 mile ride without any problems. Seems like a nice kids bike despite it being a little heavy.
Ordered one for my 7 yr old last night. He was having misgivings about parting w/ the 16"er my mom got him when he was 3 but riding the demo bike at the LBS sold him. Funny thing, he didn't want to ride it down the ramp out of the store but he was adamant about riding it back up the ramp into the store. I was asking him to *please* be careful going between this thing (http://www.feltracing.com/products/product.asp?catid=18,19,26&pid=8563) that was parked on the ramp and the post holding up the overhang but he threaded the needle just fine.
There was another bike he really coveted and he would probably even fit on it OK but he'll have time to get good and used to the 20"er while he's saving his pennies for that one (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/frontend/products/product_detail.aspx?productid=350&parentid=253), 'cause it's not in the household budget any time soon...
Sixty Fiver
08-08-08, 10:31 AM
My little monster got a new bike last weekend... I thought the 1972 Raleigh cruiser (a Fireball) might slow her down but the 3rd gear is actually higher than the 5th on her mtb.
I have a 12 year old daughter who started strong at 6 and has kept getting better. Last year I got her a nice small framed Diamondback Hybrid. She started doing MTB trails with me as well as riding on the road. Out of the blue she decided she wanted to do the Hilly Hundred with me. This is a pretty intense ride through the long hills close to Bloomington, Indiana. The 100 miles is 2-50 mile days. She not only did the whole ride, the 2nd day she rode every hill with out walking and one was a 20% grade for 2 tenths of a mile! This year, I have to work hard to not be dropped and she knows and loves it. I love having the time talking to her as we ride and so does she.
HardyWeinberg
08-17-08, 02:23 PM
Well he's totally digging the new bike:
http://home.comcast.net/~adrian_spidle/bike.jpg
He loves doing this hill over and over but I can't talk him into trying the hill to go downtown, ride out of the neighborhood, for that he will only ride on the trail-a-bike still.