Commuting - Why my 3 year old daughter wants a bike for Christmas

So my daughter told me she wants a bike for Christmas. She has seen me several times depart our house for my commute into DC. She says she wants the bike so she can "ride into the big city with dad."

My wife says that whenever they are out and they see a bicyclist on the trail, she'll ask if that is dad.

It's never too early to get them started.

That's great! You are setting a very good example.

Can you share your commuting route? I'm planning to commute from Annandale to Arlington.

Can you share your commuting route? I'm planning to commute from Annandale to Arlington.

It's basically some side streets until I hit the W&OD Trail about 3/4 mile from my house. Then I take the W&OD to the Custis Trail to the Mt. Vernon Trail and then over the 14th Street Bridge to the National Mall which is very close to where I work.

Check out the www.waba.org page for more tips, that's Washington Area Bicyclist Association. They have a ton of good information.

That's adorable!

My kids are 3, and they're fascinated by Daddy's bikes too. I think we'll get them bikes for their 4th birthday.

It's never too early to get them started.

True true.

Just be mindful of weight. We bought my son a Schwinn bike made for kids when he was 3 and even though they're built like a tank, they're just way to freekin' heavy. He never wanted to ride the darn thing. Now that he's 8 we got him another Schwinn but he's much stronger and better able to ride (like the wind I may add) the bike.

Nice!

My son is six and has been riding for a couple of years. He's now insisting he needs a bike with gears, and none of my efforts have been able to convince him otherwise. Ever tried to find a bike with gears that will fit a six year old? LOL

True true.

Just be mindful of weight. We bought my son a Schwinn bike made for kids when he was 3 and even though they're built like a tank, they're just way to freekin' heavy. He never wanted to ride the darn thing. Now that he's 8 we got him another Schwinn but he's much stronger and better able to ride (like the wind I may add) the bike.

My 3 1/2 year old goes on rides in the trailer a couple of times a week and sees me coming home daily.

We're getting him a 16" (tires) specialized hotrock for Christmas. The weight is SO much different. At Bike Mart in Richardson, he can scoot around without issue (on the training wheels). We took him to Toys R Us, and he could hardly get the equivalent size bike moving even when standing up on the pedals.

Whats funny was my wife's reaction at Toys R Us - "We're getting him that Specialized. I don't care how much more it costs. There's no WAY I'm lifting this bike when you aren't around!"

Nice!

My son is six and has been riding for a couple of years. He's now insisting he needs a bike with gears, and none of my efforts have been able to convince him otherwise. Ever tried to find a bike with gears that will fit a six year old? LOL

Tell them that single speeds are all the rage in high school. He's riding like the big kids.

Skip the training wheels!!! We started our now 4.5 year old on a balance bike when he was 2 and moved him to a Hotrock at 4. It literally took all of 5 minutes to transition from the balance bike to the pedal bike. Not if I I take him out I have to run or bike to keep up.

I got my son a balance bike when he was 2 and a half - he loved the thing. He's now 3 and will turn 4 in a month. We just took his 16" pedal bike to the park yesterday and took the training wheels off. I started him off down a little slope and he took off pedaling. That was it - he has it.

It was pretty crazy to see. He just went straight to pedaling around the park for 5 minutes at a time, without ever going through any wobbling / needing to be held up phase. I think those pedal-less balance bikes are a great way to go. He is extremely proud of himself. He kept saying "I can do it", and "now I can ride just like the big people". An awesome day, for sure.

To the poster looking for a geared bike for a 6 year old - they're out there - look for a 20" kids mountain bike.

That's great but you're gonna tell her she can't right?

Tell them that single speeds are all the rage in high school. He's riding like the big kids.
The problem is Dad doesn't ride a single speed, and right now I'm who he wants to be like. That will probably change in two or three years. :)

good stuff. i took my little one on her bike seat for a 6 mile round trip christmas shopping today for the first time, with her helmet and everything (she's nearly two) and she had a great time. she already has 2 bikes! both gifts...

My daughter loves bikes, and she's not 2 yet. If we could find a decent 10" wheeled pedal bike, she might have it :) . Last time in my LBS, she sat on a 12" and could pedal a quarter turn, but she refused to get off the bike! And after we took her off, she kept running back to it to get on :D

Don't get me started on what she does when I get the trainer out...

JeffC, it's all good until she starts dropping you :)

I can't hold a candle to my 18yo son. Kid is just too freaking fast!! LOL But is 18'th is Dec, He wants a set of Zipps, so it doesn't get cheaper either

-R

That great......I would say go for it. I've had a great time with bikes and my son.

My son never had a tricycle. He had a little 16 wheeled bike with training wheels. when he was 3 1/2 he brought me a cresent wrench and insisted the wheels come off.....and he hasn't stopped since.

from there he went to a 20" trek mt. bike.....a neighbors hand be down.

Then it was/is a a 20 in haro BMX that santa brought (he still has a blast on it...but the first video he showed me of is 15 foot jump nearly gave me a heart attack...not the jump, but that he had his buddies lay on the ground under the ramp.......that got stopped)

This summer I fixed up a univega for him......which he thought was not to cool (he will be 12 a couple of days) until he rode the bike realized how fast it is.

Now I work to keep up........ rats!

The problem is Dad doesn't ride a single speed, and right now I'm who he wants to be like. That will probably change in two or three years. :)
Just get yourself a singlespeed :)

My 6 year old just learned to balance yesterday! He's way tall for his age and has a 20" bike. I followed Sheldon's Brown advice and put him on a 16" bike with the seat low enough so his feet could easily get to the ground. My 3.5 year old rides another 16" with training wheels and tells me when he's bigger he wants a "crazy bike like daddy". That would be my recumbent bike, lol.

My son, now five, got his first bike for his 3rd birthday. And he loves it. My daughter, now three, got a Disney Princess bike for her birthday in Sept. She doesn't ride it much, but she loves to hug it. But she watches her big brother tear around the driveway on his and really wants to keep up so I'm betting soon she'll be riding with him. Never too early to get started.

Nice!

My son is six and has been riding for a couple of years. He's now insisting he needs a bike with gears, and none of my efforts have been able to convince him otherwise. Ever tried to find a bike with gears that will fit a six year old? LOL

How about:

For a five year old: http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn20.html

And six: http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn20lrg.html

Road racing by the time they're eight...!: http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath24.html


If you do want a fixie track bike for a six-year-old: http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/reis.html
But I mean, toe straps at six - they should be going clipless by then...

My daughter is now 16 months old. We have been biking with her in the child seat for 4-5 months now. This is her usual form of commute to the daycare, on dad's or mom's bike, although we have to drive her perhaps once a week or so. She loves cycling and demands that every morning. "Cycling" (in Icelandic language) was one of her 15-20 first words. Sometimes she brings her little helmet to me and demands "cycling!".
We are really proud of our little cyclist!

Keep up the good work, Dad! :thumb:

We started out w/ a tricycle @ 2 and a Strider balance bike, he's turning 4 next month and can ride a 12" w/o training wheels. +1 to the folks chasing their kids around, most of the time, it works better to be riding, as well.

You should get her one! In fact I wouldn't even wait for Xmas. I bought one for my daughter (actually she has two now) and take her out when I can. She'll be 3 this xmas!

BTW, my daughter thinks I'm Paulo Bettinni in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vrTVB5yPYw

My little girl, slightly over one and a half year old, loves riding her tricycle. One of the first words she learned is 'bike'. Feels great :)