Just an update: she has been practicing with the "strider" bike and is doing well with balance, steering, and braking. She asked me to raise the saddle a bit and put the pedals back on. Right now, it's in a low gear and I told her not to worry about shifting.
In the meantime, I got bored and needed a project, so her Contessa is being upgraded from a Sora 3X8 driveline to Tiagra 2X10. I found a sub-compact crankset (48-34) with 165mm arms and all the other 'goodies' (derailleurs, brifters, BB. etc.) Those skinny tires and wheels are being replaced by the Easton 700X25c wheels and tires from my Zwift bike, along with the Ultegra brake calipers. When she feels ready to move up to the Contessa, I'll mount it on the trainer so she can get comfortable with shifting. Maybe some hills in Zwift will help her understand how to use the gearing properly.
Oh yeah, the girls decided a spa morning beats riding.
