serotta for a toddler?

[emiljay]

My youngest is just turning 2, and so is fascinated by everything my wife & I spend time doing. Bikes are no exception. So what's the best way to get her going?

Friends in Munich have one of these:

http://www.likeabikeusa.com/

Very cool (see the cycling.tv promo if you haven't), but at $280 I've got to wonder about the value. Anyone using this with their kiddies?

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . at the age of 2 he's too young for any kind of ride-it-yourself stuff yet that would actually take him outdoors.

Do you currently take him riding in a kid's seat or in a trailer? That would probably get him familiar with the sensation of movement. Getting him a matching jersey or helmet "just like Dad's" might also help.

I know I'm often a goof on the forum, but I'm serious about this one!

BBDave

[davep]

For my son's third birthday we got him this

Specialized kids bike (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9398&JServSessionIdroot=y46wjceqxn.j27010)

and he loves it. Half the price of what you have listed, and we got it used (barely) for half of that. (Which is why he ended up with a pink bike. That, and because Bill Bove says it OK :) ) You could do the same thing as the Likeabike by lowering the seat and taking off the training wheels

[zap]

Litespeed at one time had a Ti trike.

[christian]

I don't have any kids, and am not planning on any.

But come on, that Like-a-Bike thing is so cooooooool! You should totally get one.

All that said, I agree with Dave P, and think you could probably achieve the same thing by moving the saddle down on a small frame and removing the cranks, bb, and chain, to create your own homemade hobby horse.

But, no seriously, you should get the Like-a-Bike. And stain it red like a Richard Sachs.

- Christian

[slowgoing]

put some Serotta stickers on his department store bike. It's cheaper.

[92degrees]

My son got a Red Ryder trike when he was 2.5 years and he wore it out. He's on a Specialized 16" Rock Hopper now which is one sturdy little bike. He LOVES that bike.

[djg]

We also got an attachable child seat, but that didn't work well for long.

I think she was four when I got a trail-a-bike.

Obviously, trikes and bikes were worked into the mix too, but at two years of age the trailer was the only thing that allowed a child to come along while I was (or we were) actually riding. The trailer worked very well, by the way, for limited and well-provisioned periods of time. She really enjoyed being out and rolling for 1-2 hours, but not for a long ride.

[Bruce K]

Trek makes a trike.

BK

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . those titanium Litespeed tricycles were about $400.

I'm sure Ben would build you whatever you want if you wave enough bills around! ;)

BBDave

[yeehawfactor]

i've been amusing myself with thoughts of a serotta unicycle. but i'm not sure if i want steel or ti......

[PanTerra]

Colnago has their Junior bike (http://www.trialtir-usa.com/2005-colnago/kids-bike/jr-full-bike-mp.htm)

[christian]

Wow, given how short the chainstays are (314mm), that bike must be really fast!

Reductio ad absurdum,
- Christian

[Kevan]

when my rugrats got to be 4-5 years old we strapped them (not really) onto one of these:

http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/400/30_5965.jpg

My son would sit back there giggling like a fool when we'd go mountain biking and mud would be flying off my rear wheel at him.

These things are the best way for the kid to participate and stay safe and under control of an adult.

Highly recommended and the resale value was 75% of what I paid 3-4 years earlier.

[PanTerra]

Wow, given how short the chainstays are (314mm), that bike must be really fast!

Reductio ad absurdum,
- Christian

Here is a pic

[Dr. Doofus]

get the likeabike and put some ADAs on it!

[Bittersweet]

Works like a champ. Kids love it. Artwork for your wall when they are done with it. Trains them to get going on two wheels well before a trike or bike with training wheels. The key is that the bars don't turn that much so the front wheel never flops over and they don't fall as much - plus their feet aren't on pedals but pushing them along.

Cost is high I admit. Luckily the neighbors got one from a grandparent and now all four of our kids ride it.

Age 2 seems super early and you should note that there isn't huge size adjustability on Likeabike. It is not an infinitely adjustable seatpost (within a range) like an adult bike. There are holes in the wooden "post" giving a few fixed sizes. In the neighborhood the 3.5+ kids ride it but all kids take to things at different times and I don't know your children - you're call. Overall, super cool and on a gentle hill our 5 year old girls go mad with it.

Little kids love Kettler trikes which have adjustable frames as they grow. Invest in one with the detachable push handle to save your back and sanity. One model also has a freewheel which helps them keep their feet on the pedals as you push them back home when they are wailing with exhaustion. Oh the joy of toddlers.