03 June 2011

New Addition To The Cycling Family

Okay we've turned into the Super Sport Family. I am so happy we're making the most of the beautiful place we live in and spending lots of time outside. We realized a few weeks ago that we'd hit a fork in the road with family cycling. The Bug can really whip around on her bike with training wheels and is probably just a couple of weeks away from losing the training wheels. But she doesn't have the strength to ride for more than a couple of miles. She has also outgrown the kid seat on the back of Dad's bike. So for this summer that means we would have no mobility to ride to many favorite nearby locations or any real distance.

Last weekend we bought the REI Novara Afterburner trailer bike. We started doing research on these last year but thought it might not be necessary.It worked out to buy it new with 25% off, plus with REI co-op rebates we both had. These trailer bikes can easily be found used online for $70-$100, although some of them look a little beat up. They hold their value well too so even if we only use this for a year and then sell it in the end it would only cost us about $50. The great part about this is that customer reviews report that kids can manage rides up to 15 miles on this trailer bike, no problem. They can sit and coast if they get tired. 

So last night we took our first ride. We expected she'd hook up on her dad's bike but then we realized with the kid's seat on the back of his bike, she would not be able to see very well. So I tried it on my bike. I have to say it was MUCH easier than I expected. We took several turns in the garage practicing then headed out on the streets. We rode all around our neighborhood. It was really fun. Here we come world.

Happy Friday! Have a fantastic weekend!

image by REI

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...