You that Lil' Chic and Brainy Boy just learned to ride their bikes. Hero Guy and I decided that with camping trips coming up and summer quickly arriving, he and I also needed to grab us a couple so we could go riding as a family. In serious Hero Guy style, no sooner did I mention the idea than we were out of the house in a flash to scope out the selection, not at a proper bike shop, but the the old favorite 'have-anything-you-need from bread to socks' Walmart. The selection proved to be good, the price proved to be right, and the color proved to be suitable. We each found budget-variety, run-of-the-mill bikes for around $70.
No sooner had we gotten them loaded into the back of the monster truck than we were planning our first outing for as soon as the kiddos arrived home from school. A quick trek over to the local park with riding path proved that $70 gets you a bike frame, two wheels and not much more. We looked good, but the riding was a bit rough. First of all, the gear-shifting mechanism on a budget bike is not exactly what you would call smooth. All sorts of clicking racket lets you know that your chain is in danger of falling off. Second, the seat cushioning that comes standard does not give adequate protection against the friction that occurs. I will admit that we had a really fun time and we plan to go again tonight, but when you see us waddle into church on Sunday morning, you won't need to ask--you'll know we've been biking.
No sooner had we gotten them loaded into the back of the monster truck than we were planning our first outing for as soon as the kiddos arrived home from school. A quick trek over to the local park with riding path proved that $70 gets you a bike frame, two wheels and not much more. We looked good, but the riding was a bit rough. First of all, the gear-shifting mechanism on a budget bike is not exactly what you would call smooth. All sorts of clicking racket lets you know that your chain is in danger of falling off. Second, the seat cushioning that comes standard does not give adequate protection against the friction that occurs. I will admit that we had a really fun time and we plan to go again tonight, but when you see us waddle into church on Sunday morning, you won't need to ask--you'll know we've been biking.
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