Recent roadside rescues

[ailbhe]

In recent weeks we have found, abandoned by the side of the road, a bike, a seesaw-cum-roundabout, and a scooter. The scooter doesn't work but the others do.

The seesaw is set up in the garden even now; it needed no attention.

The bike is a pink Barbie one, with slight damage to the saddle. It basically needs oiling and the height of the saddle needs to be adjusted; then we need to work out how to obliterate the most offensive parts of the pink Barbie ness of it. Then Linnea can cycle it, possibly with stabilisers. But cycling is hard.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of trikes for kids up to the 4-5 range, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist. :) I just don't see the littlies getting balance and control in the same way on a two-wheeler.

That said, a kid on a trike is a remarkably slow creature. For getting places as a family, a bike would certainly be faster.

Yay for re-using stuff. :D

[ailbhe]

She won't be cycling for getting places for a long, long time. But a bike for play is a lovely thing, I think. She also has a trike, but wants the bike.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Agent Weasel learned to ride a bike when she was five. Took her about ten days to get off the training wheels. Then again, she is a determined little thing.

[flybabydizzy.livejournal.com]

Plasticote spray, about a fiver a can - not very good for the environment, tho.
A packet of stickers would be a fairly cheap, short term solution.
Diz

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Paint.

My parents recycled (har) one bike between three kids by judicious use of paint jobs. My bike was green. It was painted yellow for my little brother, and then red (well, pink really) for my other brother. It was only when the boys were asked to sand it back for repainting to give to a younger cousin that we learned the truth of the "new bike".

[k425.livejournal.com]

Take the pedals off it for a few days so she can learn to balance on two wheels while scooting, then put the pedals back on?

Jack's almost big enough for his pedalless bike...

[naath.livejournal.com]

I've never taught a child to ride... but I am given to understand that http://sheldonbrown.com/teachride.html contains useful advice, especially on the proper use of stabilisers.

I'd guess at it being a while before L. will be able to ride any distance, but I recall cycling to the nearby park and back as young as 6 or 7 (accompanied by a parental unit of course).

As someone else suggested - covering the bike in stickers of Linnea's choice might be a good way to cover up the offensive Barbieness and also to personalise the bike to her taste assuming you don't mind the thing looking hideous.