A six-year-old’s cycling journey
We love setting up children up on their first bikes and seeing them progress up to riding adult size models. Knowing that they are developing a skill for life and having loads of fun along the way is highly rewarding.
Lexi is a great example. She started learning to ride as a toddler on a Kickster balance bike then progressed up to a Trek Wahoo, multi-speed kids’ bike. Her mum and dad bought her first bike from Red Kite Cycles when she was just 3 years old.
Mum Louise said:
“She loved whizzing around on the Kickster and learnt to balance and cruise along really well.
It gave her the skills to steady and steer a bike from the youngest possible age and get used to wearing a helmet.
Aged 4, she went straight on to a one speed child’s bike without any stabilisers. Off she went, it was quite incredible!
She had to get used to pushing off and stopping, and there were a few bumps but she quickly got the hang of it and now is a very confident rider.”
Lexi now rides a Trek Wahoo -– a lightweight, mini-version of an adult hybrid with gear levers designed for small hands. The beauty of Trek kids’ bikes is that they are really durable and built to the same high standard as their adult bikes. Not only do they ride properly for years, they can be handed on to other family members or friends when a child graduates to their next bike.
Louise commented: “Kids are learning to cycle much earlier – around 4 or 5 – through using balance bikes. We certainly didn’t as kids and had stabilisers which took us longer to make progress on. Children also get taught bike safety at school and are encouraged to cycle to school.
“Lexi loves her bike and gets a real buzz going fast and down hills. She’s got used to the gears and understands when to use them and she’s also mastered the brakes especially down hills and on the road. The Wahoo’s gearing allows her to control the bike properly.
“She loves the freedom she gets when cycling ahead of us, having her little adventures and singing to herself. She also really enjoys family bike rides and rides with friends, and chatting as she cycles.
“Lexi’s picked us strong safety awareness too. If she ever sees someone not wearing a helmet on their bike, she says, ‘that’s not very safe is it?!'”
We’re delighted Lexi’s got the cycling bug and wish her many happy years of riding!
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