Monday, March 30, 2009
The Big Need for Little Bikes
Originally published in Momentum magazine (print edition 35).
With Spring having sprung in B.C. there's no better time to be out riding with your kids. Each year brings a new crop of young cyclists and kids who've outgrown last year's ride. Below, some helpful tips and sizing information to make sure the itty-bitty-biker in your family enjoys their two-wheeled freedom.
“How about a campaign to bring back the kids’
starter bike of yore – or a contemporary version?”
Michael Clague
Vancouver, BC
Momentum reader Michael Clague has reason for concern. The inevitable Google search for youth bicycles delivers few modern interpretations of the simple, straightforward versions children used to ride. As with many adult models, the formerly utilitarian kid’s bike has become an off-road plaything, plagued by unnecessary features and overbuilt construction.
It’s not just a sentimental journey – to look down memory lane and find favor with the classic designs. Nor is it a feat of great prescience to suggest it’s time to revive the kind of bicycle that a child can use as daily transportation. Some builders are recognizing this trend. Better bikes await the discerning young rider. Some things to consider:
It Is About The Bike
The best bike almost always the lightest, most durable model in your price range. Unless it won’t get ridden because it’s the wrong style, colour, or brand.
“I know that some kids make better choices after hearing about a variety of bike types and their benefits… and some just want that new or cool thing that their friends have.” says Paul Bogaert of The Bike Doctor in Vancouver.
“Just don't get the cheapest one of that type available. That is the biggest mistake. Hopefully the family can negotiate a good decision and avoid an unnecessarily heavy or otherwise inappropriate bike – which may slow down their kids and make a family ride much slower and harder than need be.”
Sizing Them Up
Kid’s bikes come in five main sizes 12, 16, 20, and 24. Because for some reason all bike-sizing methods are confusing and different… the numbers in this instance refer to wheel size (in inches) rather than frame size. Typically, inseam length should be your guide to bike sizing rather than the child’s age, as kids all grow at different rates. Here’s a rough guide:
Age Child's Inseam Bike Size
2-4 years 14-17 inches 12 inches
4-6 years 16-20 inches 14 inches
5-8 years 18-22 inches 16 inches
6-9 years 20-24 inches 18 inches
7-10 years 22-25 inches 20 inches
9+ years 24-28 inches 24 inches
Giving Kids The Gears
The next factor to consider – brakes and gears. First-time riders at any age are probably going to be better off with a single-speed, coaster brake style bicycle so that they can concentrate on balancing, pedaling, and being aware of potential hazards. Fiddling with gears, or hand brakes that are too big for small hands will turn the joy of cycling into a frustrating exercise in failure. This could sour the child’s experience. That said, for older children capable of using gears, the additional range and speed they provide may make the investment worth it.
Kid’s Bikes – the next generation
“Kids should also enjoy riding a bicycle that is configured and built like a quality adult bicycle,” says Sean Virnig, the founder of Rawland Cycles in Northfield, Minnesota. Virnig is planning to unveil a new 24” children’s model at the 2008 Interbike show, based upon the ‘Olaf” a hand-built single-speed 650B sized adult bike.
“This model will allow kids to benefit from the proper riding position, unlike that of the BMX bicycle, which is really designed for out-of-the-saddle sprints and jumps around a BMX track,” adds Virnig.
Rawland isn’t the only manufacturer reacting to the need for a better kid’s bike. Miele’s Potenza Elite 2008, the Gary Fisher PreCaliber series, and even kid-size racing bicycles such as the Luath models from British builder Islabike point to an increasing array of quality choices. Which is a good thing because finding a reasonable deal on a vintage kid’s bike is practically impossible. High demand for yesteryear’s cachet, unsurprisingly, means high prices. What’s being sold of course is far more than just a bike. Classic children’s bikes evoke memories of freedom and adventure.
Michael Clague remembers, “When I set out to find bikes for grand-children I was looking for something similar to what I had bought for my daughter when she was 5 or 6… it extended her range and she could travel around the neighbourhood quite independently!”
The remembrance of rides past may imbue the view of Memory Lane with a rose-colored tint, but the bike is back – for young and old alike. Coming with it – a rebirth of classic bicycle functionality for children… and the rediscovery of a world where kids can get around on two wheels too.
“How about a campaign to bring back the kids’
starter bike of yore – or a contemporary version?”
Michael Clague
Vancouver, BC
Momentum reader Michael Clague has reason for concern. The inevitable Google search for youth bicycles delivers few modern interpretations of the simple, straightforward versions children used to ride. As with many adult models, the formerly utilitarian kid’s bike has become an off-road plaything, plagued by unnecessary features and overbuilt construction.
It’s not just a sentimental journey – to look down memory lane and find favor with the classic designs. Nor is it a feat of great prescience to suggest it’s time to revive the kind of bicycle that a child can use as daily transportation. Some builders are recognizing this trend. Better bikes await the discerning young rider. Some things to consider:
It Is About The Bike
The best bike almost always the lightest, most durable model in your price range. Unless it won’t get ridden because it’s the wrong style, colour, or brand.
“I know that some kids make better choices after hearing about a variety of bike types and their benefits… and some just want that new or cool thing that their friends have.” says Paul Bogaert of The Bike Doctor in Vancouver.
“Just don't get the cheapest one of that type available. That is the biggest mistake. Hopefully the family can negotiate a good decision and avoid an unnecessarily heavy or otherwise inappropriate bike – which may slow down their kids and make a family ride much slower and harder than need be.”
Sizing Them Up
Kid’s bikes come in five main sizes 12, 16, 20, and 24. Because for some reason all bike-sizing methods are confusing and different… the numbers in this instance refer to wheel size (in inches) rather than frame size. Typically, inseam length should be your guide to bike sizing rather than the child’s age, as kids all grow at different rates. Here’s a rough guide:
Age Child's Inseam Bike Size
2-4 years 14-17 inches 12 inches
4-6 years 16-20 inches 14 inches
5-8 years 18-22 inches 16 inches
6-9 years 20-24 inches 18 inches
7-10 years 22-25 inches 20 inches
9+ years 24-28 inches 24 inches
Giving Kids The Gears
The next factor to consider – brakes and gears. First-time riders at any age are probably going to be better off with a single-speed, coaster brake style bicycle so that they can concentrate on balancing, pedaling, and being aware of potential hazards. Fiddling with gears, or hand brakes that are too big for small hands will turn the joy of cycling into a frustrating exercise in failure. This could sour the child’s experience. That said, for older children capable of using gears, the additional range and speed they provide may make the investment worth it.
Kid’s Bikes – the next generation
“Kids should also enjoy riding a bicycle that is configured and built like a quality adult bicycle,” says Sean Virnig, the founder of Rawland Cycles in Northfield, Minnesota. Virnig is planning to unveil a new 24” children’s model at the 2008 Interbike show, based upon the ‘Olaf” a hand-built single-speed 650B sized adult bike.
“This model will allow kids to benefit from the proper riding position, unlike that of the BMX bicycle, which is really designed for out-of-the-saddle sprints and jumps around a BMX track,” adds Virnig.
Rawland isn’t the only manufacturer reacting to the need for a better kid’s bike. Miele’s Potenza Elite 2008, the Gary Fisher PreCaliber series, and even kid-size racing bicycles such as the Luath models from British builder Islabike point to an increasing array of quality choices. Which is a good thing because finding a reasonable deal on a vintage kid’s bike is practically impossible. High demand for yesteryear’s cachet, unsurprisingly, means high prices. What’s being sold of course is far more than just a bike. Classic children’s bikes evoke memories of freedom and adventure.
Michael Clague remembers, “When I set out to find bikes for grand-children I was looking for something similar to what I had bought for my daughter when she was 5 or 6… it extended her range and she could travel around the neighbourhood quite independently!”
The remembrance of rides past may imbue the view of Memory Lane with a rose-colored tint, but the bike is back – for young and old alike. Coming with it – a rebirth of classic bicycle functionality for children… and the rediscovery of a world where kids can get around on two wheels too.
No matter how much you love your first bike, there may come a time when you should consider a slightly larger size.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Taking Another Step Towards Taking The Lanes
“It will make the chicken debate look calm,” notes Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs during the March 18th meeting of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. He’s referring to the expected protestations from drivers, regarding the hoped-for implementation of a two lane reallocation trial on the Burrard Bridge later this year… and referencing the uproar that ensued when council advanced the idea of allowing city residents to keep chickens. And while much laughter accompanies Meggs’ mention of urban poultry, everyone in the room knows the first few days of the lane reallocation may be the make or break moment for the proposal.
And if the trial doesn't work out, cyclists can all buy water-bikes and still get across False Creek via pedal power without sucking exhaust fumes or dodging pedestrians!
Meggs’ comments come at the end of a report on trial preparations by David Rawsthorne, the city engineer tasked with the unenviable job of balancing the needs of advocates and critics, overcoming traffic flow challenges, and making the reallocation trial a reality. Rawsthorne is here on his day off, fielding questions and concerns from the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and asking the B.A.C. to make a motion formally supporting the two-lane trial. It’s the urban design equivalent of grunt work, the meetings and discussions armchair experts don’t have to engage in when proclaiming their ‘obvious’ solutions to improving a traffic network that moves millions of people around Metro Vancouver every day. Rawsthorne faces a friendly crowd tonight however. Committee members are eager to see this initiative gain momentum.
Two issues dominate the discussion. Identifying the feeder routes that will funnel cyclists to the bridge and ensuring communications between the public, media, and city representatives relay factual information and helpful solutions during the transition.
Advisory Committee members want to make sure that nearby bike routes aren’t flooded with drivers seeking shortcuts, a situation that could actually dissuade cyclists from the most sensible paths to the bridge and likely to raise the ire of area residents. They want the City to identify the best ways to get cyclists to the new lanes and make sure they’re clearly marked. Luckily, monitoring traffic and putting up signage is pretty straightforward. Good data and a small budget are all that’s needed to bring the bikers to the bridge.
Sharing the good news however, may not be as cut and dried. Meggs says council is going to need to know exactly how the trial is going from the outset. The media will be eager for comment. Critics will be ready and willing to exploit any flaws be they real or perceived. Everyone recognizes the threat to the trial inherent in a basic tenet of the news business. “Two Lane Trial Goes Unnoticed” isn’t the kind of headline encouraging one to take a free copy of the papers proffered by orange and green smocked human newsstands seemingly stationed at every busy street corner and transit hub in the downtown core.
And there it sits. No date has yet been set to take the matter before council, but the day approaches. When it does, judging from City Council’s interest in the process, approval seems likely. At that point, it’s a matter of a couple months to put barriers and signage in place and get the trial underway. A big change to the bridge seems imminent. This summer, be it a Point Grey gathering with canapés and champagne, or a Mount Pleasant kegger featuring quinoa and cannabis, determining whether that change is for good or ill is bound to be one hot topic.
Labels: Burrard Bridge, city council, cycling, lane reallocation, Vancouver
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
BMX and Mountain Bike Park proposed for Vanier Park in Kitsilano
Consideration is being given to a BMX/mountain bike facility in Vanier Park. The public is invited to an open house to learn more about this proposal and to make comments.
Mar 31, 2009
5:00pm to 8:00pm,
Vancouver Museum,
Local History Lab
1100 Chestnut Street
More info:
Mark Vulliamy
Manager of Research and Planning
604-257-8461
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