Saturday, January 12, 2013

Boys and Bikes

I admit this is one Christmas present I was hoping would not happen. I avoided the subject as much as possible with hopes that Ryan wouldn't find time to buy it, and I'd be left to buy Trenton something totally tame for his Christmas present. :) But bikes of all kinds are in my husband's blood, so I should have known he'd pull it off! He had the motorcycle shipped directly to Provo, and we managed to pack our suitcases and other gifts around it in the trunk to get it back home with us to California. 

Since then, we've ridden it a couple of times, but only as practice runs in empty parking lots. Today was our first day taking it to our beloved "Shells," a beautiful, hidden spot with sculpted biking hills, right next to the bay. 

Today we also bought T a dirt biking helmet. Our 4 1/ 2-year-old wears an adult small, and even that is a little snug! (I love how it compresses his cheeks!) I think he loves the helmet almost as much as the motorcycle. It hasn't left his side all day, and he's sleeping with it right now as I type! 

He did SO well on the hills today! He was the perfect amount of cautious, starting out slow and only choosing hills that he thought were manageable. He was much more confident after a couple of hours of practice. 

Even Chase got some practice in today! Ryan would hold onto the handle bars, like you see below, and run/push from behind. But it was Chase using the throttle! So funny! He was giggling the whole way. (And it gave his dad a pretty good workout!) 




The funniest was when we let them try it together, with Ryan holding on/staying really close. 

Even though this bike is electric and small enough to fit in our trunk, it's still a leap for me to let our kids get into motorcycling this young. But watching Trenton today, I could see how it challenges him mentally and physically—teaches him to know his limits but also to push them gradually. I'm curious to see how this whole hobby plays out over the years. 

And who knows? Maybe someday we'll live in place where it's a little more feasible for Dad to have one of his own! 

4 comments:

  1. Wowsers brave Mom. I thought we were talking like a normal bike and I didn't get what the big deal was, especially since I'm pretty sure you've posted pics of T riding a bike. So man, you're brave. He sounds like a pro already.

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  2. I see some future motocross boys!

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  3. What can a cautious grandma say? Good exercise...nice vitamin D. Have fun. Family times are the best. Loved the pictures!

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  4. Those boys are going to be daredevils like their dad! Looks like fun. And kinda scary too, but I'm sure they loved it!

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