Learning to Ride

Last night we finally broke down and purchased Madison her first two wheel bike. I could not believe that she has not ridden a 'real bike' but it appears she was very eager to learn. We went to WalMart (sorry it's not a Trek) to find a bike that would meet her demands for 'girly' with some options for a bike that will grow with her ... and cost a reasonable amount.

We settled on a 18 speed mountain bike.... 24". It is a little big but she can still straddle the cross bar and touch the ground (on her toes) but at the rate she is growing a 20" bike was going to last 6 months. The bike has front and rear breaks and should serve her well for a couple of years.

We got home at sun set and had to find time to figure out how to get training wheels (for her psychological support) on a bike with a derailer. With about 1o minutes left of day light we tried to learn to ride. We continued for about 40 minutes in the dark practicing up and down the street. The first couple of strides up and down the street there was a lot of panic as she swayed left and right or as we approached parked cars. She eventually settled down and was ridding on her own (only if Dad was right next to her) up and down the street. Tonight we will give it another go and hopefully throw the training wheels away by Monday.

(Photos tomorrow)