Yes, time for a new bike. $225 down the drain -- well, son got 2 years of use? Amortize etc.
In my own very limited experience -- with my sole child, daughter Catie -- coaster brakes are the brake of choice for children until their hands are strong enough and big enough to handle *good* rim brakes; say *decent quality and well set up* V brakes. Since a small child will usually rides rather slowly in a position that puts more than 50% of his-er-her weight over the rear wheel with a fattish tire, a coaster brake isn't the liability it would be if it were on a skinny tired wheel supporting less weight at greater speed. But I daresay your boy is old and large enough now for *good* rim brakes. Patrick "thoughtful, intelligent, early 60s guy" Moore with a 14 1/2 year old daughter who is alas no longer interested in riding a bicycle (and has very little time for one, with all her other activities). On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 1:27 PM, LeahFoy <jonasandle...@gmail.com> wrote: > This morning started out rather horrifyingly. Our bike commute to school > is almost 2.5 miles downhill, and most of that at a precarious grade. As we > were entering the grounds my older son says, "Mom, my brakes barely work." > And wow, just wow. I don't know at what point they failed, but squeezed all > the way, the brakes barely even slowed the bike. A miracle from God Himself > that we did not have a major accident. I kissed the boys goodbye, headed > home and returned with the van. I decided to use this opportunity to fix > the Specialized's brakes and have a little chat with a bike mechanic about > the Giant. > > I didn't go to the LBS where I bought the Giant because 1. it's a very > long drive 2. I adore the guys in REI's bike department. I handed the bikes > off to the mechanic and waited for his findings. The brakes on the > Specialized are a bit of a mystery, but new cables and brake pads were > mandatory, as was the tune-up it has never had. Got the bike in 2nd grade, > now we're halfway through 4th grade :/ Meanwhile, I asked the mechanic, who > is a thoughtful, intelligent, early-60s guy to give me his opinion. He > knows the hill of which I speak - roadies consider it a challenge to be > conquered on weekends. He lifted up the Giant and said, "This bike weighs a > LOT. Much more than ours weigh." And indeed, the 24 inch Specialized is > lighter than the 20 inch Giant! When I told him my son only ways *maybe* 50 > pounds, he was incredulous. "This bike is at least 25 pounds, and probably > more. Well, I'll tell you this, I know two things. 1. You have a really > good kid. Most kids would have refused to ride that route. This bike is not > any fun to ride for a 50 pound kid. Especially not up THAT hill. 2. You > have a really good relationship with your kid, since he does ride it and > doesn't complain." And this is dually true - my L is the single most > self-directed kid I've ever met. And also, L KNOWS how I love to bike to > school. He won't complain because he knows biking makes me happy and that > it's supposed to be good for kids. > > The mechanic said there was nothing meaningful I could do for this bike, > and if it was him, he'd sell it. The resistance is something about "the > hub" and there's not much to do about it. The gearing is somewhat > ridiculous, he pointed out. I could have wept. Wasted $225 on that Giant, > and made my child ride the horrid beast up the most challenging hill in > town. Every day. For months. I feel worse about this than I do about > forking out more money for a child's bike. > > When he gets home I'm measuring his PBH. Maybe I can get him on an > Islabike that will last for a few years. > > Thanks for all the help and the recommendations. I'll let you know what we > get in place of the dreaded Giant. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************************************************** ************** *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the world revolves.) *Carthusian motto *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
