Since Abigail has more than outgrown her first bike, given to her a few Christmases ago, we decided it was time for a larger one. I’d checked out what was available in a 20inch girl’s bicycle at Walmart and Target, but just last weekend came across a slightly used Trek Mystic on Craigslist for much less than most of the bikes at either of those “bargain” stores. Abigail and her Daddy went to check out the bike, and arrived home an hour later with her new wheels! Perhaps most exciting, Abigail paid for a third of this “new” bike with her own saved money. She and Jay spent a little time giving the bike a tune-up, and then Abigail got to pose for a picture (though the chain guard is still removed for fixing). I think she is going to like cruisin’ along on her cool Trek!!
Dang, a Trek before she’s even 10! Craigslist definitely warrants more of my attention.
Hey!
We made the mistake of buying a bicycle at a “discount store” for not one, but BOTH of our girls for Christmas a few years ago. All I can say is that they are JUNK. Heavy, difficult-to-maneuver, and an all around pain in the tookus, esp. b/c one of them needed to add training wheels. We wised up (wose up?) this year and got Susanna a Mini Mesa (made by Schwinn) and it’s light and it only took her about 2 days to ride it WITHOUT training wheels (because of the way the bike was made, there was no way to attach them anyway!).
So, what am I saying? Skip the discount stores and buy the real stuff. Craigslist, the local paper classifieds, wherever you can find it. Friends don’t let friends mess with JUNK. Can I get an “Amen”? 🙂
I’m way impressed that Abigail paid for part of the bike herself. What a great lesson in saving and spending wisely. Way to go!
Nice wheels, Abigail! And nice front yard, J&T.
Both my girls have the exact same bike (and color!). They are great bikes, very stable and easy to ride even “off road”.
-Scott