uncleDUH!: January 2009

Serveral months, maybe even a year ago, Toby asked to have the training wheels taken off his bike so he could learn to ride on just 2 wheels. So I did. After aprox. 72 seconds of maybe 2-3 attempts to learn to ride on just 2 wheels he announced; "Put the wheels back on. I'll learn when I am 7."

Two months ago my wife located (in some swank, hippy catalog) a natural wood, 2-wheeled, training bike. It was an over prices, 2-wheeler with no peddles to get in the way of learning to balanced on a bike. So of course, we went with the "getto" approach...just take the peddles off the boys bikes. After a good 30 minutes of valuent effort, I decided that kids bikes are not made so that the crank shafts can be removed by mortal man. However, I did discover that when you give up on removing the crank shafts and leave the lock washers loose, they make a lovely tinkling sound when you peddle...which of course becomes very annoying with in about 2.7 seconds.

So, long story short. Gampa takes the boys out Sabbath afternoon to "ride" bikes.

--Gampas are not "mear mortal men"--

Not 5 minutes later (I'm sure) I walk out to ...

Did I mention that Gampa had them BOTH riding 2-wheeled?!?!?!?!

We decide to go on a Sabbath afternoon walk (adults--chase!) and boys ride. The boys raced to the end of the street and very impatiently waited for us to catch up to them, so that Gampa could hold their seats for them to start again (for the 6 remaining feet to the stop sign). However, again impatient, this time from having to walk his bike along the more busy road to the next block, Toby pushed his bike around the corner and discovered that he could start without Gampa's help. Then before the end of the block he figured out how to turn around in the road so that he didn't have to stop and yet again wait on the slow adults at the end of the block.

What amazing success in such a short time. Now if they could just figure out how to STOP!