Hitting the trails with my oldest grandson

As we get closer to the summer, I'm starting to think about those beautiful days where I can get out on my bike and do some miles in the saddle.

Every summer my oldest grandson comes out from South Carolina to spend the summer here in Laramie. One of my cherished activities to do with him is riding bikes. For those of you that don't know, my wife and I have started a collection of kids bikes for all of our grandkids. We've got a 16" wheel Trek and a 20" wheel Trek. As Isaac's grown, he's put many miles on both of these bikes. He learned to ride on the 16"

Last summer it was very obvious that Isaac was ready for something bigger. He was getting a little too cramped on the bike and he was urging to have something with "gears and brakes like yours Opa". Isaac and I have done a lot of exploring our neighborhood, including trudging up some steep hills. He wants to be able to ride further and see more of the city. So it was obvious that our next thing to do was to find a bigger bike that had hand brakes and multiple gears. Isaac is ready to spread his wings! 

With that knowledge, I did a little research on kids' bike sizing. I didn't know if it was like adult bikes where frame size matters. I took a look at the Trek Bicycle web site and they gave their suggestions and that as kids grow, they move up with regard to wheel size. Since Isaac had outgrown the 16" and 20" bikes (which I hope his younger brothers and his cousin will someday ride), the next step up was a 24" wheel. Trek had some great options for me to look into. 

If you don't, we don't purchase bikes brand new, we preserve ones that are no longer loved. With that, my brother Chris was able to locate a Cannondale Cujo 24 kids mountain bike. 

2018-2019 Cannondale Cujo 24

Of course it didn't look like this when it was found. It was missing the front wheel and it was in need of some TLC. I've been quite busy with other things up here this winter, so my brother volunteered to go over it and get it safe and rideable again. He was able to locate a 24" mountain bike wheel with a hub with disk brake mounts, a very rare item.

Now that Uncle Chris has got the Cujo ready for the summer, I'm really excited to be able to go even further and faster with Isaac. It will be an opportunity to see more of Laramie from a new perspective and teach him more about riding a bike safely. He is going to be so excited when he gets, and Opa will be even more excited!