Sometimes Love is really expensive...

My son, j is 9. He has encountered some developmental and spatial issues that have, so far, prevented him from being able to learn to ride a bike. We have purchased two bikes in the past three years and have spent countless hours coaching him on how to ride, but without much success. After many tries, he became frustrated to the point of tears and gaves up. Each time, the bikes met their demise, first in a wreck or two and then finally serving as the plaything for his alter ego, Destructo-Man. Luckily, we didn't spend too much on them...the first one was new from Target. The second was used and discovered by Dad at a pawn shop.

It bothers him that he can't ride a bike. He sees our neighborhood kids zooming up and down the streets of our neighborhood on their bikes and he feels the sting of being left out. Sometimes he talks about it. Sometimes he withdraws quietly to brood about it. As the mother bear, I hate that. I can't begin to put into words how much I hate that. I don't want him to feel that way, especially about something that should be so easily overcome.

So, recently I've been on a hunt for a way to solve this problem. The challenge is that he is unable to maintain balance on a bike and he can't seem to learn to look forward to where the bike is going while continuing to peddle. If he's peddling, he's watching his feet. (Thus, the multiple wrecks because the trees neglected to get out of his way.)

After some searching I found this young adult trike. The Trailmate Low Rider. How cool is that? It has three wheels but doesn't look "grandfatherly" in the coolness department like many of the other three-wheeled machines. It has a hand brake and best of all, since it's a recumbent cycle, his feet would be streatched out in front of him, so glancing from feet to horizon wouldn't be such a bi-directional experience.

I think this would work. Or rather, I *thought* it would work until I called the recommended local bike shop for a price.

$700.

Wow! It must do housework and wash the cars as well. As J would say..."Moly Cow, Moma!"

Seven hundred dollars. I've had cars that didn't cost that much.

We're definately going to have to continue the search and give this more thought.