Our Bluey loves to get out on the road. For over two years he’s been piling mileage onto his Radio Flyer Tricycle. He has run it into the ground, and was more than ready for a 
new two-wheeled bike. Although we could have made that purchase last Fall, we decided to wait until this Spring. What fun is a brand new bike when there are eighteen inches of snow in the driveway?
This gave us time over the winter to shop. It’s no small project to get a new bicycle at our house. TRMom and TRDad started in with research. We checked various blogs and product reviews for info about which bikes seemed like good choices.
Armed with some knowledge of what to look for in a child’s bike, we headed out to our local stores. This gave TRDad and Bluey some super-fun destinations to visit in the deepest winter, and it helped build anticipation for the new bike.
In our area, we have many bike stores, each one of which seems to focus on one or two specific brands. So if you want a Trek, you head to store A, but to see something from Specialized, head to Store B. Checking out bikes involved a lot of leg-work. If you are local, we 
highly recommend the folks at Williamson Bikes & Fitness on East Washington.
After going back and forth between a few first choices, Amber at Willy Street Bikes helped our Bluey finally settle on a nifty green Schwinn Gremlin. The kicker for Bluey—this one came with a water bottle! And of course, we had to add a basket for treasures found and stuffies lucky enough to be invited along for the ride.
While Bluey continues to log on the miles, we are happy to report that his choice has worked well for him so far. He can zip along quite nicely! And he is pleased with how much further his range is on two wheels, compared to three.
This summer, you’ll see us all around town and on the bike paths. If you hear a ringing bell, and a child’s on your left, you just might be getting passed by Bluey!