Bikes for the Grandkids

This summer we left our camper trailer at a campground in Littleton, NH called Crazy Horse. We decided to leave it in one place rather than travel to different locations. Now we can come and go as we please without having to pull the trailer and be bothered with the trailer setup. You can see the campground web site at the link …. http://www.ucampnh.com/crazyhorse/default.asp

We also bring our grandkids to the campground as often as we can and they really enjoy all the camp attractions. There is a swimming pool, playground, game room, camp store and fishing pond. In addition, most of the other children at camp have bicycles that they ride all around the camp roads and trails.

Although our grandkids have bikes at home we wanted to have other bikes that we could leave at the campsite. Consequently, we started looking online and in stores to purchase some inexpensive but rugged bikes that they could use. We needed 3 BMX type mountain bikes with 20 inch wheel size and found that the prices ranged from $70 to several hundred. You can see a sample bike at the web link ….. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=888103

We also decided to look at the local Salvation Army Thrift Store for some used bikes since we frequently donate used clothes and other items and have seen bikes there. On our first visit we purchased one bike that needed a little clean up and paid only $10.00. After a few more visits, we had the 3 bikes that I repaired with new tire tubes or nuts and bolts or chain links. I still make weekly visits to the store to find other bikes that I can fix and have given them to other kids at camp that had none. You can locate the nearest thrift store to you at the following web link ….. http://www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_use_mas.nsf/vw-sublinks/C0EC25AA664045D1852574DC005FF44E?openDocument

With a few common tools you can make most bike repairs and there are online web sites that show you how. A few of these web sites are at the following links ….. (Bike Encyclopedia) http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ and (Bike Repair Videos) http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS228US228&q=Bike+Tire+Repair&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=FCh4SuPHGpCNtgfZps2WCQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4

You can also see some photos of the bikes that I have purchased and repaired at the following web link ………… http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/BikeRepair73009


Please send comments and suggestions to markryan82@comcast.net

National Bike Month (May 2008)

As a young boy fifty years ago, I lived in the city in a triple decker apartment building. Most of the kids on my block had bicycles that we would ride each day around the neighborhood bouncing up on the sidewalk or following one another in a parade.

We were always doing something with the bike. Adjusting this or that or trying out some new riding trick. One bike craze was to fasten a stiff playing card next to the spokes of the back wheel. As the wheel turned, it snapped the card and made a loud sound like a motor cycle. Some bikes had horns and lights built into the frame while others had attachments like bells, whip antennae or fox tails that flapped in the wind. Daniel Boone Raccoon Hats were also in fashion. The bike with all its attachments was your pride and joy.

Over the years, I taught my children to ride bikes and to enjoy them as I did. I showed them how to repair a flat tire, tighten the spokes, adjust the seat and put on all sorts of attachments. We took the bikes on short trips around the neighborhood or transported them by car on camping trips. We rebuilt old bikes and also bought new ones.

Now that I am retired, I have had the opportunity to take short bike trips with my grandchildren and pass on some bike information to them. A few years ago we took a trip to the Break Heart Reservation in Wakefield. The tarred trails are quite hilly and although the older grandchildren enjoyed riding fast up and down the hills, the younger ones were more cautious.

Presently, I am exploring some trails around town to ride that are not too taxing for me or the grandchildren. The bike rides take us along side streets and sidewalks with little car traffic and end at a destination that we can explore. I have mapped out a few bike rides around the neighborhood and have listed them on Google Maps. You can see some bike routes by going to Google Maps and then typing in (Bike Routes , Name of Town, Name of State) http://maps.google.com/

Since May is National Bike month, it would be appropriate to get out the old bike and take a trip. In the Boston area, it is also Bay State Bike Week, May 12-17, 2008. You can join in on the fun with a bike ride in Boston. All the details are at the link: http://baystatebikeweek.org/

With the price of gas for the car approaching $4.00 per gallon, people are looking for alternative methods of travel. Maybe the old bike can get you around town instead of the car and at the same time save you money and be good for the environment.

If you want to explore other bike trails around the area you can go to the following web sites for trail maps or road directions. Click the links below:

Resources:
http://www.pedaling.com/index.asp - Trails and Resources around the US
http://www.trails.com/ - Free Trial Memberships (Some info w/o memberships) Maps
http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_1123.asp Local Hikes and Bike Trails
http://www.bikely.com/listpaths Find a trail with Google Maps
http://www.fellsbiker.com/riding/ Middlesex Fells Trails & Maps
http://trails.mtbr.com/ Mountain Bike Trails and Maps
http://www.mapmyride.com/ Local rides and Google Maps