Want to know how to find the right size bike for your child? You can with the Schwinn SmartStart Ride Guide Thanks to Mirum for sponsoring this post! #Schwinnfamilysweepstakes
It’s a big year for bicycles in the Warner home. Blake is beginning life on training wheels and Kayla is growing like a weed. Sometime during those winter months she sprouted gangly limbs reminiscent of my elementary school days. Suffice to say when she got on her bike from last year, it looked like a circus act. Time for an upgrade!
After a bit of research, I came back to the bicycle brand that defined my own childhood, Schwinn. I can still remember riding hundreds of laps a week up and down our long driveway on my red and white bicycle with a big S on the seat. It was a hand-me-down from my older sister, but it was one of my few prized possessions and I loved it dearly. It meant freedom, adventure and most importantly, it confirmed that I was a big kid.
After consulting the Schwinn SmartStart Ride Guide, I was able to choose the right bike for Kayla. If you’re wondering how to find the right size bike and helmet for your child, the Schwinn SmartStart Ride Guide is an excellent resource.
At about 49″ tall, a 20″ bike felt right. I quickly found the Schwinn Mist and had a feeling she would love it. I picked it up from our local Dick’s Sporting Goods and my always excited helper, Blake wanted to help me assemble it. If you’re not handy or simply can’t stand assembling things, Dick’s is great place to buy from. They’ll assemble a bike for you free of charge!
However, I’m a weirdo who gets serious joy out of putting things together. So, team Blake and Mommy got to work. Having assembled several bikes before, I can say this was fairly simple. It would have been even easier if our dog, Charger hadn’t been two inches from my face desperately trying to make eye contact the entire time.
With Kayla growing so much, a new helmet was in order too. She loved the styling of this youth helmet and felt it was authentic to the adult cyclists she sees riding in our neighborhood. With a bit of adjustment to the straps, she was ready to go.
The actual going is the most important part of this process, right? You an buy your child ALLLLL of the gear but if they aren’t comfortable nothing is going to happen. What I didn’t realize before is that with Schwinn’s SmartStart bikes there is a lot taken into consideration to make our tiny humans more comfortable as they ride.
Pedal positions are shifted slightly forward on Schwinn SmartStart bikes, which helps make those often awkward starts a bit easier and less awkward. Narrower pedal positions match the width of their hips to help give a stronger pedal stroke. Seats are better proportioned for children’s bodies and comfort. Smaller grip diameters make handlebars easier to hold and most importantly stay in control!
It’s a bunch of little things that put together make a BIG difference in comfort and confidence…which is just what Kayla needed.
And now, for the part I get a lot of questions about. How to photograph those kids once you have them on a bike…or even in general. Ready for the most important tip of all if you’re using your phone? Take your shirt and rub it on the lens of that phone before you start snapping pics. You’d be shocked by how dirty it can be.
If you’re shooting action, like bike riding, then you’ll want to hold your finger down on the shutter button on your phone for a few seconds. This will give you a burst instead of just one photo. You’ll have a lot of photos to choose from and can delete the duds.
Try getting down to your child’s height. This will give you more of them in the frame and less asphalt or concrete you’d otherwise get from an adult height.
One more thing – I hardly ever tell my kids to smile. You can tell the real smile from the fake smiles, right? Instead, I tell them jokes! This almost always works. Sometimes I ask them about something I know they love and suddenly they’re smiling a true smile. That’s exactly how I got the photo below.
Want to make some family memories and get some smiles of your own? Schwinn is giving away a big prize pack ($400+)to get your family ready for the warmer weather. You can share your family helmet selfie on Instagram using #Schwinnfamilysweepstakes to enter and check below for ways to gain extra entries.
