The rate at which children grow, especially from being new-born to the age of around six-years-old, is scary. One day they're a helpless ball of flesh and bones, the next they're walking, talking, and starting school. This means that new parents have to continually buy new things for their child that may only last them a matter of months. While a bicycle may not be top of the agenda at such a young age, for a child to learn to ride means buying several different models over the course of just a few years as they first learn, and then master, the art. Which is what led Noelia Vallano Alvaro to design B'kid: one bike designed to last a child from the age of two right through to the age of six.
Currently just a concept, B'kid is essentially three bikes in one – a trike, a balance bike, and a pedal bike. Much like the Grow line of bikes previously featured on Gizmag, B'kid is designed to adapt to the needs of a child as he or she grows.
It starts out as a trike, with two wheels at the back and the handlebars and seat set low down to accommodate a toddler. Once the child is ready to lose the training wheel, it is removed, and the seat and handlebars are adjusted to better suit the child's growing frame. Once the child is ready to revert from scooting along with his or her feet, pedals are added, and the seat and handlebars are once again adjusted upwards.
Over the course of four years (or more, or less, depending on the child) B'kid will have gone through three different form factors. To help personalize the bike and to keep the child interested, B'kid comes in a range of different colors. And to aid the parents it also comes with a strap designed to be used for carrying or pulling the bike along.
Alvaro states that B'kid offers, "a fun and healthy, systematic and safe approach to teaching young children to ride, giving them the confidence and balance necessary for a smooth transition to pedals without stabilizers." B'kid is built from mostly natural materials, with the frame and wheels made from birch wood, and the seat and handlebars crafted from cork.
B'kid isn't currently commercially available, but the designer is currently seeking a company to bring it to market.
Source: NVA Design via Treehugger
