Ahh kids. They grow up so fast - much to the consternation of parents faced with continually having to buy larger shoes and clothes. As much as any kid loves their first bike, they quickly outgrow these as well. But what if there was a way to save the hip-pocket nerve for a couple more birthdays without having the little dears look like they should be riding around with the clowns on miniature bikes at the circus? Well, there is and it comes from Spanish bike manufacturer Orbea, which has come up with its line of Grow bikes that - as the name suggests - grow along with your child and will supposedly last youngsters twice as long as regular bikes.
While adjustable seats and handlebars are standard on most bikes, the Grow line adds an adjustable length aluminum frame to the mix to extend the life of the bike. Not only does this mean a slight readjustment to the bike instead of outlaying some cash that would be much better sent on a babysitter for a night, it also reduces the ecological costs of the bike over its lifetime. Given that many children ride bikes that are too big or small for them, the Grow bike designer, Alex Fernandez Camps, says his design also makes it easier to provide a more ergonomic ride for a child.
The Grow range starts with the pedal-free Grow 0 intended for teaching dynamic balancing to children measuring 78 to 100 cm (31 - 39 in) in height, or roughly from 1.5 to 4 years old. The kids can then graduate to the Grow 1, which is designed for children from 90 to 110 cm (35 - 43 in), or 2.5 to 5 years of age. Finally there's the Grow 2, which is intended for children from 100 to 135 cm (39 - 53 in) in height, or 4 to 9 years. It is available in a two versions (1V and 7V), with the latter having additional Shimano components.
The Grow 0 is available for EUR179 (approx. US$237), the Grow 1 is priced at EUR239 (US$316), while the Grow 2 models are EUR249 (US$330) and EUR259 (US$343) respectively.
Source: Orbea via Treehugger
