16" bike for Tunakid #1 build thread

Bike shops sell generic plastic chain guards.

I'd put the guard back on - especially with the coaster brake. If he gets a pant leg caught, he won't be able to back-pedal it out.

A color coordinated pad would look good on there.

OK, fair enough. I have the chain guard that came off, I just have to make a snazzy sticker for it.

Same deal for the handlebar padding?

Yes. Or buy new pads.

He was rotten today, no bike worky for him.

He got a chance to play a bit today. Unfortunately, he didn't get to do too much. The chain gave me fits - it just wouldn't come apart. Finally, I got it apart, and then snapped it together - still outside the bike... so I did it all again. Anyway, here are the results, note the new pedals and grips.

And yes, he absolutely rode it around the house (rain outside)

Now I have to make the chainguard look cool. See that awesome chain? it's yellow and black. The chain guard covers it all. I may modify it to look more like this:

But I don't want to spend the money to actually buy one.

And then the handlebar pad thingie.

Maiden voyage today! Tunakids #1 and #2 went out in the driveway and rode around in circles. Big kid said he loved it, it was easier to ride and faster, too. We'll add the stickers, the chain guard, and the handlebar padding soon.

Like the cape? He did, too.

Yeah, tunakid #2 is crazy.

Are they fully conditioned to answer to numbers?
What direction are you going with the stickers?
Autobots headtube logo would be an easy start for some Bumblebee action

Disclaimer: SnowMongoose might sort of have a decepticon emblem on the nose of his miata, slight bias may exist

SnowMongoose wrote: Are they fully conditioned to answer to numbers? What direction are you going with the stickers? Autobots headtube logo would be an easy start for some Bumblebee action Disclaimer: SnowMongoose might sort of have a decepticon emblem on the nose of his miata, slight bias may exist

hehe, no, the numbers are only to conceal identity. I call them by their names. Dear ol' Gramps called my Uncle '#1 son' for a while - he hated it.

I have some vinyl sticker paper and some images that I'd had some help with. Tunakid #1 has some ideas - it'll be interesting.

Another fun day in Tunakid land

Tunakid #2 plays with the front wheel while helmet wearing Tunakid #1 assembles the kickstand

Love the cape on Tunakid #3 here

Success!

He's happy. He rode it everywhere. He even went most of the way around the house before letting up. Now it's sticker and chain guard time.

tuna55 wrote: Does anyone have opinions on the necessity of a chain guard or the padded handlebar? I am not sure if 5 is old enough to dispense of those.

Great job by both of you!

It sounds as if the decision has already been made (correctly), but I have to reinforce the importance of the chain guard. When I was a little kid, I got the leg of my pants caught in a coaster-braker, halfway down my street. I was stranded. I couldn't ride, couldn't walk. Finally, one of the neighborhood moms came out and helped me. After a great deal of negotiation, I had to take my pants off in the street. It seemed as if every kid in the neighborhood was out there that day. It was torture.

Chain guard.

Woody wrote:

tuna55 wrote: Does anyone have opinions on the necessity of a chain guard or the padded handlebar? I am not sure if 5 is old enough to dispense of those.

Great job by both of you! It sounds as if the decision has already been made (correctly), but I have to reinforce the importance of the chain guard. When I was a little kid, I got the leg of my pants caught in a coaster-braker, halfway down my street. I was stranded. I couldn't ride, couldn't walk. Finally, one of the neighborhood moms came out and helped me. After a great deal of negotiation, I had to take my pants off in the street. It seemed as if every kid in the neighborhood was out there that day. It was torture. Chain guard.

Thanks!

I think we're going to run the top half of his chain guard and leave the bottom half off, must like the one I showed from Amazon and the one on Tunakid #2's bike.

Lots to share tonight. I started working on a project with Tunakid #2. It was a model airplane, way above his skill level. I like to let them rise to it if I can keep them from getting frustrated. Here he is picking off parts with the scissors. No build thread for that little project though.

And here is Tunakid #1 doing stickers

I let him do all but the first one after I saw if they were going to work out or not. I figured, it's his bike, may as well let him do it, even if the stickers aren't straight or whatever. He kept asking "can I put this here?" and I kept saying "It's your bike, put it wherever you want!"

And yes, the caped shirts are big this week - I promise they get washed every day, two or three loads of laundry per day for yours truly.

I asked him to hold up the chainguard, and he insisted upon blocking his face with it, hilariously. We had a lot of fun with this.

there were more.

And then the end:

We still have to install the guard and get some yellow rollbar padding for the handlebars.

Thanks for reading!

I'm also a big fan of padding on the top tube. For obvious reasons.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: I'm also a big fan of padding on the top tube. For obvious reasons.

(it's not obvious to me!)

I've wrecked a bike about every way that a person can wreck a bike. I've been cut, punctured, and broken (literally - clavicles are important!) on bikes. Ridden down cliffs, over streams, through lakes, over jumps, and I have never made contact with the handlebars. Ever.

By the way, my cranky daughter took up most of the evening. She apparently loves Chuck Barry, so it wasn't a total loss, but that's why there wasn't an update to this and the truck thread.

Again, great job!

And if #2 is going to continue building models, get him a pair of these sprue cutters. They are fantastic and probably easier and safer than scissors.

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes50628c.htm

Woody wrote: Again, great job! And if #2 is going to continue building models, get him a pair of these sprue cutters. They are fantastic and probably easier and safer than scissors. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes50628c.htm

Thanks Woody.

The 'building models' thing is actually just a good way to teach him some patience. I did it with Tunakid #1 when he was four (he build a car), and I figured #2 was getting a bit jealous of the bike, so I started on it now while he was three. He built a model screw-together Kawasaki ninja that he loves. It's working out well as a teaching aide. He wants to play with a toy plane. Building a model takes slow movements, and several sessions. He lost his patience last night a bit, but I gave him a hug and told him I was proud of him. He's getting there, but he's very young for that type of long term task.

I'll pass on the scissors for now, but surely if they become interested, better tooling all around will become helpful.

You have to be careful exposing children to things like this.

When my nephew was about 7 I bought him a model rocket for his birthday. The build was above his ability and my plan was for his dad to help him anyway.

He is now a sophomore at Ohio State studying aeronautic engineering.

I'm sure my kid was the only one to bring an aluminum ingot for 1st grade show and tell and then explain how it was made.

Tuna kid #1 already looking for his next project?

jgrewe wrote: Tuna kid #1 already looking for his next project?

He is now. He's almost eight. Since this thread 'closed', he has welded, driven a car, built and launched a model rocket, and raced slot cars. He wants to do go-carts for his eighth birthday. He also wants a bigger bike with handle brakes and gears. Oof. What happens to this bike now?

I recently turned bluekid #1's boy bike in to a girl bike for bluekid #2. She helped with the paint and bearings and has really been logging the miles. Maybe you can customize this bike for the next kid.

I used automotive grease on the bearings since that's what I had on hand. Did you buy bicycle grease for this project?

bluesideup wrote: I recently turned bluekid #1's boy bike in to a girl bike for bluekid #2. She helped with the paint and bearings and has really been logging the miles. Maybe you can customize this bike for the next kid. I used automotive grease on the bearings since that's what I had on hand. Did you buy bicycle grease for this project?

Not a bad plan but in not sure it would be special since they will know where it came from.

As far as grease, I used the same tub I use for basically everything. He's not racing anyone, it's slippery, done.

If he wants a bmx style 20 inch try to find one with the 1 1/8 inch stem and you can pretty much rebuild and replace anything needed for years.

In reply to tuna55:

Hey B, It would be a good opportunity for the brothers to work together and for Tuna kid #1 to be generous. Tuna kid #1 can help Tuna kid #2 customize the bike. You will be on the hook to coat both bikes. I am betting they like different colors and stuff. Have fun!

Later, McCall

Here we are, nearly four years later. Tunakid 4 (she just turned seven, and is tall) has just outgrown this very same bike, which now rocks teal pedals, chain and grips. It's a bit worse for wear, but hey. All four of my kids got to ride and enjoy it.

tuna55 said:

Here we are, nearly four years later. Tunakid 4 (she just turned seven, and is tall) has just outgrown this very same bike, which now rocks teal pedals, chain and grips. It's a bit worse for wear, but hey. All four of my kids got to ride and enjoy it.

That's awesome!

My kids (daughter's 15, son's 18)  have grown up with me dragging basket case bikes home, and have helped me with many builds, including their own.

In their case, we had so many project bikes that we never ended up handing a bike down from one kid to the next. My daughter even helped me lace up wheels when she was about 6:

We fixed up and gave away many bikes over the years, and at one point, over half the kids in the neighborhood were pedaling around on a bike I gave them.  One old Huffy is even on the fifth owner.

My daughter also helped me turn this:

into this:

She picked out the color scheme and parts, helped prep for paint, put on the decals, and did a lot of the assembly. She was 9 at the time and wanted a bike that 'looked like it was from the 80s'. 

She's now riding a 1995 Trek 930 she helped tune up:

My son would also help with builds. Here he's got... something... we were putting together:

His first project bike was a 1999 GT Bump:

Like your oldest, he wanted a 'bumblebee bike':

The first Transformers was his favorite movie, I liked it as it featured Megan Fox.

He has a 1997 Mongoose Crossway 250 hybrid bike now.