An accidental trial of an E-450 proved that finding a bike for a tall kid is not hard after all
We read wonderful accounts of kids (and parents) enjoying the benefits of riding a ByK Bike every week but every now and again we receive a full length account of how ByK really has changed the experience and enjoyment of riding for a child. For this parent it was not just size, weight and ergonomics, but the realisation that the functional design, not the colour or accessories, that sold the bike. This account was emailed to us by an anonymous parent and no photo was included (the photo used on this post is of a ByK rider on the same model bike mentioned in this review). "I thought I'd send you a note of thanks for making such a great product and tell you our story of how we came to own a Byk. My daughter, age 4, is for her age so looking at bikes was frustrating - because of her height she needs a bike with at least 20inch wheels but the various brands we tried, at this size, were all too heavy, too cumbersome and just too hard to get going. Finally, on the day before her birthday, I chose the best of a bad bunch - I wasn't happy but there seemed no alternative. The first thing the next morning we were on our way to the bike park for her first ride and we happened to stop at our local bakery and there was a little girl on an E-450!
I couldn't believe my eyes, I could just see that it was so much better ergonomically and that it had to be lighter than the bike in my boot.
We asked the little girl's mother how they found the ByK and amongst rave reviews from both mum and daughter (age 7) they let my little one get on and try it out. Guess what! Even with the seat raised well above the lowest setting, my daughter got on without any help and then easily turned the peddles! Both a first in our recent experience. I immediately called the dealer who had sold the other bike to us and explained the problem (they gave us a full refund...) which allowed us to buy the Byk -450..., the guys there were great by the way, they fitted her training weeks while we were driving over to buy it.
My daughter had never ridden a bike before that day (other than trying some out in a showroom) but the moment we were at the park she got on and immediately started riding without any aid from me (pushing or holding her).
She LOVES her Byk. Especially the 'K' on her seat , her name [starts with] K! I love it when I find beautiful and functional products that go beyond what their competition offers and I believe that Byk does just that. Byk takes the child into account, in this case a young rider who because of her stature finds other bikes just far too large, too heavy and the mechanisms too robust to handle. This bike is light and accommodating and beautifully designed to boot! So so glad to find a bike that wasn't pink or purple and didn't have flowery accessories as it's selling point. It's well built, beautiful, elegant and easy to ride and will serve us for a couple of years at least. Both my daughter and I are over the moon with this purchase. Keep up the great work."