do gender-neutral kids bicycles exist?

Hello to MKM. Apologies for posting a non-joke today.

My daughter would like her first bicycle for her birthday this spring.
My wife and I think this is a great idea. We'll probably buy bikes
for ourselves as well. So which one should we choose...

Disney Princess Bike? My Little Pony Bike? Glitter Express?
The Girls Adorable? Is an ORDINARY bicycle too much to ask?

Bleah, really bothers me, poisoning children's minds about gender
differences at an age where physically it shouldn't matter. Also,
the girls bikes all looked about HALF as sturdy as the boy models.
Maybe they're actually just as capable underneath the frills, but
I'd be really leery to let ANYONE ride those bikes on dirt trails.

I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

-F.

Frank Nospam wrote:



I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

Have you checked at a store that just sells bikes? They should have
better quality and more gender neutral bikes at a place like that.

Laura

In article ,
Frank Nospam wrote:

Hello to MKM. Apologies for posting a non-joke today.

My daughter would like her first bicycle for her birthday this spring.
My wife and I think this is a great idea. We'll probably buy bikes
for ourselves as well. So which one should we choose...

Disney Princess Bike? My Little Pony Bike? Glitter Express?
The Girls Adorable? Is an ORDINARY bicycle too much to ask?

Bleah, really bothers me, poisoning children's minds about gender
differences at an age where physically it shouldn't matter. Also,
the girls bikes all looked about HALF as sturdy as the boy models.
Maybe they're actually just as capable underneath the frills, but
I'd be really leery to let ANYONE ride those bikes on dirt trails.

I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

-F.


I'd definately try a sporting goods store.

I don't know how big your daughter is, but at least in larger sizes they
make a sort of "between" bike -- it has a bar accross like a boy's bike,
but at a downward angle.

Because of the top bar, boy's bikes ARE sturdier than girl's bikes. I
understand that the origin of the difference was that decent girls
ALWAYS wore dresses, and so the top bar got in the way. However, from a
purely anatomical point of view, I think it's pretty funny that boy's
bikes continue to have a bar that can do some pretty interesting damage
if you slip off the peddles when you stand up to pump hard, but girl's
bikes don't.

However, even given that difference, it was also my impression that most
of the bikes being marketed to girls were less sturdy than the ones
being marketed to boys -- at least in the children's sizes. I always
bought the boy's bikes, even for my daughters.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

In article ,
Laura Faussone wrote:

Frank Nospam wrote:



I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

Have you checked at a store that just sells bikes? They should have
better quality and more gender neutral bikes at a place like that.

Laura


Yes, definitely go to an actual bike store. As best I can tell, the
girls' and boys' bikes of any reputable brand are virtually identical
except for the paint job. We've had two Gary Fishers in a row and
they're built like tanks. You'll pay more, but it's worth it to get a
sturdy bike that's been properly assembled and tuned up. And some bike
stores have excellent trade-in policies. The one we go to offers a 50
percent credit on the bike's original price when you swap it for the
next size up.

Mind you, the girls' bikes will still usually be purple or pink with
names like "Wildflower" and the boys' bikes will still be black with
orange flame decals and names like "Terminator," but at least you'll be
free of toy brand co-marketing. Our current girl's bike (a 20-incher)
is a tasteful white with light blue decals. And if our girl had been so
minded, we could have gotten the boys' bike instead.

But if it's any comfort, the age of the first bike is also the age when
kids themselves are acutely aware of gender differences and are often
eager to identify with their own. I don't think they're merely victims
of marketing--I think it's the other way around, and marketers have
figured out that sharp gender divisions sell products to this age group.

Personally, I've ridden a boys' bike since high school. The last
women's bike I owned was a Gitane that had something called a Mixte
frame. Sturdier than a traditional women's bike, but not quite as good
as a regular diamond frame.

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 13:40:25 EST, Laura Faussone
wrote:



Frank Nospam wrote:



I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

Have you checked at a store that just sells bikes? They should have
better quality and more gender neutral bikes at a place like that.

I second that. Try a bike store...they have better quality bikes for
boys and girls.

Most women that I know ride "men's" bicycles, anyway. If she's not
going to ride the bike in a skirt, there isn't realy a reason that she
couldn't ride a bike with a "boy's" frame.
--
Tamex

No matter how much Jell-o you put in the pool, you still can't walk on water.

**remove Tricky Dick to reply by e-mail**

In article , Frank
Nospam says...



I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?


Unless she's planning to ride her bike in dresses, get her a boy's bike.

Banty

Try a bike store instead of a toy store.

When we bought DD a bike at age 3, we had the same problem. The 'girl'
style bikes were all either pink or purple and covered with Barbie, Dora the
Explorer, Powerpuff Girls, etc. and they all had sparkly streamers and
things like that. DH was NOT amused.

We ended up buying a more neutral bike. Boy style frame, but it is silver
and black, with no cartoon characters on it. Much better, and now when our
DS is a bit bigger, he can use it.


"Frank Nospam" wrote in message
...
Hello to MKM. Apologies for posting a non-joke today.

My daughter would like her first bicycle for her birthday this spring.
My wife and I think this is a great idea. We'll probably buy bikes
for ourselves as well. So which one should we choose...

Disney Princess Bike? My Little Pony Bike? Glitter Express?
The Girls Adorable? Is an ORDINARY bicycle too much to ask?

Bleah, really bothers me, poisoning children's minds about gender
differences at an age where physically it shouldn't matter. Also,
the girls bikes all looked about HALF as sturdy as the boy models.
Maybe they're actually just as capable underneath the frills, but
I'd be really leery to let ANYONE ride those bikes on dirt trails.

I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

-F.

"Frank Nospam" wrote in message
...
Hello to MKM. Apologies for posting a non-joke today.

My daughter would like her first bicycle for her birthday this spring.
My wife and I think this is a great idea. We'll probably buy bikes
for ourselves as well. So which one should we choose...

Disney Princess Bike? My Little Pony Bike? Glitter Express?
The Girls Adorable? Is an ORDINARY bicycle too much to ask?

Bleah, really bothers me, poisoning children's minds about gender
differences at an age where physically it shouldn't matter.

Sorry, boys are boys and girls are girls. Girls tend to play with dolls and
like cooking toys. Tend to be more physical and like sports (of course there
is a great deal of cross-over between the two).

I would encourage kids of either sex (not gender -- gender refers to
adjectives and nouns, not people) to do what is natural to them. If they
want to play with trucks, dolls, soccer balls or computers, let them have
fun. If they like girlie or boyish bikes let them enjoy them.

You should be able to get bikes in colors like red or green, though.

Also,
the girls bikes all looked about HALF as sturdy as the boy models.
Maybe they're actually just as capable underneath the frills, but
I'd be really leery to let ANYONE ride those bikes on dirt trails.

Well, get her a sturdy black one then. ANd don't forget the helmets (for
yourselves and her).

I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?

Gee, Target, Kmart, or your local bike shop. www.froogle.com too.

Jeff

-F.

"Banty" wrote in message
...
Xref: news-g.iadfw.net misc.kids.moderated:26683

In article ,
Frank
Nospam says...



I'm hoping that this form of evil marketing is confined to toy stores,
and that there are other places where I can buy a good bike for her.
Suggestions?


Unless she's planning to ride her bike in dresses, get her a boy's bike.

or skirts

Banty

In article ,
"Jeff" wrote:


Sorry, boys are boys and girls are girls. Girls tend to play with dolls and
like cooking toys. Tend to be more physical and like sports (of course there
is a great deal of cross-over between the two).

I would encourage kids of either sex (not gender -- gender refers to
adjectives and nouns, not people) t

Huh?

Gender IS a human issue -- especially since biological sex and a
person's gender identity are not always congruent, we absolutly need the
concept of gender for human beings. (For that matter, neither
biological sex nor gender identity are strictly binary states, but
that's a whole other topic!)

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care