Basque bike company Orbea have come up with a novel idea that allows a kid's bike to be extended in three directions as the child grows. The Grow series starts with the 0 balance bike, for two-year-olds, and moves through to geared 1 and 2 models with pedals.
The company claim that the Grow 2 bikes can accommodate children aged five-and-a-half to nine years of age, which is a fairly long life expectancy when children usually outgrow bikes very quickly.
As this video shows, adjusting a Grow bike is straightforward and only requires a couple of Allen keys and a few minutes’ work.
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First, the aluminium frame’s length is increased to accommodate growing reach. The A-head stem can be adjusted up or down with the nifty spacer system and, of course, the saddle height can be taken down to avoid tiptoe pedalling.
The Grow range has been designed by Alex Fernández Camps, a Spanish industrial designer. The Grow 1 and 2 1V have 36x18 gearing, whereas the 2 7V steps things up with a 14-34T cassette and Shimano Altus rear derailleur.
All bikes in the Grow series have aluminium frames, meaning lighter weights for bikes that are easier to propel. In terms of wheel size, the Grow 0 (£169) has 12in wheels and the 1 (£239) 16in hoops, but the 20in rollers on both Grow 2 models (£249 1V, £269 7V) might be a handful for children closer to five or six than nine years of age.
The Grow range might seem costly for kids' bikes, but the robust and novel design means they should be long-lasting, sturdy companions as youngsters experience the freedom cycling gives them.
Using hand-me-down bikes or buying second hand is an ideal way to reuse childrens' bikes that get grown out of quickly, but the window when they fit well is a small one, a problem the Grow range gets around.
For more information see www.orbea.com.