A Tale of Two Bikes

Bike Shopping Mindset

As a keen cyclist herself, Noel knows the difference a lightweight bike with high-quality components can make. Especially one made just for kids. As a parent of three, she’s already experimented with different bike brands and has grown loyal to woom.

Bike Shopping Mindset

Leon wants his kid to grow up riding a bike around the neighborhood just like he did, but didn’t have time to research brands. He didn’t feel he had time to go on a special errand just to acquire a bike, so he combined this purchase with his weekly grocery run.

Purchase Experience

Noel first visited her local REI for sizing advice and so her youngest son Aidan could test out a woom 2 and a woom 3. She ended up purchasing a bike online so that Aidan got the bike in his favorite color (sky blue), and went with a woom 3. As a healthcare worker, she was also eligible for an ID.me discount.

_{Total cost with shipping and tax, minus ID.me 10% subtotal discount: $470.04.}

Purchase Experience

After picking up some eggs, milk, produce, and burgers, Leon found his way to the sports section of the box store and found the display of kids’ bikes. After browsing the options he purchased his 4-year-old a 14” bike with training wheels, since she hasn’t learned how to pedal yet. It came pre-assembled by the grocery store employees, who weren’t properly trained on bike assembly.

_{Total cost with tax: $103.87}

Post-Purchase Feelings

Although it wasn’t cheap, Noel felt confident she’d made a great purchase from a great brand. She was relieved to be able to break up the purchase into three payments with 0% interest thanks to Affirm. She also felt great knowing there was excellent customer service, free returns if need be, and positive reviews online.

Post-Purchase Feelings

On the drive home, Leon was feeling happy to have saved some money by finding the least costly model in the entire store, and optimistic that his daughter Nadia would enjoy her new set of wheels. In hindsight, this “honeymoon period” was the high point for the bike. It was all downhill (or uphill?) from here.

Assembly/Set-Up

Noel received Aidan’s bike via UPS just a few days after placing her order. She found it easy to assemble the bike with the provided instruction manual and tools. A quick online search also led her to assembly videos, which, as a visual learner, she preferred. She held off on doing the last step – adding the pedals.

Assembly/Set-Up

Although the bike Leon purchased for Nadia was pre-assembled, there were a few minor issues. The reflector was facing backward, and a few bolts appeared loose. Although Leon corrected these minor issues, it made him wonder what else might be amiss on Nadia’s new bike. He left on the pre-installed training wheels since he assumed this was necessary.

Prior Experiences

Because Aidan had already used a balance bike before, he had some experience braking and balancing already. Still, pedaling was new to him, so leaving the pedals uninstalled initially (Good thinking, Noel!) allowed him to get his bearings on the new bike before adding in this new skill.

Prior Experiences

At the point of receiving her new bike, Nadia hadn’t had any experience riding a bicycle before, nor had she had any time practicing to balance on a scooter or anything similar. Both Nadia and her dad Leon were unaware of balance bikes.

First Impressions

His mother Noel appreciated the innovative Steering Limiter, which connects the fork to the frame of the bike and prevents accidental overturning. Aidan loved the color “sky blue” and how easy it was to pick up and get on the saddle.

First Impressions

Although she was held upright with the training wheels, she felt a sense of unease leaning to one side or the other, like she might tip over. Furthermore, weighing in at just under 20 lbs, the bike represented half of Nadia’s weight. She found it cumbersome and difficult to balance.

First Ride

Aidan loved how easy it was to lift the bike, and found it easy to balance. He also liked grabbing the grips, which perfectly fit the contour of his small hands. In no time flat, he was coasting down the driveway with ease.

First Ride

The saddle wasn’t comfy to sit on, and the bike made a few rattling noises when Nadia pedaled. When she dismounted, the heavy bike was difficult to manage, and it fell to the ground, making it tough to pick it back up.

Child’s Mindset

Aidan was hooked! The lightweight frame gave him confidence, and the child-specific components gave him nothing discomforting to complain about – allowing him to focus on enjoying the ride. He loved his new bike and Noel watched him intuitively learn to ride the using the balance-first method.

Child’s Mindset

After her inaugural ride, Nadia wasn’t really sure how she felt about biking. It was a mixture of fear, frustration, and a bit of nervous excitement. She believed her dad when he told her how fun riding a bike could be, but she felt a bit intimidated by the prospect of riding such a heavy bike.

Replacement Parts/Maintenance Service

A year later, Noel noticed the rubber O-ring on the Steering Limiter had broken on Aidan’s woom 3. After contacting the woom Customer Experience (CX) team, they informed her this rubber piece is intentionally designed with a breakaway feature. However, the CX team was happy to send a free replacement if Noel wished.

Replacement Parts/Maintenance Service

Several months later, after a few half-hearted attempts at riding, Nadia notices something wrong with her bike and shows her dad. Sure enough, a bolt has gone missing which held the rear axle in place. Leon eventually brought the bike to a hardware store, and he struggled to find a suitable axle bolt replacement.

Resale / Next Rider

After Aidan had become tall enough for his next bike, and with no younger kids in the family to pass the bike down to, Noel decided to sell Aidan’s beloved used woom 3. After creating an online listing, she was able to sell it rather easily on eBay for $350. She couldn’t believe it; she had recouped almost 75% of her initial cost!

Resale Attempt

After several more months of seeing the bike collect dust in the garage, Leon asks Nadia about it. Does she want to keep it? He already knew the answer, but he wanted to be polite. He put it beside the road with a “FREE” sign. Five days later, no one has picked up the bike, and sadly, the trash collector hauls it away to a landfill.

Aidan’s Outlook on Cycling

Aidan has fallen in love with biking, and moreover with being outdoors! Beyond the fresh air, fun and exercise, he has experienced a big confidence boost that has had positive implications in his school work, social life, and more.

Nadia’s Outlook on Cycling

Although Nadia may come around to cycling later in life, at this tender stage of her adolescence, she doesn’t regard riding bikes as a preferred hobby. When other kids talk about biking, she feels like an outsider and fears it’s just not for her.