Narra's New Radio Flyer Bike & Why This One's a Keeper

Narra's new Radio Flyer Steer and Stroll Trike.

It was on sale, it's what we wanted for Narra, should we buy it? There was just one problem. Narra already had a generic pink bike that she used and liked. So why get her this Radio Flyer trike that she didn't need? Oliver was calling me to consult. I could tell he really wanted to get her this new bike. So I gave him a supportive reply: "Go get it babe, I'll sell her current bike on-line".  I just heard the words "Radio Flyer" and I was sold, I didn't need any more info. I wanted that bike too, even without seeing it, and here's why.

There are brands that evoke certain memories, that make you feel nostalgic and fuzzy inside, they tug at your heartstrings and make a purchase done in the present, an act of paying homage to the past and preparing for the future.  When I see Radio Flyer bikes, I see old photos in my head. One picture is of my sister Marion from 1980, riding her red steel trike with a step at the back - the step was for me, her little sister. She would pedal, and I would stand behind her, and round and round we went, in the cramped little "hi-way" from our living room to our kitchen back in our old house in New Manila (a house that is no more). The other photograph goes farther back in time - it is a photo of my dad, in black and white, taken in 1950, with his own little brother Elvin. He was dressed in a striped shirt, tucked in khaki shorts, he had black leather shoes with white socks - such a formal look - and he was sitting on a trike, made of steel.  Let me tell you what I see in my head - from my dad's face - to my sister's face - to Narra's .... I see one look, their shared blood evident in the common manner in which their faces break into smiles.  

Narra's first time to take her new bike for a spin. Mall of Asia, by the bay.

Narra's new bike is the Girl's Deluxe Steer and Stroll model. It is more streamlined and simpler than her older bike (which had lights and sounds, an attached bear head with beeping horn, and front and rear baskets, a safety bar, and padded seat - so much stuff!) I loved the simplicity of this new bike - it looks sleeker, and more like a classic bike than her more elaborate older one. Sometimes less really is more.  I push her with the sturdy steel push bar. It feels solid.  The wheels look robust, and they ride well on tiled pavements.  Then there's that tiny little bell, the old-fashioned round ones that go "ding!"...sigh. Hearing it brings back memories.

I wanted to get Narra a Radio Flyer when I was away in Singapore to finish my dissertation two years ago in 2010. Near National University of Singapore, there was a bike shop that carried the Radio Flyer line, and I badly wanted to buy  a bike which was a tad bit too heavy and costly to take on the plane with me. Oh how I regretted not buying it the moment I got home.  So when Oliver found this bike on sale, I jumped at a chance to erase an item on my Big List of Little Regrets.

I just sold Narra's older bike. I posted an ad on-line and had a buyer (or buyers!) in a snap. It was picked up today and I was happy to sell it. Just like that. Now, this Radio Flyer - haha. I have no plans of selling it even when Narra outgrows it. I am imagining a nice spot in my dad's huge attic where this bike will bide its time before I get it refurbished for my grandchildren to come. After watching marathon episodes of "American Pickers" and the joys of finding classic old toys in rustic barns and untouched attics, I have my own hopes of keeping my own treasure trove. This one's a keeper.