What I Love About Our Neighborhood + Testing Out a New Bike!
This post is sponsored by Kent Bikes. All opinions are my own.
We are quickly approaching our 4-year anniversary of living in South Carolina and being a part of our sweet little neighborhood. Every afternoon when the kids get out of school, they flock to the streets on their bikes and scooters to play as the parents sit on the driveways chatting about life. It’s one of those little moments I hope my kids remember most about their childhood.
Over this past year, Brody has really taken to bike riding. Greenville is known for its trails winding through the city and our neighborhood is known for its secret nature path. All of the kids in the neighborhood ride and run to this giant magnolia tree to climb and swing. It’s like being transported to a secret world under the magnolia tree. With Brody’s newly discovered love of biking, it was time to upgrade his first bike to something bigger, easier to ride on the trail, and in his words “cooler” – apparently having a wicker basket on the front of your bike is no longer cool when you turn 7. Oh, the things I am learning!
With this in mind, we have been hunting for the next perfect bike for Brody. The Kent “Ambush” BMX bike from Walmart checked all of the boxes. Brody has been testing it out for the past few weeks and LOVES it!
Below are some of the criteria we considered when looking for a new bike:
Durability
When it comes to Brody, we are always on the hunt for the most durable items–whether it’s clothes, shoes, or toys. He’s our oldest and having items to pass down to Isla and Luca has been a great money saver over the years.
My kids are also really hard on toys—especially outdoor toys. In our neighborhood, outdoor toys are more of a communal thing with everyone sharing, playing, and riding each other's outdoor toys. This always has us hunting for items that will last. The Kent “Ambush” BMX gets a big thumbs up for us. Since it is a BMX bike, it is optimized for bike tricks and even has a non-corrosive steel frame to last us for years to come.
Ease to Build
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that JD and I are not the handiest when it comes to building things. Building a bike is particularly intimidating. We were pleasantly surprised when the bike arrived with the major pieces already assembled. It took JD about 30 minutes to add the breaks and get it ready to ride.
Price
One thing we learned searching for bikes is that they can be very expensive. With a growing child, it can be hard to swallow the price tag of an item they will eventually outgrow. The Kent “Ambush” BMX bike is under $100 plus free shipping on Walmart. A great price for a name-brand durable bike!
The Ride
Whether he’s riding over giant tree roots or down the sidewalk, we wanted a bike for Brody that would have a smooth ride. This bike checks that box with its padded seat and lightweight frame.
The Cool Factor
When you’re 7 years old, you are all about the “cool factor”. The sleek black and white design with pops of blue had Brody smitten. The front pegs also really add to the cool vibe of the bike.
Over the past few weeks, this bike has earned two big thumbs up from us. We’re so excited to see the adventures Brody takes it on with our family.
Curious about our other favorite outdoor toys? Check out this post
