Hoping to recycle a used girl’s bike into a gift for a young boy, I decided to see what I could do to convert what was a very pink and frilly bicycle into something meaner, tougher and more ‘street’.
The end result, following a bit of black, matte spray paint and some duct tape pleased me. I left the tires pink, not only as a nod to the bike’s heritage, but also as an acknowledgment that we should not let our preconceived notions of gender and color go unchecked.
mark // 24 Aug 2010 at 1:44 pm
I am not sure why but I really got a kick out of this post. Maybe because it reminds me of my laughable efforts of trying to be a great dad, and never feeling like I will get there, but really trying hard. Maybe the fact that our parental concerns regarding gender roles, never really matters to a kid and in the end things always work out. Maybe because I know what a hack Liam is at home/mechanical repair work and I like to imagine the effort and pride he must have taken in this job, which was probably not fully appreciated by the young boy.
Anyways, thanks for the post.
Liam Dempsey // 25 Aug 2010 at 5:03 am
@ Mark,
Ha-ha! You’re absolutely right on how my efforts at quality workmanship and non-gender bias were ignored. Upon seeing the bike for the first time, the boy’s immediate reaction was:
“Wheels pink. They supposed to be black. You paint them black?”
I think the boy might also have misinterpreted my efforts when he explained a few days later that he was going to paint his sister’s toy black so that it would be his. Painting something black is, apparently, a way to claim ownership.
Miguel Alcorta // 14 Mar 2011 at 1:22 pm
I like your justification for leaving the bicycle’s wheels pink :-). I am on vacation from work this week and plan to do the same exact thing to a pink trycycle my 2 and a half year old son inherited.
Liam Dempsey // 14 Mar 2011 at 1:49 pm
@ Miguel,
Thanks for the comment. Good luck with the project. It sure was fun for me to paint the bike — here’ s hoping you enjoy it as well.