2008 Trek MT 16

"Marla DeTrek," aka "Dee Dee"

A solid entry to the world of cycling for the little shaver, featuring good looks and quality construction 

This was my son's first bike, and he rode the crap out of it.  He was just big enough to ride it at age 4.  By age 5, he had basically worn the rubber coating off his training wheels, so I removed them.  Without the handicap of the training wheels, he could often outpace me on my training runs.  We definitely got our money's worth out of this one, and then some. 
Although Trek doesn't have a huge BMX following, they typically market dependably good products, and this was no exception.  For a kid's bike, this was very well made, with a sturdy frame and legit bearings in the headset, bottom bracket, and hubs.  Even with the aluminum frame, however, it was still pretty heavy, thanks to the steel coaster brake.  I became well-acquainted with just how heavy, as I had to carry it home every day after he rode it to school (his elementary school weirdly has no bike racks).  I tried riding it a few times, and it would take my weight, but I didn't want press my luck too much in that regard (not to mention I looked like a clown act).     
I'll always have a soft spot for little Dee Dee, and if my kid ever goes on to cycling glory, we'll look back and say this is where it all began.  Even if he doesn't, the good times we shared with this bike have left me (and hopefully the boy) with many fond memories.