Heh, the Fisher was mom's bike (which she never rode a whole lot). It's already been used by his older sister, too. So, he deserves his own bike! But more than anything he's about to outgrow the Fisher. It's like a 14.5" frame or however they measured frames back then. I was riding it instead of my bike because I had a feeling the gears would be too steep for him up the hill.
Yeah, the gravel roads (and trails!) that we'll be riding will almost always have some elevation here in Southern Cal. So, change out all three rings in the front. I'll look into that, too. Thanks!