Kids Bikes.

Simon E wrote:GREGJONES

Simon E wrote:

GREGJONES wrote:

In my experience stabalisers are pointless, if anything they delay children learning to ride a bike. Either get a balance bike and then use the ‘proper bike’, or just get a proper bike and take off the peals so they can use it as a balance bike.

I’d go as far as saying that stabilisers are the devil’s work. They actively hinder a child learning to balance. When they are removed the child has to unlearn the way of turning and correcting, and most find this disconcerting. I would urge any parent to avoid them like the plague (this is another area where Isla’s advice proved to be spot on).

As Greg says, start without pedals. Walk/trot alongside with your hands under their armpits; this way you can prevent them falling but they learn how to correct the wobbles themselves with steering and bodyweight. Remind them frequently to keep looking ahead, not at the front wheel. As they progress they need less support.

I couldn’t agree more. I taught both my kids to ride and have since taught various others, younger siblings of children in the club or children of friends mainly. Balance bikes are the way to go, or even a bike with the pedals (and possibly the cranks) taken off temporarily.

Holding onto the saddle while teaching a child is a common mistake and hinders learning as the child is not manoeuvring or balancing the bike, while holding the bars is worse still. Hold the child upright under the armpits is much better. Another way is to get the child to wear a backpack and hold that.

We’ve had both makes –
We’ve had both makes – Islabikes are brilliant and now Frog have hopped into the pond and are similarly much lighter weight than mainstream rivals – and quite keenly priced – and you can get them from proper bike shops –
Whichever, just do it – A child on a properly designed 10kg Islabike or Frog is much more likely to love cycling than on one weighing half as much again ….
And, no, they don’t need any suspension and no they don’t need dozens of gears and no they don’t need different models for boys and girls ….

similar experience to Greg
similar experience to Greg but other way round. Despite starting early, my daughter refused to ride without stabilisers and took until 7 to be convinced that 2 wheels were best, even though she could ride a scooter well before. As a contrast my 2.5 year old boy has had a balance bike since 2nd birthday – he can already coast along and balance with both feet up and has the reflexes to dab a foot when he needs to.

I have twins, so baulked at
I have twins, so baulked at the double whammy that 2x Islabikes would have been.

2x Frog bikes has been a resounding success for both kids and Dad’s wallet. We live on a slope with a sharp climb from pavement to house and although the kids (aged 7) can’t manage it yet, my wife can carry both bikes up at the same time.

My son’s five in a couple of
My son’s five in a couple of weeks, he’s been on his sister’s old Beinn 20 Small since as soon as he could fit on it (he’s not unusually tall, she’s on a 24 now). He finds it a lot easier off-road than his old Cnoc 14. Gears don’t seem confusing, he just leaves it in the same one most of the time 😉

+1 for Isla bikes. Also have
+1 for Isla bikes. Also have a look at how much they go for on ebay. If you look after it in effect you are renting the bike as , the last time I looked, you get at least 70% of the new price back.