Teaching a child to bicycle

[Poly Hive]

Way back on a cycling forum it was said that the easiest way was to take off the pedals and let them use their feet to propel themselves. Very rapidly it was said they would learn to balance.

Today in the park in Long Eaton, we met in with a proud father whose son was on a "balance bike" a small bike with no peddling mechanism and the laddie, age two and a half was looking to push himself up little slopes to lift his feet and run down the slope with his feet up, balancing beautifully.

Talking to his dad he told us that his daughter has a bike with stabilisers and is yet to learn to balance after a year. Son has achieved it in three months.

This sort of thing: http://www.kidsbalancebikes.com/

Way to go lad.

PH

 

[JamezF]

Strange thing, learning to ride a bike. Once you "get it" you can never really believe it wasn't possible.

I still remember being taught to ride a bicycle by my dad, more than forty years ago.

James

 

[For want of a better word]

My little ones have both mastered 2 wheels on a balance or run bike......
littlest one still can not do pedals.. but wants a real bike like my Honda CRF 230!

Have fenced off the garden hives!

 

[Russel]

Lidl should be selling one on the 12th Lidl balance bike £39.99

 

[Winker]

but wants a real bike like my Honda CRF 230!

!

Thats not a real bike! My Yamaha WR 250R, now thats a real bike

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

I think it's just a case of some can and some can't.
My daughter had her first bike at 4yrs old with stabilisers attached. After a couple of days she was shooting up and down the drive and two weeks later the stabilisers came off and she has never looked back.
She now cycles to school on her bike every day, pedels and all...

 

[roche]

So how about teaching an adult to ride a bike? (not me I might add...)
What is the best method?

 

[taff..]

my lad had one of these for christmas when he was 2

at 3 years old we bought him his first bike with pedals and stabilisers, he was trying to ride it around a field but kept on getting stuck with the back wheel hovering over a dip in the ground. half an hour later he insisted that I took the stabilisers off, and then he was away zooming around the place faster than we could feel comfortable with

he's 6 now and adores his BMX with stuntpegs

 

[Poly Hive]

Roche?

Same same. take the pedals off, mind the left one is a left hand thread, and let them use it as a "hobby horse" and they will soon get the feel of the mid point, or if you like the balance point and off you go.

My dad taught me age 7 and he supported me until I had the feel, and I vaguely remember it took about five days and I was off.

I would adjust the saddle so that they can put the balls of both feet on the ground and let them get on with it, and when you see them lifting both feet to free wheel then time for pedals back on and the techie stuff.. peddling..LOL

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Thats not a real bike! My Yamaha WR 250R, now thats a real bike

Bet'ya couldn't get it up Muchlarnic tho !!!! well not with MT 43's

Old KTM 200 EXC used to sound like a swarm of bees on full throttle... unrideable ( for the beekeeping connection!!)

 

[Headnavigator]

So how about teaching an adult to ride a bike? (not me I might add...)
What is the best method?

I returned to cycling recently. First essential is to make sure the frame is the right size, and start with the saddle low enough for the balls of the feet to reach the ground both sides (as suggested). Then as confidence increases raise the saddle an inch at a time (every week or so) until the leg is at full stretch at the bottom of the pedal's rotation, and the rider either has to tilt the bike or hop forward when he/she stops. I realise I never had the right sized frame years ago and this really makes all the difference. Oh - padded cycle shorts or leggings will save a lot of anguish in the under-carriage area! Good luck!

 

[susbees]

Littlest learned here with the balance method....pedals off, rough track, no pavements. Worked very quickly...helmetted of course!

Rest all had stabilisers....we had a path round previous houses navigable with those daft little wheels. And I hadn't considered whipping off the pedals.

KISS. Take off pedals...

 

[Brosville]

A slight digression - can anyone ID my favourite bike?

 

[JamezF]

A slight digression - can anyone ID my favourite bike?

The URL gave it away as soon as I quoted your post to answer, but it merely confirmed my suspicions. Not really my era, but your favourite bike is a Triton.

James

 

[Brosville]

Well spotted -a Triumph Bonneville engine in a Norton featherbed frame - the best ones were put together by Dave Degens who was himself no mean bike racer....

 

[Erichalfbee]

What memories.............
My Father had a Norton Dominator (model ?) in the fifties.
I remember he always seemed to have it in pieces in the dining room (early council house with tiled floors)
We had a side car attached to it when we went en famille and on one occasion when touring Devon the clutch got burnt out in a traffic jam on Porlock Hill. The RAC came to our rescue with a salute...and a new clutch,of course.
Years later, reading Catch 22 with Orr taking his machinery to pieces in preparation for when his plane was shot down, my then deceased Dad came brilliantly to life. sigh.............

 

[For want of a better word]

View attachment 5480



A REAL Hybrid.... lives in my garage!

 

[Brosville]

Of what does it consist? - certainly looks interesting!

 

[For want of a better word]

Of what does it consist? - certainly looks interesting!

Matchless frame... Norton 750 motor... Norton Roadholder forks... Matchless wheels... Norton 4 speed gearbox...
Norton model N15CS ( Matchless G15CS )... known as dessert sleds sold in USA between 1965 ~ 1967
not to be confused with the P11 / P11a / Ranger that had a Renolds 531 frame modded from the Matchless G85CS ( owned those too in the past... parting with them was hard... but it was them or the WBCs!)

I also have the little brother.. the actual very last 350 cc single produced by AMC a Norton Model 50 Mk 11 CS same running gear but 350 single ( push rod version of AJS 7R) quicker than my KTM 400 EXE!!

So what do you do in the winter months when the bees are dosing ?​

apologies but Bronsville did ask!

 

[taff..]

quicker than my KTM 400 EXE!!

So what do you do in the winter months when the bees are dosing ?​

now we're talking decent bikes



I had to give in and admit that my knee just can't cope with offroading a couple of years ago and had to sell this