Advocacy & Safety - How to teach a kid to ride a bike

http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/28/gyrobike-flywheel-helps-bicycles-self-steady/

Ran across this.

Easy, just set them at the top of a grassy hill, then let go. Repeat until they stay upright.

j/k :)

That looks like a solution in search of a problem (typical of the Dartmouth nerds ;) )

The tried and tested way to each anyone to ride a bike is to remove the cranks and chain, lower the seat - and let the child (or adult) learn to scoot the bike in "hobby-horse" mode. This gets them used to balancing, without the added problem of learning to use the pedals at the same time.

Once balance is learned, then the cranks and chain go back on… simple, and guaranteed!

Training wheels are a feeble excuse to help parents avoid teaching their kids to ride a bike…

- Wil

Don't use training wheels. Rollerblade behind the bike while you support the child riding. This assumes you can roller blade reasonable well.

Don't bother with the stabilisers or the gyro wheels or the rollerblades. Do what generations of people have been doing for nigh a century. Put the kid on the bike. Hold the saddle while the kid gets started and then let go. Be sympathetic when the kid falls off the bike.

Nothing teaches you better to learn to not fall over than falling over. Nothing helps your child to learn from experience than experiencing things. Stop coddling your child and let them learn in their own way. Sometimes the hard way is the better way.

I've got twins in the learning stage right now. Kids vary tremendously. A couple of their more adventurous classmates just got on bikes and rode the first time. Most kids are less bold. My observation: training wheels have no value in learning to ride a bike, and are actually counterproductive and somewhat dangerous. They teach nothing about balance, which is the real skill, and since they inhibit leaning they teach the wrong lesson about steering.

However, they are good for building confidence, comfort and interest. Since most kids just need a little confidence to get over the hump, that's important. However, I think a confidence builder that teaches the right lessons -- like the dartmouth thing, or even removing pedals -- would be more effective.

What about the important lessons of persevering in the face of adversity and getting back on the horse when you fall off? They're pretty important lessons to learn as well.

My observation: training wheels have no value in learning to ride a bike, and are actually counterproductive and somewhat dangerous. They teach nothing about balance, which is the real skill, and since they inhibit leaning they teach the wrong lesson about steering.

I'd have to agree with you. My son is learning to ride, and he was leaning over so that one of the training wheels was on the ground all the time. We got rid of the training wheels, and after a few wipeouts he was able to ride several hundred feet at a time and make wide turns. I think it was harder for him to get rid of the poor habits reinforced by the training wheels than to get the hang of balancing.

Ken

Nothing teaches you better to learn to not fall over than falling over. Nothing helps your child to learn from experience than experiencing things. Stop coddling your child and let them learn in their own way. Sometimes the hard way is the better way.

I'd hate to see how you'd teach a child to swim. :eek:

I'd hate to see how you'd teach a child to swim. :eek:

Well, they'd at least have a life-jacket on, but the principle is the same.

I'd hate to see how you'd teach a child to swim. :eek:

Falling off a bike is very, very unlikely to kill a child. Learning to swim is a very different matter.

Easy, just set them at the top of a grassy hill, then let go. Repeat until they stay upright.

j/k :)

+1 on that. Also the flywheel won't help at the low speeds a new rider needs help at. The gryo effect doesn't start as soon as the wheels turn. It's there when your front wheel turns left when you turn right in a lean.

Joe

This looks like an argument looking for something to argue over.

What I find more interesting is the Shift bike from Purdue:
http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2005/050428.Shim.bike.html

What I find more interesting is the Shift bike from Purdue:
http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2005/050428.Shim.bike.html


Maybe an interesting idea, but what does the darn thing cost. My son's first bike was a free handme down from a neighbor. He rode it the first time he tried... using the old "give him a gentle push" method... (I just happened to look at the video the other day... his biggest problem was learning how to stop)

Either we are making mountains out of molehills as Diane suggests, or we're missing the mark on the question.

BTW as far as swimming... getting comfortable in the water is the first key.

I'd have to agree with you. My son is learning to ride, and he was leaning over so that one of the training wheels was on the ground all the time. We got rid of the training wheels, and after a few wipeouts he was able to ride several hundred feet at a time and make wide turns. I think it was harder for him to get rid of the poor habits reinforced by the training wheels than to get the hang of balancing.

Ken


I seem to recall when I was learning to ride, as a very young tyke, I never learned much at all until the training wheels came off. Until then, there was too much of a crutch. But after that, I was riding the length of my block in a few hours. I ended the day bruised and scratched from falls and running into curbs, but I couldn't have been happier.

Easy, just set them at the top of a grassy hill, then let go. Repeat until they stay upright.

j/k :)


I'm all for it thats how i learned it scared the **** out of me but it worked in less than a week, and the training wheels - not only useless theyr bad for the kid.

This looks like an argument looking for something to argue over.
I thought so too. Kids seem to take naturally to riding at the magic age of four. I just went riding with a little redhead. Three weeks ago she couldn't ride at all, now she's racing me. I think she let me win!

Just get a properly sized girls style bike. I taught myself to ride at age 5 1/2 by just borrowing a friends bicycle and staying on her driveway till I had figured out how to balance pedal and turn. Admittedly it was a good sized driveway.

As I vaguely recall, my strategy was to straddle the bike, put one foot on the pedal and push with the other to glide. If I wobbled, I just hopped down. (That's why I chose a girl's bike). Once I got gliding and holding balance, I tried pedaling and balancing. Once I had that down, I tried steering. After I had all the skills down, I spent a while riding circles and ovals in the driveway. When I was satisfied, I put the bike back in the garage and went in to thank my friend. Took me about 1/1/2 hours.

+1 on that. Also the flywheel won't help at the low speeds a new rider needs help at. The gryo effect doesn't start as soon as the wheels turn. It's there when your front wheel turns left when you turn right in a lean.

Joe

The gyro effect is almost non existant. That was demonstrated in the 1970's. Balancing a Bike (http://wellyouneednot.blogspot.com/2006/02/counterintuitive.html) What really maintains your balance is mostly inertia.