Originally Posted by SoonerLater
Ummm... because the bike that he's been riding for the past 14 mos. or so is geared (7 speed). He rides the roads and paved trails with me and the rest of the family. He uses lower gears for going up hill and higher gears for flat areas where he likes to show his mom that he's the fastest.
Maybe I'll take him for a ride on a single speed and see how he reacts.
He sounds strong and enthusiastic but are you sure you're not confusing operating gears with using gears.
I see a lot of kids operating gears on heavy bikes, they throw their bodyweight forward and bounce to get the bike going regardless of the gear chosen, the bikes are so heavy and the power output of juveniles is so minimal there is no chance of them developing good technique as a rider as all effort is in overcoming the weight of the bike.
My youngest has just moved onto geared bikes at 12yrs, he has been riding lightweight single speeds for road track bmx and mtb since he was five as did his brother.
The lightweight small geared bikes have taught him to spin to go fast and to use his muscles and body position to climb efficiently.
An observation of both boys when they first moved to geared bikes was that they instinctively geared down to accelerate by spinning and they maintained their position on the bike using the whole body to apply power or as Keith Bontrager put it 'dynamic riding position in and out of the seat'. This hasn't been drummed into them this is just how they ride bikes as the bikes they have ridden have allowed them to develop proper technique.
Hard to explain in a short forum reply but a lightweight bike allows the child (he is only 6 right?) to command and respond to the bike and conditions where a heavy bike commands exertion. The small single speed makes riding and technique the main focus not the changing of gears.
Hope this is of help, good luck with your rider.