Comment by f1shy
3 days ago
I would never go to support wheels after a walking bike (laufrad in german). They learn to use instantly, and pretty fast are stable and balancing. Next step is to add pedals, but NOT pedals+support wheels!
3 days ago
I would never go to support wheels after a walking bike (laufrad in german). They learn to use instantly, and pretty fast are stable and balancing. Next step is to add pedals, but NOT pedals+support wheels!
The difficult part is not balance but looking ahead. When you are first learning to use the pedals, you instinctively LOOK at them. That's what makes it difficult. I learned on a standard bike but did not pedal until somone encouraged me to try. I was going downhill fast and everything without using the pedals. :)
I disagree; you don't balance on a bike, you adjust the balance point under the bike as it tips to one side and the other with pressure. This is why beginners "S" their way at the start, then get finer grain control. This is similar to skiing, where you don't balance on top but keep pressure applied to an edge.
Your bike is upright and the handlebars straight. You add velocity to it. There's no tipping there. It will go straight forever. It's a self balancing system - unlike skiis. You only tip the bike over to turn and that (counter steering) only after a certain speed.
I maintain that it's looking at the pedals. Looking itself doesn't do anything but a newbie will move the handlebar or lean while looking and or won't generate enough speed. Couple of days on the saddle and they can look anywhere while riding.
Yeah, this is the way. I don't know why the training wheels route is still so ingrained here. Probably also some kids start there, and not on a balance bike (wrong imo).
I've seen some kids struggle with the pedaling if they've only done balance bike. A week or so with support wheels doesn't rob them of the balancing skills they learned and allows them to put the two skills together (balancing and pedaling) instead of having to learn to pedal for the first time with balancing. I'm sure any of these methods work just fine though including what many of us older folks did of just tricycle to bicycle.