Re: Bicycle at what age? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-25-2004, 08:51 AM

Jeanne Clelland <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>...

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son is
> almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his birthday. My
> main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit of traffic, so we
> don't have a great place for him to practice riding without going
> somewhere else.

Another possibility is to get a trail-a-bike or similar contraption
([Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) and go riding
together. Using a trailercycle gives a kid a shorter set of list of
things to deal with -- s/he only has to hang on, and optionally pedal.
Other things, like balancing, and negotiating traffic are then largely
up to the adult captain. This is an excellent intermediate step
between tricycling in the driveway, and riding a bike on the street.
You are also modeling for the kid how to handle yourself sensibly on
the road.

If you weren't in Colorado but around here, I'd sell you our old
Trail-a-bike. Both of my kids have now graduated to tandems. We're
looking at doing Pedal the Pinchot ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ])
as a family -- that's going to be lots of fun.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky

Home of the meditative cyclist:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
See the books I've set free at:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Jeanne Clelland writes:

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
> riding without going somewhere else.

Let him ride a tricycle until he's 5 and then get a bicycle that fits.
Children learn rapidly without training wheels if you take the time
and do not offer any doubt that they can do it. Training wheels make
an unstable tricycle of any bicycle and leave the child riding on a
tilt to one side. It does not teach bicycling. The same people who
find conventional tricycles dangerous because they can fall over in a
turn also believe training wheels are useful.

Jobst Brandt
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Jeanne Clelland writes:

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
> riding without going somewhere else.

Let him ride a tricycle until he's 5 and then get a bicycle that fits.
Children learn rapidly without training wheels if you take the time
and do not offer any doubt that they can do it. Training wheels make
an unstable tricycle of any bicycle and leave the child riding on a
tilt to one side. It does not teach bicycling. The same people who
find conventional tricycles dangerous because they can fall over in a
turn also believe training wheels are useful.

Jobst Brandt
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Jeanne Clelland writes:

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
> riding without going somewhere else.

Let him ride a tricycle until he's 5 and then get a bicycle that fits.
Children learn rapidly without training wheels if you take the time
and do not offer any doubt that they can do it. Training wheels make
an unstable tricycle of any bicycle and leave the child riding on a
tilt to one side. It does not teach bicycling. The same people who
find conventional tricycles dangerous because they can fall over in a
turn also believe training wheels are useful.

Jobst Brandt
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Jeanne Clelland writes:

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
> riding without going somewhere else.

Let him ride a tricycle until he's 5 and then get a bicycle that fits.
Children learn rapidly without training wheels if you take the time
and do not offer any doubt that they can do it. Training wheels make
an unstable tricycle of any bicycle and leave the child riding on a
tilt to one side. It does not teach bicycling. The same people who
find conventional tricycles dangerous because they can fall over in a
turn also believe training wheels are useful.

Jobst Brandt
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:31 AM

Jeanne Clelland writes:

> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
> riding without going somewhere else.

Let him ride a tricycle until he's 5 and then get a bicycle that fits.
Children learn rapidly without training wheels if you take the time
and do not offer any doubt that they can do it. Training wheels make
an unstable tricycle of any bicycle and leave the child riding on a
tilt to one side. It does not teach bicycling. The same people who
find conventional tricycles dangerous because they can fall over in a
turn also believe training wheels are useful.

Jobst Brandt
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-25-2004, 10:52 AM

Piggybacking - apologies...

>Jeanne Clelland writes:
>
>> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
>> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
>> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
>> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
>> riding without going somewhere else.

How about one of these?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om $

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

06-25-2004, 10:52 AM

Piggybacking - apologies...

>Jeanne Clelland writes:
>
>> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
>> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
>> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
>> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
>> riding without going somewhere else.

How about one of these?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om $

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

06-25-2004, 10:52 AM

Piggybacking - apologies...

>Jeanne Clelland writes:
>
>> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
>> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
>> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
>> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
>> riding without going somewhere else.

How about one of these?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om $

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

06-25-2004, 10:52 AM

Piggybacking - apologies...

>Jeanne Clelland writes:
>
>> What's a good age to get a real bike (with training wheels)? My son
>> is almost 4, and I'm thinking of getting him a bike for his
>> birthday. My main concern is that we live on a hill with a fair bit
>> of traffic, so we don't have a great place for him to practice
>> riding without going somewhere else.

How about one of these?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om $

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--