teaching children to ride
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After the morning's incident-packed ride (see previous
post), the other bike related thing I did yesterday was have
another stab at teaching my son to ride his bike.
I took him up to the sports field, best part of two miles
away so a bit of a slog with him on his bike (still with
stabilisers fitted at this point) but worth it because it's
the only decent open space nearby that's smooth enough for
riding bikes.
Even better, the sports field has an artificial cricket
strip, and what's more with a slight end-to-end slope.
I had only managed to persuade him to come out on his bike
after much negotiation had led to me promising that I
wouldn't take the stabilisers off unless he was really happy
about it. But once we were up there I re-opened negotiations
and persuaded him to just have a quick go without
stabilisers - and then I would put them straight back on.
Honest. So, pedals off, seat lowered, and fingers crossed...
...and five minutes later, all thoughts of stabilisers had
been cast aside as with rapturous delight he scooted back
and forth along the cricket strip, laughing like... well,
like a boy with a new bicycle.
We had a good hour or so of scooting about like this, and
then he rode all the way home without stabilisers. And when
we got home he even told his mum "stabilisers are rubbish"!
You can imagine how proud I felt.
And huge thanks to all urc contributors who have previously
given advice on how to teach a child to ride. Aside from the
basic principle of the pedals off/scooting thing, perhaps
the most useful bit of advice was the one about steering in
the direction of a fall - it's one of those things that as a
cyclist with many years experience you do instinctively. If
I'd had to work it out for myself, I'm not sure I would have
been able to, but now it seems obvious.
I reckon at least one more session without pedals is in
order - he's still got to learn to use his brakes instead of
putting his feet down or jumping off the bike, but in one
short afternoon session we've made such huge progress that
it would be mean to push him harder.
d.
On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 09:11:32 +0000 (UTC), "davek"
<david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote:
>
>You can imagine how proud I felt.
>
It's such a Proud Parent moment. Congrats :-)
>
>I reckon at least one more session without pedals is in
>order - he's still got to learn to use his brakes instead
>of putting his feet down or jumping off the bike, but in
>one short afternoon session we've made such huge progress
>that it would be mean to push him harder.
>
just make sure that he wears old shoes until he gets the
hang of using his brakes, or he'll have the toes out of his
Good School Shoes in no time. If he has no old shoes, get
him a cheapo pair of trainers from Shoe Express or
wherever. Yes, this is the voice of (recent and expensive)
experience speaking.
A
--
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"davek" <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote in
news:cbonc4$bdu$1@titan.btinternet.com:
> I had only managed to persuade him to come out on his bike
> after much negotiation had led to me promising that I
> wouldn't take the stabilisers off unless he was really
> happy about it. But once we were up there I re-opened
> negotiations and persuaded him to just have a quick go
> without stabilisers
Ooh, typical bloody grown up! :-) That's a sneaky trick,
renegotiating terms once the contract is agreed. One that no
doubt I will take advantage of as my son grows up :)
Graeme
Following on from davek's message. . .
[good pedal-warming stuff snipped]
>
>I reckon at least one more session without pedals is in
>order - he's still got to learn to use his brakes instead
>of putting his feet down or jumping off the bike, but in
>one short afternoon session we've made such huge
Something I didn't know until last week is that there is a
limit-stop screw which can be adjusted if the gape of the
brake lever is too large for tiny hands. Screw it in to
reduce the maximum open position.
--
PETER FOX Not the same since the deckchair business folded
peterfox@eminent.demon.co.uk.not.this.bit.no.html
www.eminent.demon.co.uk/wcc.htm Witham Cycling Campaign
www.eminent.demon.co.uk/rides East Anglian Pub cycle rides
Peter Fox wrote:
> Following on from davek's message. . .
>
> [good pedal-warming stuff snipped]
>
>>
>> I reckon at least one more session without pedals is in
>> order - he's still got to learn to use his brakes instead
>> of putting his feet down or jumping off the bike, but in
>> one short afternoon session we've made such huge
>
>
> Something I didn't know until last week is that there is a
> limit-stop screw which can be adjusted if the gape of the
> brake lever is too large for tiny hands. Screw it in to
> reduce the maximum open position.
>
>
Ooh. As someone who has tiny hands (no, really, I do, it's
not that they're wimpy fingers, honest) do you know if STI
shifters have such a limit stop too?
--
Velvet
>And when we got home he even told his mum "stabilisers are
>rubbish"!
>
>You can imagine how proud I felt.
Yup - a lovely moment. Many happy years of cycling to come
no doubt :-)
Cheers, helen s
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Velvet <velvet@not.a.valid.domain> wrote in message news:<P7_Dc.5301$mS2.56605990@news-text.cableinet.net>...
> Peter Fox wrote:
> > Following on from davek's message. . .
> >
> > [good pedal-warming stuff snipped]
> >
> >>
> >> I reckon at least one more session without pedals is in
> >> order - he's still got to learn to use his brakes
> >> instead of putting his feet down or jumping off the
> >> bike, but in one short afternoon session we've made
> >> such huge
> >
> >
> > Something I didn't know until last week is that there is
> > a limit-stop screw which can be adjusted if the gape of
> > the brake lever is too large for tiny hands. Screw it in
> > to reduce the maximum open position.
> >
> >
>
> Ooh. As someone who has tiny hands (no, really, I do, it's
> not that they're wimpy fingers, honest) do you know if STI
> shifters have such a limit stop too?
Don't think they do. You can however insert a ferule
(metal tube) between the lever and the entrance of cable
into the sheath for some levers to achieve the same
effect. I have done this several times for small hands.
Not tried on STI but I would expect it to work. Ferule
needs to be about 1cm long.
My son's Trek did not have the adjusting screws so I did
just this.
Poor diagram:
O-==-I----------> to brake ^ ^ ^ cable stop ferule
cable end
kind regards,
Daren
---
remove outer garment for reply
Daren Austin:
> My son's Trek did not have the adjusting screws so I did
> just this.
I made sure that the bike had limit-stop adjusters on the
brake levers when I bought it - it bothers me greatly the
number of kids I see out and about who clearly can't reach
their brake levers comfortably. Some of them seem unable to
reach the levers at all.
I may be guilty of riding at reckless speeds occasionally,
but at least I have brakes I can use. It doesn't matter how
slowly you ride if you have no means of stopping yourself.
d.
"davek" <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote in message news:<cbunh8$nmd$1@hercules.btinternet.com>...
> Daren Austin:
> > My son's Trek did not have the adjusting screws so I did
> > just this.
>
> I made sure that the bike had limit-stop adjusters on the
> brake levers when I bought it - it bothers me greatly the
> number of kids I see out and about who clearly can't reach
> their brake levers comfortably. Some of them seem unable
> to reach the levers at all.
>
Absolutely. I frequently make adjustments to other
children's bikes when they ride up and down our street.
I did question Trek about the levers and their comment was
that the lever was a small design already. Not really small
enough for a 5yo - hence my adjustment. Probably OK for a
7-10yo (target market)
It was the Aluminium frame, dual drilled cranks and very
adjustable bars that sold the bike to me, and the fact that
Lance rides a Trek that sold it to Thomas :-)
kind regards, Daren
---
remove outer garment for rply
"Daren Austin" <daren_RAINCOATaustin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:839d00a5.0407010146.192d9d7f@posting.google.com...
> "davek" <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote
> in message
news:<cbunh8$nmd$1@hercules.btinternet.com>...
> > Daren Austin:
> > > My son's Trek did not have the adjusting screws so I
> > > did just this.
> >
> > I made sure that the bike had limit-stop adjusters on
> > the brake levers
when
> > I bought it - it bothers me greatly the number of kids I
> > see out and
about
> > who clearly can't reach their brake levers comfortably.
> > Some of them
seem
> > unable to reach the levers at all.
> >
> Absolutely. I frequently make adjustments to other
> children's bikes when they ride up and down our street.
>
LOL...got to admit, thats sounds funny as written!
--
Tumbleweed
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