Here's an interesting predicament.

My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a year ago. My neighbors have
been trying to teach her to ride, but she just can't seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems
to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but she can't get the hang of this one thing.

Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for me to help out. The problem
is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many neighborhood children to ride
over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination problem.

Any suggestions?

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides

I spent a year trying to teach my daughter to ride. Came home one day from work and she's was in the
back yard yelling, "It's easy, Dad." They learn at their own pace.

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:46:15 GMT, "NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:

>Here's an interesting predicament.
>
>My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a year ago. My neighbors have
>been trying to teach her to ride, but she just can't seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems
>to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but she can't get the hang of this one thing.
>
>Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for me to help out. The
>problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many neighborhood
>children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination problem.
>
>Any suggestions?

ThreeLeggedDog <grillparzerNOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:<prb1lvs0up9vp5gjf9a3auugnu4iut5kqo@4ax.com>...
> I spent a year trying to teach my daughter to ride. Came home one day from work and she's was in
> the back yard yelling, "It's easy, Dad." They learn at their own pace.

I'll say.

My littlest brother had been on training wheels forever. One day, we took off the wheels. He got on
the bike and promptly rode away, just like that.

I remember being helped a little. Being able to shrug off falls is a good thing. My mother refuses
to get on a bike now because of a fall she suffered when she was a little girl...so maybe it has to
do with temperament...

-Luigi

"NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:b804b.30070$yg.12318434@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...

> Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for
me
> to help out. The problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many
> neighborhood children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination
> problem.
>
> Any suggestions?

You might try breaking the problem into two phases - balancing the bike, then pedalling the bike.
Start by removing the pedals (or to go to the extreme, remove the cranks and chain). Set the saddle
high enough for her to touch the ground with the balls of her feet (not flat-footed). Have her ride
her new "pushbike" until she can coast a decent distance with her feet up. Once she gets the
balancing part, then add the drivetrain and teach her to pedal.

Good luck, Buck

I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to ride and wanted me to do
it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by Schwinn on how to teach
a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever teaching his son using
their methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to grab a copy from my
file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax # and I'll
shoot it off to you...

HTH, Cat Dailey

"NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:b804b.30070$yg.12318434@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> Here's an interesting predicament.
>
> My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a
year
> ago. My neighbors have been trying to teach her to ride, but she just
can't
> seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but
> she can't get the hang of this one thing.
>
> Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for
me
> to help out. The problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many
> neighborhood children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination
> problem.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> --
> Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides

"Cat Dailey" <catdailey@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1062285410.262904@newshost03.voicenet.com...
> I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to
ride
> and wanted me to do it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by
> Schwinn on how to teach a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever
> teaching his son using
their
> methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to grab
a
> copy from my file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax #
> and I'll shoot it off to you...

I'm sure Bicycling wouldn't mind if you scanned it and posted it to a web page somewhere. Just be
sure to give credit to the original author.

-Buck

Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that she can't get the concept of
pedaling in circles. I was wondering if there's some type of analogy I can use.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Buck" <j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c
o r p . c o m> wrote in message news:Npb4b.5941$jt.276326@twister.austin.rr.com...
> "Cat Dailey" <catdailey@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1062285410.262904@newshost03.voicenet.com...
> > I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to
> ride
> > and wanted me to do it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by
> > Schwinn on how to teach a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever
> > teaching his son using
> their
> > methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to
grab
> a
> > copy from my file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax #
> > and I'll shoot it off to you...
>
> I'm sure Bicycling wouldn't mind if you scanned it and posted it to a web page somewhere. Just be
> sure to give credit to the original author.
>
> -Buck

In article <lDl4b.54739$yg.19292949@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>,
"NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> writes:
> Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that she can't get the concept
> of pedaling in circles. I was wondering if there's some type of analogy I can use.

We've all heard that old chestnut about different people learning in different ways -- some by
having things described to them, some by visually observing, etc. So it sounds to me that you're
considering which teaching approaches have failed, and then trying different approaches instead.
That's a good tactic.

But I just can't shake off the feeling that possibly the girl is not learning because she simply
doesn't *want* to learn. Not right now, anyways. Maybe she feels this cycling thing is being foisted
upon her, and she is resisting?

If that unthinkable situation really is the case, maybe it's time to move on to something else with
her for awhile, like maybe swimming lessons. Then she'll want to pick up on bike riding again when
she's good 'n ready, and when it's /her/ idea.

Just some conjectural thoughts, anywayz. But I think maybe your understudy is a willful, stubborn
one. When she does get into cycling, she'll probably be a good hill climber.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

I agree...and, by the way, this is not my child. It's my next door neighbor's little girl. I've said
the same thing to them. "When she's ready to ride, she'll get on the bike and ride." But I think the
scene is that Grandma and Grandpa just bought her a bike for her birthday and now everybody expects
her to use it.

I've taught most of the neighborhood kids to ride over the years. Some took a little work, some just
needed a lift to the seat. But they all came to me on their own terms. This poor kid is being
pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the concept of pedaling. She even says,
in her cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!" Makes me sad to see her
feeling like such a failure at such an early age. I guess that's why I'm so anxious to turn things
around for this little one.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Tom Keats" <tomk2003@hotmail.com>
wrote in message newsoktib.2f8.ln@bud.garden.local...
> In article <lDl4b.54739$yg.19292949@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>, "NY Rides"
> <nyrides@optonline.net> writes:
> > Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that
she
> > can't get the concept of pedaling in circles. I was wondering if
there's
> > some type of analogy I can use.
>
> We've all heard that old chestnut about different people learning in different ways -- some by
> having things described to them, some by visually observing, etc. So it sounds to me that you're
> considering which teaching approaches have failed, and then trying different approaches instead.
> That's a good tactic.
>
> But I just can't shake off the feeling that possibly the girl is not learning because she simply
> doesn't *want* to learn. Not right now, anyways. Maybe she feels this cycling thing is being
> foisted upon her, and she is resisting?
>
> If that unthinkable situation really is the case, maybe it's time to move on to something else
> with her for awhile, like maybe swimming lessons. Then she'll want to pick up on bike riding again
> when she's good 'n ready, and when it's /her/ idea.
>
> Just some conjectural thoughts, anywayz. But I think maybe your understudy is a willful, stubborn
> one. When she does get into cycling, she'll probably be a good hill climber.
>
>
> cheers, Tom
>
> --
> -- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
> [point] bc [point] ca

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 02:16:00 GMT, <AZx4b.74733$yg.23867039@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>, "NY Rides"
<nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:

>This poor kid is being pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the
>concept of pedaling. She even says, in her cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I
>juss can't get it!"

Wasn't she given a tricycle? That's where I learned to pedal.

My Irish Mail is where I learned to love speed. And then I got a bike.
--
zk

She never had a trike. They figured a 12" bike with training wheels is the same thing, and it'll
save them $19.99 in the long run.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Zoot Katz" <zootkatz@operamail.com>
wrote in message news:3f59b2c8.42102954@news.individual.net...
> Mon, 01 Sep 2003 02:16:00 GMT, <AZx4b.74733$yg.23867039@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>, "NY Rides"
> <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> >This poor kid is being pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the concept
> >of pedaling. She even says, in
her
> >cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!"
>
> Wasn't she given a tricycle? That's where I learned to pedal.
>
> My Irish Mail is where I learned to love speed. And then I got a bike.
> --
> zk

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 12:42:03 GMT,
<v8H4b.91784$yg.26321427@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>, "NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:

>She never had a trike. They figured a 12" bike with training wheels is the same thing, and it'll
>save them $19.99 in the long run.

Maybe if its' a fixed gear so she can also pedal it backwards.
--
zk

"NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:AZx4b.74733$yg.23867039@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> I agree...and, by the way, this is not my child. It's my next door neighbor's little girl. I've
> said the same thing to them. "When she's ready to ride, she'll get on the bike and ride." But I
> think the scene is that Grandma and Grandpa just bought her a bike for her birthday and now
> everybody expects her to use it.

Age 4: got my son a bike for xmas. He couldn't get the hang of it. Kept falling and getting
frustrated. Put it off till summer. Same thing. Only tried it for maybe 30 mins at a time. Age 5:
different bike. Same result. Age 6: Xmas. another bike (he had grown enough to change) 1/2 hour
after going outside, he was riding. 2 months later, going off small jumps. 2 months after that,
riding no handed.

All these times he *wanted* to ride, just couldn't get the hang of it. I could see he was getting
pissed off that he couldn't do it. Keep the sessions *short*. Too long, and they get too frustrated.

Each kid will learn in their own time.

> I've taught most of the neighborhood kids to ride over the years. Some
took
> a little work, some just needed a lift to the seat. But they all came to
me
> on their own terms. This poor kid is being pressured into it and
criticized
> for not being able to grasp the concept of pedaling. She even says, in
her
> cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!"
Makes
> me sad to see her feeling like such a failure at such an early age. I
guess
> that's why I'm so anxious to turn things around for this little one.

It will turn around when she's ready. What the parents/grandparents want does not matter.

Pete

"NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:

> She never had a trike.

My daughter was quite a bit slower than my son in learning to pedal. It does seem a lot easier on
the trike than on an upright bike.

We have a plastic three-wheeler with a handle on the back. Kids put feet on pedals, and mom or
dad slowly push the trike with the handle. This results in feet going in circular motion. Kids
get the hang of
it.

RFM

"Fritz M" <nospam@masoner.net> wrote in message
news:2c505724.0309021401.2b676864@posting.google.com...
> "NY Rides" <nyrides@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> > She never had a trike.
>
> My daughter was quite a bit slower than my son in learning to pedal. It does seem a lot easier on
> the trike than on an upright bike.
>
> We have a plastic three-wheeler with a handle on the back. Kids put feet on pedals, and mom or
> dad slowly push the trike with the handle. This results in feet going in circular motion. Kids
> get the hang of
> it.
>
> RFM

So does this mean I can blame my parents for the problems I now have riding fixed gear? Hugh