Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Are those rear brakes and good? The front rim brakes you get on many kids bikes with coaster rears seem almost pointless: lever out of the reach of most kids and too spongy.No, not very at all... They're stiff, have no feeling and just do. not. stop. Better to get some of the proper BMX brakes on there, or get a bike that has a coaster brae (back-pedal)
Shebeen Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 my oldest is turning three next month. about last year i got her one of these http://www.ybikeworld.com/site/wp-content/themes/ybike/style/images/ybike-original-08.jpg they had them at daycare and it seemed like a the best way to get her into a bit of balance training. she never really liked it, much rather prefers this sort of one. I am in no rush to force her to do x,y or z by a certain age. if she doesn't want to ride, then thats ok with me.what happens now is, she races around the house on the black bike, and i get on the orange one and chase her. it's a real beeetch after 3/4 laps as it's really really small for a full grown adult..but she's got about 6 months before the little guy is going to want to start racing the black bike too. hopefully by then she's having more fun on the orange one.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 my oldest is turning three next month. about last year i got her one of these http://www.ybikeworld.com/site/wp-content/themes/ybike/style/images/ybike-original-08.jpg they had them at daycare and it seemed like a the best way to get her into a bit of balance training. she never really liked it, much rather prefers this sort of one. I am in no rush to force her to do x,y or z by a certain age. if she doesn't want to ride, then thats ok with me.what happens now is, she races around the house on the black bike, and i get on the orange one and chase her. it's a real beeetch after 3/4 laps as it's really really small for a full grown adult..but she's got about 6 months before the little guy is going to want to start racing the black bike too. hopefully by then she's having more fun on the orange one.Yeha, at our lightie's school they only have the y-bikes and 1 or 2 of the black ones. We never gave him the option of the black one, and got a y bike at a steal of a price (R 100) He never looked back. Same with the Muna. Got it for him last year for his birthday, I think, and he's not touched the y bike since. Which is a good thing, 'cos it's now gone to a mate of mine who has just had a little boy. the way these things teach a kid how to balance is brilliant. He's also able to learn that crashing is just a part of learning how to ride. Picks himself up and just gets back on.
ZakAttak Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 My daughter is on a 12" fixed cog bike with training wheels, she recently started riding without the training wheels... I took the training wheels off as well as the pedals, told her to practice pusshing the bike and balancing, which she caught on very quickly... within 2 days, with a little help by giving her a rolling start, pedals were back on and she's loving the bicycle riding now without training wheels... Give them confidence on the bike with whichever prefrence you have, the worst thing is to make them feel that its hard, because then they give up.... Each to his own... I will do exactly the same with my son, when he is big enough to fit on the 12" bike... (will first have to strip it down and change the colour though)
popcorn_skollie Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 My daughter is on a 12" fixed cog bike with training wheels, she recently started riding without the training wheels... I took the training wheels off as well as the pedals, told her to practice pusshing the bike and balancing, which she caught on very quickly... within 2 days, with a little help by giving her a rolling start, pedals were back on and she's loving the bicycle riding now without training wheels... Give them confidence on the bike with whichever prefrence you have, the worst thing is to make them feel that its hard, because then they give up.... Each to his own... I will do exactly the same with my son, when he is big enough to fit on the 12" bike... (will first have to strip it down and change the colour though) I learned to buy neutral colours because of this. Even clothes if I can help it. Which they outgrow after wearing it like 4 times. My daughter is almost 4 and my son just turned 1. There's a green JD bug waiting for him. Till then he'll have to try and keep up on one of these jobbies http://www.littletikes.com/content/ebiz/shop/invt/4163/4163_push--ride-racer_xlarge.jpg
SlowManiac Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 My boy has been riding a pedal bike (no training wheels) from 2.5. Balance bikes are the way forward. Not a fan of training wheels at all - kids just lean against them and don't learn how to balance. We did a lot of research. Strider balance bikes and Specialized Hotrock are really good.
GreatGusto Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Training wheels are the devil's work. I have three kids. My eldest daughter started on training wheels, but she got frustrated because every time she rode over uneven ground the rear wheel was in the air and the bike stopped. The process of teaching her to balance without training wheels was heart-wrenching. I must have run for hours next to her, holding the seat, and every time the bike wobbled, she broke down in tears, not because she was afraid, but because she felt like a failure when she saw other kids could do it. Lesson learned. Twins came along 2 years later, got 2x JD Bugs from the start, they rode around the garden like mad things, little legs pumping away at the ground. When they started launching off the two steps at the back yard for fun, I figured they were ready for pedals. Christmas came, unwrapped bikes, headed out onto the road at 6am, where they promptly mounted and pedaled off. Training wheels should be illegal. Can't believe the 'elf 'n safety' yobs haven't passed a law yet. And pedal brakes for first bike. Little hands no good at brake levers.
Ryanpmb Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Pro_Mini_Front-copy.jpg That's awesome! My daughter may have some influence from Dad on this one!!!... #enoughpinkalready
Boerklong Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 My kids love the Muna. Even my 6yr takes it off his boet sometimes for a wrecking session
Grebel Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 Balance bike FTW! Which one depends on your budget... they all do the same thing at the end of the day. Bought my youngest a pedal bike a few years ago. He saw the training wheels and insisted that I fit them even though I said he didn't need them. Lasted about 5 minutes before he said take them off. Thanks JD Bug!!
Oufy MTB (Roadie) Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 I never had to run after my boys to get them to balance, they did it on their own Black plastic motorbike, then balancing bike, 12inch bike and now both are on 16inch Titans MTB. Fortunately I have 3 boys and 4th child expected next month, so the bikes just trickle down the line. when they bigger they must not do cycling because then it is unaffordable. Please ditch the training wheels, don't use them, not necessary. This weekend I saw a dad in the park with his son that is bigger than my 5yr old. The training wheels were not straight and the boy was leaning, but I could see that he actually can balance the bike. So his dad fetches a spanner, here I thought good shot, finally the training wheels is coming off. But no, the dad realigns them and sits in the swing and have a cigarette. But lets not interfere
the nerd Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/05/Triton-Bikes-balance-bike-featured.jpg
Ryanpmb Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/05/Triton-Bikes-balance-bike-featured.jpg Raise you...
the nerd Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 Raise you... Mercer Balance.jpg The Triton is Ti, King Hubs and velocity wheels... But hot damn I want the mercer!!!
Ryanpmb Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 The Triton is Ti, King Hubs and velocity wheels... But hot damn I want the mercer!!!Yeah - Mercer is just cool. There's another I saw recenrtly. Konga Bicycles I think... Hang on...
RocknRolla Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 The principle of the balance bike for teaching kids and adults to ride is sound. Whoever invented training wheels was propbably too lazy to run after his kid. Kids bicycles like mayhem said are terrible, heavy with cheap components that detracts from the riding experience. From balance bike get them onto a proper bmx, sized to their age and height. This could run you up to R5k and more.However the weight will be appropriate, making it easy for the kid to focus on importnat skills rather than wrestling a big heavy bike that does not want to stop or go properly. There is a decent second hand market for bikes like these. Same principle applies to moving onto mtb...
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