Balancing / Stability Wheels for Adults

[Claerwen Hart]

I have a friend who never learned how to ride a bike.  After a bit of research I have come up empty trying to find adults stability wheels here in South Africa.  The kids bike wheels are for small bikes and (in my humble opinion) won't support an adults weight well.  

Has anyone found something like this here in SA or have any tips for me please? 

[W@nted]

Do you specifically want to go with training wheels? Both our kids learnt riding using a balance bike and then moved to bicycles. Never used training wheels.

 

maybe remove the crankset and chain and use a small mtb as a balance bike to start with?  Once your friend is comfortable with balancing, put the cranks and chain back.

Edited April 24, 2023 by W@nted

[Michael S]

 

[Mamil]

This is a useful video. Balance wheels apparently are not the best way to learn.

[Dexter-morgan]

Lety him learn on grass, he is going to fall a couple of times but it is part of the fun and memories, then when he progresses to cleats he is going to fall a few more times.

[NicholasT]

52 minutes ago, Dexter-morgan said:

Lety him learn on grass, he is going to fall a couple of times but it is part of the fun and memories, then when he progresses to cleats he is going to fall a few more times.

This is how I learned as a child, and as it happens as an adult when I first went clipless. 

[Wic2]

Hy sal gou leer.  Marlize het .......🙄

[Mamil]

5 hours ago, NicholasT said:

This is how I learned as a child, and as it happens as an adult when I first went clipless. 

There was a guy mowing the field at Hartleyvale where I took myself to learn to ride clipless some years back. He laughed himself stupid. 

[RocknRolla]

I have taught adults how to ride bicycles using the balance bike principle. 

It helps to have a frame where the person can have both feet flat on the ground. Get a flat space with no no obstacles (parking area etc) it could also help to have a very small downward slope.

Have the person "walk" the bike as kids do on balance bikes, and once they are comfortable coasting for a fair distance, put the pedals back on, and have them pedal. (it will be shaky at first but once they find the balance point, the brain takes over and off they go.

Also make sure they know where the brakes are, and how to use them.

It's very rewarding helping someone learn to ride a bike.

[droo]

As most have said - training wheels are a terrible idea because they don't allow you to lean, which is how a bike turns.

Put your mate on a bike with a saddle low enough that they can touch the ground with both feet. Get them to scoot about using their feet and they'll find that the bike stays upright all by itself. Lean to turn and the bars will positon themselves correctly if you let them - look up countersteering for an even easier way to do it.

Bikes balance themselves, learning to ride one is all about training your brain not to get in the way. If nerves are a factor, find some knee and elbow guards rather than stabilisers.

[dave303e]

27 minutes ago, RocknRolla said:

I have taught adults how to ride bicycles using the balance bike principle. 

It helps to have a frame where the person can have both feet flat on the ground. Get a flat space with no no obstacles (parking area etc) it could also help to have a very small downward slope.

Have the person "walk" the bike as kids do on balance bikes, and once they are comfortable coasting for a fair distance, put the pedals back on, and have them pedal. (it will be shaky at first but once they find the balance point, the brain takes over and off they go.

Also make sure they know where the brakes are, and how to use them.

It's very rewarding helping someone learn to ride a bike.

 

18 minutes ago, droo said:

As most have said - training wheels are a terrible idea because they don't allow you to lean, which is how a bike turns.

Put your mate on a bike with a saddle low enough that they can touch the ground with both feet. Get them to scoot about using their feet and they'll find that the bike stays upright all by itself. Lean to turn and the bars will positon themselves correctly if you let them - look up countersteering for an even easier way to do it.

Bikes balance themselves, learning to ride one is all about training your brain not to get in the way. If nerves are a factor, find some knee and elbow guards rather than stabilisers.

THIS^^^

just remember to remove pedals while they run it like a balance bike. Their shins will thank you

[AmyCycle]

Hi I just ordered this off Amazon after a nasty fall... it's the only affordable one I could find for 26 inches,with shipping it came to about ZAR1200