From: prl@csis.dit.csiro.au (Peter Lamb)
Subject: Re: Teaching children to ride
Organization: CSIRO Division of Information Technology
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 23:36:54 GMT

pscott@nutmeg.cs.ntu.edu.au (Phil Scott) writes:

>>I read in the "Richard's" book the suggestion that his children
>>learnt more effectively on a standard bicycle with the seat 
>>lowered and the pedals removed making it effectively a ride-on 
>>scooter. 

>It's an interesting approach.  On the other hand, why remove the pedals?
>If the seat's low enough for them to stand flat footed, you should see the
>same effect.

You remove the pedals to help preserve the shins. The pedals just get
in the way. In this state the bike will be propelled in the same manner
as the old 'hobby horse' predecessors of the bicycle.

>Of course, in *my* day we were just put on the bike and given a push.
>But then, I suspect I was quite a bit older than 4 at the time.

Well, that can also work at age 4, too. We started our daughter on her
bike at a bit younger than 4. We started by pushing her off, and
supporting the bike at the saddle; then just pushing her off. At first
just trying to roll in straight lines, then pedal in straight lines,
then trying to turn. I only heard about the idea of taking off the
pedals after she could ride. Learning to ride took about 4-5 afternoons
at the local park.

Training wheels modify the dynamics of a bicycle so drastically that
learning to ride without them after using them will probably take
longer than learning without their "aid".

A bike with trainer wheels down so they are (nearly) always on the
ground teaches the control of a 4-wheeled vehicle, not a 2-wheeled one.

Putting the wheels up a bit at a time gives you a vehicle which will
change its gross behaviour suddenly and without warning half-way round
a corner.

A bike with trainer wheels is almost impossible to ride on anything but
a completely flat surface.


My suggestions for teaching anyone (independent of age) to learn to ride
a bike are:

1) Put on a helmet. Do this even if you ignore the rest of the message
   and use trainer wheels anyway.

2) Take off the pedals, and lower the seat for the first attempts. The seat
   should be low enough so that both feet can be placed flat on the ground.
   Learn how to coast/scoot in a straight line, and if the bike has hand
   brakes, how to use them to stop.

3) When the above is mastered, put the pedals on, and learn how to pedal
   in a straight line. Don't try to teach cornering yet; cornering is hardest
   when the bike is travelling slowly. Get off the bike to turn it. If the
   bike has pedal brakes, learn how to use them now.

4) When the bike can be pedalled in a straight line, start learning
   how to steer around corners. Allow space for wide turns to start off.

All of the above is best carried out on a large, smooth, flat grassy
field; like the local football field (not during a game ;-) . But don't
do this after recent rain!  Grass is harder to ride on than a
smooth hard surface like concrete or bitumen, but it reduces the fear
of falling off. Once riding on grass has been mastered, riding on
smooth surfaces is easy.

-- 
Peter Lamb (prl@csis.dit.csiro.au)