Kid’s Bikes

I’m deeply passionate about cycling. I don’t pretend to be fast or anything special I just get a deep enjoyment from going out on my bike with friends, family or on my own. So it would be lovely to pass this passion onto my children, so we started early.

Here’s something controversial…I believe that there is no place in this world for stabilisers. Phew, there, I’ve said it! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard parents say to me “But I learnt to ride a bike with stabilisers and I’ve done alright” yes I know but it doesn’t mean to say that it’s the best way.

Stabilisers teach a child to…well…be stable. They’re counter intuitive to the art of cycling. I have clear memories of cycling along on my bike with stabilisers going round a corner and leaning out. Now think about this…when you’re on your bike and you’re going round a corner which way to you lean? You lean in with your inside foot at 12 O’Clock. This is what I mean by counter intuitive, they keep your child stable but don’t teach them how to ride. This is where the fabulous, utterly amazing and completely nonsense free balance bike comes in.

My children have both learnt to balance on the Early Rider Classic – A bike I will never tire of looking at. By using a balance bike they are learning at a very early age how to balance using their core stomach muscles. They feel the movement of the bike and move intuitively to it’s own movement. I’ve had 3 year olds come to my shop who’ve been on a balance bike for 6 months, get on a pedal bike and cycle away as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Amazing. I hasten to add that my own son took a lot longer to grasp the act of pedaling because it was just too tempting to look down and pedal backwards – so frustrating. But I look at him now at the age of six and he still uses the skills & techniques that he learnt on his balance bike to this day when on his pedal bike. He holds his feet about a centimeter above the ground sometimes when he’s coming to a stop. Yes he can use his brakes but it’s his feet he still goes back to. This is good because if he ever does serious mountain biking and his brakes fail him he knows what to do…instinctively.

So now my daughter is balancing and to her it’s second nature. She can’t wait for her first pedal bike and to be honest neither can I. So hurry up Didi & grow another 3 centimeters so you can get your own spotty Frog 43 and start learning the art of cycling!