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Kids and Glide Bikes

That's a really interesting concept (glide bike). My older two learned to ride the semi-conventional way (training wheels, etc.). I say semi-conventional because when it came time to take off the training wheels I found a web-site that recommended finding a slightly sloped grass hill and letting them coast (no peddling) to learn how to balance... pretty much what the glide bike appears to do. My youngest has not learned to ride yet so maybe I can try out the glide bike with her.

BTW, my middle kid, Baylee demanded that I take her training wheels off and would barely even let me help her she was so determined to learn how to ride and do it all by herself. Took her about two days from when I took the training wheels off before she pretty much had it mastered. Me thinks she is going to need a dirt bike soon. :trust:
 
Or how 'bout one of these for daddy?
gravity-bike.jpg

I don't know anything about these... But check out this "gravity bike" that was featured on CycleExif:

http://www.cycleexif.com/mls-gravity-bike

mls-gravity-bike-1.jpg


mls-gravity-bike-13.jpg
 
I'll probably get blasted for this but here it is anyway.

We bought our Grandson one when he was 3 and now at 7 he still cannot (0r will not} ride a bike. He got good at coasting but that was it.

I see no problem with the old fashion training wheels as it teaches them coordination required needed to ride a bike, or (God forbid) just trying your luck like we did and get on the darn thing.

You probably already know this but... Your grandson is a very touchy situation. He definately needs a little encouragement. But the slightest bit too much, and he will drop it from his mind and maybe never bother with it again. If I were you,(and again, you might have already done this) I'd try and gather up as many of his peers and coerce them into riding. Maybe set up some cones and make an obstacle course with prizes for the best. A race would be cool but, might be a little intimidating. The important part would be to never even mention it to your grandson that you want him to ride. Just keep working with and showing enthusiam for those participating. Hopefully, after watching his peers having a blast, his interest level will overcome him and lead him to trying it. Never forget that "It's not for everyone". Good luck with him and send some pics or video if he decides to join in the fun. ;-)
 
And to add to that, he may come around entirely on his own. A friend of mine has two kids. When we used to go dirt bike riding I asked how come his daughter (older than the son) didn't ever come out to ride. She had zero interest in it despite having tried it. We live on opposite ends of the country now but it's nice to see his pictures on facebook where his daughter has taken the interest and is now out riding with the rest of the family and enjoying it.
 
What worked for me was that a friend of mine, who my son did not even remember meeting, told him the exact same things I had been telling him, in the same way, and pushed him off to get him started. Jacob just didn't want to hear it from me. He rides his bike probably as much as any other kid in the neighborhood now.

Sarah has a similar issue - she won't do it for her mom for some reason, but she will for me.
 
Took the boy out and let him ride his for a while. He really seemed to enjoy it. I was helping hold it steady while he pushed and then he didn't want my help. After a while he lost interest and just wanted to run :lol2: I think he has my ADD :rofl:
He's still on the young side, but I imagine by the end of the summer he'll be cruising right along.
 
Every kid who will ride will ride when he or she is ready, not when Mommy and Daddy are ready. Vicarious living has ruined many parent-child relationships. Don't ruin yours.

Best way to entice a kid to do anything is surround the kid by other kids doing what you want him or her to do and making sure the necessary equipment is readily available. Monkey see, monkey do.
 
I totally agree. I don't push him to do anything. If I ask if he wants to ride his bike and he says "no" I leave it alone. And the other day on our walk/ride when he was done I just let him be done.

I want him to love and enjoy whatever he chooses, and hopefully that'll be dirt bikes :trust:
 
I know I may get flack for this, but whatever. Do they make helmets for that young? If they do, does anyone require they kid wears them out of good ha bit when on a glide bike?

Sent from my VZW Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 
I know I may get flack for this, but whatever. Do they make helmets for that young? If they do, does anyone require they kid wears them out of good ha bit when on a glide bike?

Sent from my VZW Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Yes, they do make helmets purpose built for biking that small. And I have heard of some states or cities requiring them for under certain ages but, I'm not sure which ones.
 
We have one for Colt. I'll even put it on him when he rides the ATV with me.
 
Yup, he even had one when he was smaller that he used on the back of my bicycle. Giro has a good program for kids since they grow out of them so fast you can trade in the old one for a new Giro and get a $10 credit toward your purchase. We in fact just upgraded his helmet and he loves it and doesn't complain about wearing it.

The original pic I posted was of him posing on his bike, but if you look at the video, he's sporting the new helmet. Sadly, they didn't have anymore Lance Armstrong yellow ones but the new one is cool enough for him. :mrgreen:
 
Here is my second daughter on hers. We got it for her third birthday back in January. She loves this thing! She is too small for a small bike with pedals, and I don't think she is strong enough to pedal, at least not for more than 100 ft. And yes, she wears the helmet every time. she brings it to me to help because she can't keep her hair out of her eyes when she puts it on. Our oldest daughter took forever to learn how to ride a bike. Mostly because she was trying to balance and pedal at the same time, and did not know how to do either. We are hoping that with our second daughter by the time she is strong enough to pedal, the balance will be second nature. Balance already is!

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RxZ, can the seat go up anymore for her? I found Jakob was walking too much on the bike and I put the seat up to where he can paddle but not really walk on it and that helped a bunch.
 
Yeah, I think it can go up another 4-5 inches from where I have it. She just turned three, and these things supposedly are for 18 month olds up to 5 year olds. Like you, I wanted her to have to learn to coast and balance instead of always putting her feet down. She is doing great now, I venture to say better than her 6 year old sister on her bike. (Kids are different though, so I don't know how much stock to put in that.)
 
Jakob has hit the stage where he's comfortable enough to start going faster, and is gliding more, but his head is all over the place and thus so is the bike.
 
Yep, so is my daughter. I just keep telling her to look where she wants to go. (Sound familiar?)

That said, sometimes when she is "all over the place", I can tell it is completely on purpose by the huge grin on her face!
 
Ugh, hate going outside in the summer in Texas. Not much riding done since the heat set in. We've messed around a little with his trailer bike that I got a while back. Still having a hard time getting the concept of pedaling down.

The past few times on the glide bike, he's waaaaay too big for it, so today he officially graduated to a big boy bike.

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He did pretty well. It's got coaster brakes so if he pedals the wrong way he stops abruptly. That helps. He had a couple of good runs where I just had my hand on his back and he was pedaling and riding. Won't be long and I'll have to have my bike in order to keep up with him!
 
Good stuff. I keep forgetting to order one for my little one(s). Just placed the order.

Thanks for the reminder, from me. My wife thinks you are a bad influence on my wallet. ;-)
 
Well, kiddo couldn't pedal at all to save his life on Monday. I attached a helper grab bar to the back of the bike. We've been working on two things all week long.

1. Keep pedaling. Gotta keep the momentum up.
2. Look up and look forward. Trying to instill that target fixation thing of look where you want to go early with him.

It seems to be working, here's the video from this afternoon. I'm quite pleased.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquQXAPTlKU"]Jakob riding his Specialized Hotrock. - YouTube[/ame]

I gotta either get a shorter seat tube or one I can cut down an inch or so in order for him to flat foot his new bike. Don't want to cut the more expensive one it came with. But then we can work on the starting and stopping more and have him more confident in it.

4 and a half years old and riding a proper bicycle. I'm sold on the glide bike process for sure!
 
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