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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

Does your little person ride a bike?

34 replies

5inthebedPPA · 25/06/2012 19:43

DS2 has autism and dyspraxia, would really like a bike for his birthday (in August). We tried him on his brothers bike yesterday and he cannot pedal very well and has zero balance (already knew this anyway).

Does your child ride a bike? Or do they have trikes? A bit reluctant to get him a trike.

He is 6, but the size of a 10 year old, so would need to be a bigger bike, so most of the ones you can get stabilisers for are too small.

OP posts:

Chundle · 25/06/2012 20:13

You could buy seperate stabilisers and attach them to a bigger bike. Worth asking someone in halfords as they will know what will fit what bike.

moosemama · 25/06/2012 20:18

We got a bmx style bike from Halfords for ds1 and that has stabilisers on. He is 10 but small for his age. Although I've just checked and they don't do the same one anymore.

I know you can get stabilisers for almost any bike these days. There are various types and you can get kits to extend the axles as well. You can even fit them to multi-speed/gear bikes and they do do stabilisers for adult bikes as well.

If you have a Halfords or even better, a good bike shop, near you I'd go and have a chat with them and see what they suggest. They were very good when we were choosing ds1's.

moosemama · 25/06/2012 20:18

Cross posted Chundle.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 25/06/2012 20:19

If you have an independent bike shop it may be better than Halfords. Our Halfords is crap. But you can get separate stabilisers for bigger bikes, not sure how big. My DS had stabilisers until he was 8 and he's still a reluctant cyclist, he prefers his scooter.

moosemama · 25/06/2012 20:21

More large size stabilizers, although £££'s here. Their FAQ section explains what bikes they can be fitted onto.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 25/06/2012 20:23

Crossed with moose.

Original poster

5inthebedPPA · 25/06/2012 20:26

Hmm yes, saw those rather expensive stabilisers. Would cost the same amount as the bike!

DH would kill me if I went to Halfords, he got some rather shitty service from there and has forbid me from ever going there. But at £16 for the stabilisers, I may well have to

OP posts:

zzzzz · 25/06/2012 20:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moosemama · 25/06/2012 20:42

Hmm, yes, I think with Halfords it can be very hit and miss, depending who you are served by.

An independent bike shop would be your best bet, but £££s in comparison.

steelev48 · 26/06/2012 09:00

Both of my children have had great difficulty with learning to ride a bike. I recently discovered this video clip www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm and am waiting for a good weekend weather-wise to take them both over to the park to give this a go. I really think it will work.

pleasegivemestrength · 26/06/2012 09:26

ds1 had terrible trouble with concentrating on balancing, pedaling, looking where he was going etc. we got him a 16'' bike with stabilisers. He loved riding it but we founf it just didnt help him at all with the balancing issue. Even after 1 year he still wasnt anywhere near having the stabilisers taken off. He was getting very frustrated.

we then got him a big balancing bike like this one and he absolutely loves it. he feels like he has his freedom back. and his balancing problems got so much better very quickly. 6 months one was have now taken off the stabilisers off the proper bike. he still uses his balancving bike a lot too though so I dont feel it was a waste of money.

ds1 is 5, but very tall for his age.

moosemama · 26/06/2012 09:39

Oo that's really interesting steelev, thanks for posting that. Ds2 doesn't get on with stabilisers at all, I wonder if that method might be a better idea for him.

Catsdontcare · 26/06/2012 09:45

I would buy a standard bike and take the stabilisers and pedals off and let hom use it as a balance bike. Ds2 had a balance bike for two years and loved it. We've just started using a normal bike with stabilisers to get him used to pedalling and hopefully this summer we will take the stabilisers off and it will all come together!

The thing I love about balance bikes is once they've got the hang of it they can whizz around and have the freedom of a bike without having to worry about doing too much at once

Zebad · 26/06/2012 12:42

My son was taught to ride a bike the way shown on steele's video by the physio team at his children's centre. It was a brilliant way to teach the kids, we went every morning for a week and my ds was the only one not riding proficiently at the end. This was not due to the method but due to what was later diagnosed as a muscle disease which means he will never have the power in his legs to use the pedals.

So, although not successful for my ds, we have taught our other children this way ever since and can't recommend it enough especially on kids with poor balance or confidence.

Zebad

porridgelover · 26/06/2012 12:49

steelev great link- thanks.

OP my DS is 8 and got his bike for his 7th birthday. I went to an independent bike shop who were happy to put on stabilisers for him. When first he got it, he had such poor muscle strength that he couldnt push himself around the house. But he has built it up.
He adores going to the park and riding away from me- it's fab independence for him. He barely has the stamina to do one round of the park (maybe 3/4 of a mile) but he loves that he can do it.
He has only just started asking about why other people dont have wheels at the back!
Would these help?

alison222 · 26/06/2012 13:25

Oh I remember the balance thing. It took DS ages to learn. He got SO cross with the bike because he couldn't do it. I don't think it helped that his leg muscles were weak.
We spent a long time holding the back of the saddle and running along with him and gradually letting go for a second at a time.

It was possible for us. It just took a lot longer than for other children, but he persevered because all of his friends were riding bikes.

Tip put the saddle really low so he can touch the ground easily with both feet at the same time until he gets his balance.

causeforanamechange · 26/06/2012 14:47

Ok, this might sound really silly, but don't balance bikes have pedals? I've obviously heard of them, but i've never seen one before. My dd is 5 and she can't ride a bike without or with stabilisers. It makes me really sad because i'd love to take her on a family bike ride, but she really doesn't understand that she needs to keep pedaling in order to keep moving. She went through a phase last year where she could pedal up and down our drive, steering and all but then she stopped again and started screaming everytime she got on the bike.

Catsdontcare · 26/06/2012 14:50

No balance bikes don't have pedals. Ds loved his in fact he was able to keep up with us on our bikes at centre parks last year and was only 3!

They tend to be made for toddlers so at 5 you may struggle to find one big enough that's why i would just go with taking her pedals and stabilisers off her own bike

madwomanintheattic · 26/06/2012 14:51

Dd2 has a trailmate low rider. She can get on and off it herself, and it is awesome, all of the other nt kids are green with envy. Yup, it's a kinda trike, but it looks more like a go kart tbh, and it's brilliant. She's 8. She's going to ride it on the local adaptive mountain biking camp. it isn't a babyish trike, or an sn looking thing. Just a cooooooooooooool low bike.

alison222 · 26/06/2012 14:51

No balance bikes don't have pedals. They are pushed along by the child's feet and then you take your feet off the ground and balance while moving along. Its supposed to let you get the feel for how to balance before you have to start adding the peddling to it as well.

deepbreath · 26/06/2012 14:58

Neither of my dc's can ride a bike. Both have hypermobility to different degrees and ds has dyspraxia too. They are 9 and 10 so I was hoping to get them pedalling by now, but no joy yet.

Someone I know tried the taking the pedals and cranks off a normal bike so it worked like a bigger balance bike, and it worked quite well so might be worth a try.

causeforanamechange · 26/06/2012 15:12

madwoman, that sounds amazing!! Doesn't it really tire out their legs though? I've heard recently that DD can ride a scooter at school, which is news to me! She just stands on the one that she has at home and shouts at me "it's a rubbish scooter mummy!!" I don't know what kind of magical scooter they have at school, but it obviously works for her. Is there general rule of thumb when it comes to bikes and scooters? ie, if your dc can't ride one, they probably wont be able to ride the other?...

How are your dc's with climbing frames and just general park equipment?

crappypatty · 26/06/2012 15:14

ds 8 can't ride a bike, we kind of gave up last year as he was getting so upset by it.

over the years he has never got the hang of pedalling even when on a bike with stabilisers. We bought him this for xmas www.amazon.co.uk/Turbo-Twist-TURB01/dp/B00186M0VW

and he finally has the hang of pedalling. We will have another go at the bike this summer hols. will watch the video for some tips.

madwomanintheattic · 26/06/2012 15:28

Dd2 had a triangular based scooter from one of the sn stockists (we ordered it through school as it was cheaper) because of her balance issues... And she had a kitten trike to start with (with all the bells and whistles as she needed to be strapped onto it lol). We moved to the low rider for independence for her. She was quite weak to start with, but I swear, this summer she is fair whizzing about on it!

We will probably get a tagalong for longer family rides, because I don't think she will manage hills etc, but this is the first summer I've even thought a family bike ride would be possible, so I'm dead chuffed.

madwomanintheattic · 26/06/2012 15:29

(last year she wanted to skateboard, so we welded a long scooter type handle to a skateboard, as well. Might be an idea?)

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