Bikes for children who cannot pedal

[claw2]

Ds 9, cannot pedal a bike with stabilisers, he has lots of sensory and motor skills difficulties.

Main difficulties seem to be even with stabilisers he does not like both feet leaving the ground, although he can remove his feet from the ground, he doesn't have any confidence once he has done it.

and he just cannot seem to get the motion going for pedalling.

Over the years we have tried many times, without success and the bike just sits in the garden and rusts.

I didn't really consider bike riding an important skill until recently, when we went to a friends house and her much younger children were playing outside, riding up and down on bikes. Ds tried, sat on the bike, then gave up and got upset.

I think ds could get the hang of it, with lots of practise, however he gives up easily.

Would you continue with bike with stabilisers? or just get an alternative? What alternatives are available for 9 year olds?

We taught our sons to cycle by taking the pedals off their ordinary bikes so that they learnt how to balance. They could go at an impressive speed by scooting along and fooled many adults into thinking they were cycling properly. Only when they were really confident and lifting there feet off the ground a lot did we put the pedals back on (probably about six months) and then they managed to grasp peddling as well.

Thanks Polter, I have bookmarked the link. I note it has pedals, has your ds learnt to pedal?

In some respects ds is pretty agile, he manages things such as stairs with no problem, can climb, bounce on a trampoline etc.

His difficulties, he is fearful of movement when both feet leave the ground, he wont go on swings or moving stairs for example. Also if he falls over, he doesn't save himself by putting his hands down etc, kinda slow reaction. So fearful of movement and if he falls off doesn't save himself, which i suppose adds to his fear of trying.

He has poor posture and muscle tone, he finds it difficult to maintain an upright position and constantly leans on things or me! Im guessing sitting upright on a bike would be effortful. Weak shoulder girdle and arm coordination, makes it difficult to steer.

He has good balance, but cant do things like scissor jumps, you know when moving one side of his body in a different direction to the other side, also like pedalling.

Given the above, do you think he will be able to pedal?

Hiring sounds like a good idea, as im really not sure what would work and yes bikes, trikes etc are so damn expensive to keep getting it wrong!

From my description above, ds needs something that doesn't move, where he can lay flat, with no pedals or steering, ive just described a sofa, not a bike!

Thanks oneineight if ds currently had a bike, that would be worth a try, however, i would have to buy a bike to do it. Maybe i could pick up a very cheap second hand one and give it go.

My son's girlfriend has just said that her parents may have a unused exercise bike in their garden shed which i could use! Might be worth a go, to see if ds can pedal, without all the effort of steering and balance at the same time.

Fingers crossed Polter, that it is in fact a bike in the shed! It could prove really helpful in deciding what bike/trike/kart is best for ds and save me some money too!

Tbh I understand that you want your son to ride a bike but I'm 40 and I've never got the hang of it and I don't feel I've missed out of course it's different if your son feels he is missing out

Sorry just reread and saw he did get upset

Autumn, I watched him sitting on the wall, watching the others and could see he was dying to join in and he did upset when he couldn't, more so I think because much younger children could do it. Its no big deal if it turns out that he cannot ride a bike or get the hang of peddling.

The exercise bike will be a good guide as to whether to just give up on pedalling if it proves impossible for him. It might well turn out, that even if he can pedal, he has not interest in a bike or trike etc and doesn't even want one!

zzzz blimey! I have a treadmill in the shed in the garden and a rowing machine (free, someone giving them away!) its brick built with a concrete floor, I can put the bike in there.

I try to get ds to have a go on the treadmill too, to help with the not liking moving stairs thing. We will have our own little gym soon!

Damn, its not an exercise bike, its a ski machine that son's girlfriends parents have in their shed.

Have a look on Facebook selling pages, we bought a bike for Dd3 a few months ago. Its an adult sized mountain bike in amazing condition for £20!!

Never buy a new bike for a child they are a waste of money. [voice of experience]

Our local bike ability people recommend the pedals off method too.

Good luck

Ds had a three wheel scooter. He found it very hard to scoot along, but gradually got there. I used to scoot with him (it was a strong metal one!) and take him to school on it. He liked the speed (probably different to your lad then) but not the hard work ( coordination poor). I think he would have liked a motorised one! He can now (14) manage a bike but would not be safe on the road as his attention is too poor! A friends child has really taken off with a trike (second hand from ebay).

Thanks for the pointers, i think whatever option will be second hand, as im not sure of the level of ds's interest, even if we can get the pedalling thing going!

There are now balance bikes for older kids, like the Strider Super 16

I took ages as a child to take to cycling, but had a great tricycle, all proper sized wheels, so no stability issues that you get even with stabilisers.

ds2 is 11 & he has just mastered the art of pedalling & steering although still not to a good enough standard to cycle along a pavement without ending up in the road.
It took several years of us running along behind holding on to the seat before he cracked it.
He has CP, LD and ASD so very changeable muscle tone poor trunk control etc no coordination or awareness.
We gave up many times but he is so proud of himself now that it was worth all the bachache.