Like a Bike
Posted in Uncategorized
June 9, 2008
I am looking for examples of exercises people can do to build balance skills without having to own a bike. I have lots of figure skating and in-line skating experience however, anecdotal evidence points to using kick scooters
I think for those who don’t want to remove the pedals on their childrens’ bikes or don’t have bikes yet but are looking to build balance on two wheels, a kick scooter would probably be the most sensible choice — they’re relatively inexpensive and even if someone didn’t want to buy one, they’re popular enough so finding one to borrow probably wouldn’t be a big deal. However, looking at the Like a Bikes, there’s something about them that makes me smile.
Most toy stores are plastic peddlers but, growing up, one of my fave places to go to was the FAO Schwarz at Union Square. There was a toy with fantastic displays of everything from the latest fads to good old fashioned wooden toys, it was a great showcase of the old and the new in childrens’ imaginations. Somehow, I think the Like a Bike would have fit perfectly in. It has a lot of charm and makes for a very nostalgiac first bike.
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One Response to “Like a Bike”
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JJ says:
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Hi. I was lucky enough to learn as a kid, but I do have two things to add after reading your blog. First: maybe I misunderstood your description of your bike class, but you should not have to hop off your bike saddle to touch the ground (with your toes). A properly fit bike would mean that, seated on the bike, you should be able to balance on tippy toe. On some other bikes, beach cruisers and some Dutch/Danish city bikes, the recommendation is that you be able to touch flat footed, but that is not the norm for most bikes. Second, skip the scooter and the balance exercises you mention in this post and get your self an inexpensive used bike (if I understand correctly, you don’t have a bike yet (?)). There are local bike shops that can usually sell you and/or find for you a decent used bike for practicing/basic cycling. My guess is that you wouldn’t have to pay more than $50 for something really simple but in decent shape. You can lower the seat so that you can easily touch until you get more confidence, but the trade off is that your knees will ache if the seat is too low for you.But we were all there: I remember my father raising the seat for me when I got decent balance— you WILL do it ! Good luck.