In Germany little children have been using push bikes for years. First German-American parents brought them to Brooklyn and from there they seemed to spread all over the country. The beauty of those little bikes without pedals is that children learn how to balance without having the fear of falling down. Most of the children who use push bikes haven’t even developed the fear of falling and just enjoy the fast movement the bikes allow.
History of the Push Bike
Originally balance bikes were not designed for children. Two wheeled push bikes, also known as draisines or hobby horses, are actually the ancestors of today’s modern bike. Invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais, it was introduced in 1817. It was not before 1860 that the two Frenchmen Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement added pedals and a mechanical crank to ride the bike.
Children can start using a balance bike as early as age two. But do not expect them to sit on the bike and just race off. Most of them will start out using the bike as a kind of a walker. At first most children won’t even sit down on the saddle, but walk with the bike between their feet. And since stopping is always the hardest part, this is a good thing.
Safety First and Right Height Crucial When Using a Push Bike
Always make sure children wear helmets when using balance bikes. These bikes can really speed up, especially downhill. And most youngsters discover the fun of rolling downhill with their feet up pretty fast. To speed up the process of learning how to really ride a push bike, it helps to support the child at first. Let the child sit down in the saddle and hold on to the handlebar. Tell him to lift the feet of the ground and push the bike a little while to show how the movement of rolling would feel.
Do not get disappointed if the child takes his or her time to learn riding the bike. Even if the child is three years old already, he still has a few years to go, to ride a pedal-bike. Sometimes the bike might also be too big for the child, make sure to buy the right height. The child should be able to sit comfortably on the bike while both feet are flat on the ground and the knees are bent. Some balance bikes are adjustable. A brake might be handy, but most little kids will stop by putting their feet on the ground anyway.
Teach Kids How to Stop
When children learn to balance and steer on a height-appropriate push bike they mostly take off on a pedal bike within a few minutes, without even needing training wheels. They are simply not afraid of the feeling to balance a two wheeler, and they are used to it already. The only thing to watch out for is to teach them how to stop.
Play the traffic police officer and make the child stop once in a while. If the push bike has a brake teach him how to use it, but make sure to also tell him to put his feet on the ground to stop. When children start using a "real" bike make sure to explain that he has to use both brakes – the hand brake and the back brake. When the child has just learned to use the hand brake, the back wheel might come off the ground and the child might fall over the handle bar. So keep an eye on him.
Get a Balance Bike – Spare the Training Wheels
Balance bikes, push bikes or kick bikes are not only fun ride-ons, but also teach children how to balance. This gives them an early sense of independence and accomplishment. They can do it! Since the child can decide how fast he or she will go, those bikes are great for active as well as more careful kids. Remember, a helmet is always necessary, even if the child is very careful.
Starting a child on a balance bike makes it easy for him to learn riding a pedal bike. Most kids will be ready by the age of five or even four. Make sure to get a bottom-heavy bike, which makes balancing easier. Training-wheels, which make turning hard and often cause the bike to tip, will not be necessary.
Josefine Köhn-Haskins - Josefine Köhn-Haskins is an award winning journalist, author and correspondent.
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