| Archive for justcycling.myfastforum.org Just Cycling |
| bianchigirl |
Help! (Tom's bike again)Ok, so I know this isn't cycling news - though he may make some one day so look at this cry for help as an investment in the future of the sport
Thing is, I've got a bike for Tom's Christmas present (ridgeback MX14, lime green, immaculate condition, £53 on ebay, bargain!) but I want to take the pedals off and use it as a balance bike. How do I do it? What do I need? Anybody done this and got the requisite tool I can borrow or can tell me where to get one? All help much appreciated |
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| maffy |
15mm spanner, fairly long handle
instructions buy (other non-specialist spanner bag services are available) 1 2 |
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| CapeRoadie |
You'll want a pedal wrench, although even an adjustable wrench would do, probably. Easy-peasy. | ||
| Fontfroide |
It is an easy operation ... the second time.
I remember the first time I did it, trying to get the pedals right so you could exert enough pressure on the pedal spanner to undo the pedals. You stand on one pedal to allow yourself to exert big pressure on the spanner. that was slightly tricky as I recall. And working out the right hand thread and left hand thread, but that is not that hard. But once you find out how to lean on the pedal spanner really hard, and get the right and left correct, it is true that it is easy. But the first time it is a little bit tricky. You have to buy a pedal spanner, one of those times when the right tool makes all the difference. Since you will never buy another one, buy the best quality you can and it will last forever. Good luck. |
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| mr shifter |
I've just been out to the garage to check my spare spanner (can't find it) It's a short one I hit with a hammer. The thought struck me that with all these Lycra clad/Helmet wearing cyclists riding past here you can have a chuckle. You see my spanner is in my Cape Roll. That one sentence tells you a lot. ???? Don't worry if it passes over your head. Just Be Lucky |
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| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Was going to suggest that you take it to your Local Bike Shop, but seem to remember you said it's not exactly "local".
'Fraid it's not a job I've done, so couldn't offer you any advice, but good luck and well done for being so prepared for Christmas! Or, could you just leave the pedals on and see if Tom just takes to it like a duck to water!!!! You never know....... Good luck. How old is the little critter now? Seems like he arrived in the World just yesterday. |
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| bianchigirl |
Tom is currently 3 and a third, at nursery 3 times a week, loves to run, paint, draw, learning to read and write, his favourite book is about the first moon landing and he's fascinated by kids on bikes in the park so, who knows, maybe he will just take to it like a duck to water.
Thanks for all the above - knew my JC crew wouldn't let me down 
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| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Thanks for the update on Tom.
I'd maybe give it a go with some stabilizers first to see how he gets on with pedals. Worth a try and then if no good you could remove pedals. I'm sure my mate's kid got a bike with pedals and stabilizers when he was about Tom's age, but all kids are different I guess. |
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| bianchigirl |
I know a few people who've had success with balance bikes then real bikes but it gets to be an expensive business and, as the 5 (yes 5) buggies in the loft will attest, I'm lousy at doing the resale thing. So figured I'd do the real bike minus pedals thing.
Now, anyone got any tips on the actual teaching to ride bit? Especially from personal experience? Any good tips? |
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| maffy |
nah, that's nice. my spare spanner is also a slightly too small imperial one that i it it wif an ammer. and my good one's only from the occasional aldi biketoolbox. is all too bloody expensive for what it is. although i also has access to two old campag toolkits 
would also like a carradice. maybe next year when we get to ride without mudguards again. was on my list for this year, but bloody expensive and bagmans were not available for much of this year, which be important for chaps with younger saddles. let's pretend a cape roll is a splendid new 'cross move, mind
hey bg, the pic of the current mx14 is blue and has stabilizers. apart from the non-leakygas-aspect, would this be similar? 
an adjustable spanner should do the trick if the bike's fairly clean. don't think i was lucky enough to have one 'til i were five or six or so... for me, without experience, balance bike seems like a reasonable idea, although i had stabilizers myself. after the stabilizers (training wheels in merkinspeke?) came off i slung/dropped the thing all over the place and probably broke it. |
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| Bartali |
Hey Maffy - let me know if you want to sell one of those old Campag tool kits. Cheers | ||
| maffy |
'fraid neither of them are mine to dispose of bart, which is a shame. and the owners like them, for some reason. sometimes it's worserer than trying to get a lend of a decent chainsaw 
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| Bartali |
Oh well!  One day I'll get my hands on a set!
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| bianchigirl |
maffy, that's the one - has the stabilisers too but not fitted - don't think the kid who had it used it much at all as the bobbles are still on the tyres. Wanted to get something that would a) last and b) be ok if it spent a year in the shed/loft - it's nice and light for being carried home from the park too (bonus)
He seems pretty comfortable running on a bike rather than pushing pedals (he's full of energy yet lazy) so hopefully taking the blighters off will work for him. A bike is top of his Christmas list - can't wait to see his face when he gets it. Fully expecting the shine to wear off after Christmas Day afternoon trip to park but that's OK - just think it's great for kids to be mobile and have that freedom and independence - I remember riding miles round our village when a kid and really miss those days |
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| CapeRoadie |
Yup. Stand there with him and have him shift his weight from side-to-side. "When the bike slows or stops, it goes sideways". Tell him that and show him while you hold on. Have him practice on soft but not too soft surfaces. Easier when you fall. "If you don't fall/crash, you don't get better". Have him pedal and steer while you hold on. Also, here's one you might expect: when you turn the handlebars slightly to the left, with your right hand pushing slightly forward, the bike goes right. And when you turn the handlebars right slightly, with your left hand pushing forward, the bike goes left. Counter-intuituve but true. Have FUN! Take video!! |
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| bianchigirl |
Thanks Cape - v useful.
Am buying him a pirate outfit - he can unwrap that first - there'll be a treasure map to follow to find his other presents around the house and out in the shed, with the bike as the piece de resistance - so looking forward to seeing his face
Will try and remember to take vid - would entrust to husb but he forgets and often videos his shoes/sky |
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| cardinal guzman |
I just taught my nephew to ride a bike, it took 2 days (once the stabilisers were gone). Here are my top tips from the experience....
#Stabilisers = arrested development. #The ideal surface is a park path with short-cropped grass either side, this gives good 'run off'. #The ideal gradient is ever-so-slightly downhill. Too downhill and control is lost, too flat or uphill and pedalling combined with loss of momentum interferes with balance. #Let Tom know from the off that you will be letting go as often as possible - and let go as often as possible. Watching him veer in a graceful arc onto the verge before the inevitable tumble is not his first crash but his first turn and successful stop! Enjoy! |
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| billgull |
Can't believe that Tom will be getting his first bike this Christmas.
The pirate costume with map sounds like a great idea! Be sure and get lots of pics/vids as has already been mentioned. As time does fly by very quickly. Seems like just yesterday, that we bought our daughter her first bike. The pink one with the white wicker basket on the handle-bars and the pink-and-white streamers flying in the wind from the handlebar grips. She spent almost two years using the training wheels, until one days she asked to have them taken off. She immediately started riding around like she had been doing it all her young life. I will be leaving shortly to drive downstate to pick her up at her college and then drive to Ann Arbor, where she will interview tomorrow morning at the Univ. of Michigan Medical School. She interviewed at Dartmouth Medical School in September and two weeks ago she interviewed at Michigan State Univ. College of Human Medicine. (and, has been accepted). Yep! Time sure does fly! (And, so has my money) 
I think I may ask for that 'ol John Deere Tractor for my Christmas present.
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| SlowRower |
The Cardinal has it spot-on, I'd say.
My eldest had an old Raleigh boneshaker with stabilisers on when whe was 3. She refused point blank to have them taken off for months. We decided that the Balance Bike was the way to go with the youngest and bought her one. Elder daughter immediately wanted a new bike. We said that as soon as she could pedal across the yard without stabilisers she could have a new bike. Needless to say, within 3 minutes I was ordered to remove the stabilisers and within 3 hours, we were at the LBS buying a new bike.
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| cardinal guzman |
ps - modern laws on the cleaning up of dog excrement has made learning to fall off a bike a less exciting/dangerous experience. | ||
| bianchigirl |
Bill, I was discussing school registration with a friend yesterday (seems we need to do it in February!!!) - time really does get a move on...but many congrats to your daughter on her academic future - and to you for having done such a good job as a parent.
CG thanks for advice and reminder re: dog poo. We were always scrupulous picker uppers but I know others are not so scrupulous. |
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| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Wow bg, the pirate outfit and map sounds a fantastic idea!
I had stabilisers on my bike for a short while and it wasn't long before I got them taken off, but as I said earlier, every kid is different. I don't feel as if it delayed my cycling development -and that was just last week
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| bianchigirl |
Tom likes to run the trikes at nursery to the top of a gentle slope and then coast down and always runs on a bike hence the balance bike/pedalless bike option - he is a funny combo of full of energy and yet totally lazy
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