[blparent] Big Girl Bike

[Melissa Ann Riccobono]

Hello Jo Elizabeth and list,
I think it totally depends on Sarah's coordination and ability to handle the
bike, as well as how the bike fits her height.  We actually bought Austin a
two wheeler with training wheels when he was almost 3.5.  We did this mostly
because the tricycles we saw seemed as if he would outgrow them very
quickly, and we didn't want to invest in something he would just ride for a
little while and then be too big for.  The bike we got had an adjustable
seat, so we knew it would last him for at least a couple of years.  It was
his first experience pedaling a bike.  He had a truck that he just pushed
with his feet, and pedaling proved pretty challenging for him.  The bike we
got has foot brakes.  This is great because the child doesn't have to
remember to push the hand brake to stop, but not so great because Austin
kept trying to pedal backwards, and of course he wouldn't go anywhere and he
would get frustrated.  We tried riding the bike on and off for the summer he
was three, then again on and off the next summer, but it has only been
recently that he has really mastered the art of pedaling and is really
enjoying riding his bike.  If Sarah doesn't have any trouble pedaling and
steering her tricycle, and the bike fits her well, and it has training
wheels, then I'd say give it a try.  But, there is probably no harm in
letting it stay in the garage for another year if she is happy with the
tricycle she has...  Again, this is completely your call.  I've all ready
told Austin I'd like him to have a few months really getting used to his
bike the way it is before we try to take the training wheels off.  He is
fine with that arrangement, at least for now.
Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 11:41 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] Big Girl Bike

Hi.  For those of you with older kids, when did they start riding a
two-wheeled bike with training wheels?  Sarah got a Dora tricycle for her
birthday, and she's happy with that for now, but we were given a two-wheeler
from someone at church.  Another girl in the neighborhood has a two-wheeler,
and she's about six months older than Sarah, but she was riding it last
summer.  Am I being overprotective to think I should keep the two-wheeled
bike in the garage for another year?

Jo Elizabeth

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of
the weak and the strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all of
these."--George Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist
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