childs bike?

Children's bicycles are curiously heavy. My kids have had Trek and Specialized "learners" bikes - they really are not much, if any, better than the big box brands. However, I don't feel that weight is the big issue in getting the pedaling started.

To me, the big challenge with learning to pedal on a coaster break bike is that there is no easy way to get out of the dead spot if the bike isn't moving. Couple that with the lack of coordination of never peadling a bike can lead to some frustrated parents and youngsters.

The bike has to be moving before pedaling is effective. This makes learning challenging since kids are spending too much effort on trying to pedal before they can even properly balance a moving bike. Learning how to balance and coast first makes the process simpler.

You could go out and get a balance bike, or just remove the pedals from a regular bike. I did this for my daughter when she was trying to learn. After zipping around for a few days without pedals, I put them on and she got the hang of it in a few minutes.

Quote: Originally Posted by maydog [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
Children's bicycles are curiously heavy. My kids have had Trek and Specialized "learners" bikes - they really are not much, if any, better than the big box brands. However, I don't feel that weight is the big issue in getting the pedaling started.

You haven't looked at big box bikes lately, then. These days Trek and Specialized are pretty much the head of the class, with bikes that can be passed down a family of siblings and then passed on to the nieces and nephews. Then there's a second tier like Raleigh and Fuji, whose bikes are almost as reliable but somehow fall short in ergonomics and fit. Big box bikes are still not close.

One approach to teaching kids to ride involves separating the balance and pedaling functions. You use a trike to learn how to pedal and a training bike, like the Strider or a simple bike with the pedals removed, to lean balance. When the kid masters both, he or she is ready to combine the skills on a bike.

Finding a trike big enough for an older child can be a challenge. There are dealers who specialize in equipment and toys for daycare centers, schools, and special needs. Here's a link to one such trike that's probably too expensive for a family to purchase for one child, but it might give you some ideas.
store.schoolspecialty.comibeCCtpItmDspRte.jspOpen ↗

The Trek Jet and Specalized hotrock I purchased over the past two years were nothing special.

There is no money in making high end kids bikes - that work is farmed out to the lowest bidder. There are some really crappy big box kids bikes - no doubt about it, but there are some that are more or less the same as the "name brand" units.

Quote: Originally Posted by chm8ehb [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
My question concerns the best bike I could get for my son. The issue is that he is nearly 9 years old but is the size of a 6-7 year old and has mild diplegic cerebral palsy. His consultant has tried to push cycling to increase strength and balance.

The major thing is he can't physically turn the pedals to obtain forward momentum. I have thought about this a lot recently and come up with the conclusion that the lighter the frame might be the way to go as over the years I've bought generic dysney then spiderman bikes etc, and found them to be heavier than my own bikes. In addition to this I feel reduced tread tyres might help due to there being less resistance.

Any suggestions as to bike types and setups would be appreciated.

In addition the bike/setup needs to be able to take stabilisers initially.

Hope someone can help thanks.

Carbon fiber bicycle must be the lightest,Total weight of almost 7-8KG,as you son is only 9 years old,you can consider bulid a 20er carbon bicycle for him.
Such this 20er wheel:diy-carbonbike.com451f50c detail.htmlOpen ↗