Can anyone ride a bicycle?

Don't know if this is the best section, but hey move it if neccesary.

Can anyone be taught how to ride a bike? How would you teach someone in there early teens. The teen in question has balance and co ordination issues. He has a BMX so thought it might be an idea to take the pedals off and let him scoot on the bike to learn balance and co ordination.

What do you guys think?

It depends on how severe his balance and coordination issues are.

I have children (there, am out of the closet on this forum - yes, I am over 25 so there!) and am unconvinced that balance bikes, which they had, actually helped them to learn to cycle. Moving them from BB to proper bike was just like starting from scratch.

However, it may be different for a teen and worth a try if he already has the bike - it may just give him that bit more confidence. Mind you as a teen, he might also be self conscious and not want to be seen with no pedals, so worth asking him first.

Good luck.

Removing pedals for a while sounds like a good idea. As mentioned ^ I guess any balance problems the kid has (sorry, you're all kids to me) will be the defining factor. Make sure you go somewhere quiet though. I wish they sold those "balance bikes" when my kids were little!
Good luck

circus skills club near you? no I am not joking. juggling, unicycle, slack wire, all great for kids and great for coordination and balace. A bit of that and then some bike, might be a good route.

Think I agree with Evil Rabbit.
In my head, balance is a huge issue but equally as big is the action of pedalling.
Being able to propel yourself in a way other than walking/running is quite a strange sensation.
It might well be a long and winding road but provided the balance issues aren't too severe, they should be able to learn.
Just remember to tell them to look in to the distance and pedal quickly.

Stabilizers? Cycling on a tandem to get used to pedalling?

Have you had a look on the thread that lists local providers to see if the lad can get subsidised training? How severe are his balance issues? If he has a BMX does he already ride it at all? Do a bit of searching and see what Cycle Training is available to him. Learning to ride is not that difficult if it is taught properly. Quite often the presence or help of someone the trainee knows is actually counter-productive. Lastly, does he want to learn to ride?

Have you had a look on the thread that lists local providers to see if the lad can get subsidised training? How severe are his balance issues? If he has a BMX does he already ride it at all? Do a bit of searching and see what Cycle Training is available to him. Learning to ride is not that difficult if it is taught properly. Quite often the presence or help o someone the trainee knows is actually counter-productive. Lastly, does he want to learn to ride?

An excellent point sir

Well the kid is 13, just, and has the BMXa while and wanted the BMX so no idea if thats changed. But he can walk fine and has no problems I can see with coordination in every day life.

But I think he wants to learn as he sees me whizzing about on my bike and mentions it. I think he could be a bit self conscious, hes a teen ffs and I can remember that far back....just ;) But as will said best to check.

Thanks for the advice.

Well the kid is 13, just, and has the BMXa while and wanted the BMX so no idea if thats changed. But he can walk fine and has no problems I can see with coordination in every day life.

But I think he wants to learn as he sees me whizzing about on my bike and mentions it. I think he could be a bit self conscious, hes a teen ffs and I can remember that far back....just ;) But as will said best to check.

Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like he just needs to do lots and lots of secluded practice. At 13, sadly too old to use stabilizers and a Lone Ranger mask.

Don't know if this is the best section, but hey move it if neccesary.

Can anyone be taught how to ride a bike? How would you teach someone in there early teens. The teen in question has balance and co ordination issues. He has a BMX so thought it might be an idea to take the pedals off and let him scoot on the bike to learn balance and co ordination.

What do you guys think?

Talk to Pigfarmer

A lot of people think they have 'balance and co-ordination issues' when they learn to ride, or think about learning to ride. Very few actually do. If the lad has already diagnosed physical or mental special needs then he should be taught, ideally, by someone with experience in that area. Beware of well-meaning, but uninformed, pathologising of normal, everyday lack of self-confidence or anxiety.

I sold a bike to one of my colleagues a couple of months back and a few days later asked how she was getting on with it, she told me she'd managed to 'do a corner'. Turns out she'd never ridden before, she's 23.

Stick with the BMX, try to get the saddle to a sensible height and keep the pedals on. Go somewhere that his mates are unlikely to be (library / WRVS) and try to make it as unpressured as possible. Scoot (!) back and forth ignoring the pedals for now, as he gets more confident and goes faster the bike will become more stable, that's when to start putting feet on pedals.

There's obviously more to it than this, but I taught my little sis this way using biscuits as bribes, maybe cigarettes and trainers are more appropriate for 13 year olds?

#csb

There's obviously more to it than this, but I taught my little sis this way using biscuits as bribes, maybe cigarettes and trainers are more appropriate for 13 year olds?

Possible, although some porn mags stacked up at the end of the practice path might be also worth a try.

Lynx; find out if he actually wants to learn and then find someone who's job it is to teach people to learn.

Will chat to him tommorrow afternoon and find out.

If it is any help, I asked my consultant how I could get back on my bike, given my balance issues. He said the best thing to do was to go to the local park, find a clear spot, maybe on the grass, where I'd be free to wobble around as much as I want.

Things that have help my balance off the bike:

1. using the rowing machine at the gym. It is really important to focus on one point as you move backwards and forwards. Makes me as sick as hell but helps improve co-ordination, having to co-ordinate arms and legs at the same time and the focusing works on my balance.

2. Walking on a trampette with my eyes closed (can only do this under supervision). Drives me nuts and I don't do it as often as I should, even though I have a trampette, as I must have someone here with me

3. The cawthorne cooksey exercises. http://entcare.co.uk/cawthorne_cooksey_excercises.html
   The physio and the balancing team (I call them 'clown school') have told me to keep working on my balance. The only way to get it to improve, even if there has been damage, is to retrain your brain into balancing.
   Again, the downside is that they may make you sick, or make your balance feel worse before it gets better. But persistently doing them may make a difference.

4. The balance games on a Wii Fit, particularly the initial balance test as part of the fitness assessment (where you have to get the red dot in the blue square or something like that). The skiing in the balance games is very good, hated the tightrope.

In short, yes he can learn to ride a bike. A good professional instructor will no doubt be able to teach him, should HE want to learn. There are plenty of techniques that they will be able to identify for him, once they have seen him such as those mentioned- pedalling constantly, looking ahead and, by far the most confidence inspiring= learning how to stop effectively.

check your local council website for "cycle training" and book up a lesson- if he lives in Hackney I can arrange it for him. For Free.