Comments on: Kids on Bikes! http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/ Mountain Bike School, Mountain Bike Camps, Coaching Mon, 14 May 2012 16:13:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Gene http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-634 Gene Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:54:07 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-634 Hi Nick, First congratulations on starting a club for your students! We need more teachers like you. If only Shimano, Trek, Specialized, etc would support getting recreational cycling into schools. I share your fear about the competition aspect as one of the greatest things about cycling his anyone can enjoy it and when we start creating winners and losers it can sour the the experience (for the 99% who don't win). Off the top of my head I would make sure you separate the team from the club (students should be welcome to do both and you can have combined rides) and make sure the club is still based on having fun. When you do club rides make sure it is all about fun and learning, not a high speed training ride. If a few students try and make the club rides training rides tell them they are welcome to be on the team but not on the club rides until they change their focus. On club rides you can also stop to let the slower riders catch up and focus on skills while waiting for them (stop at a challenging section of trail). As you know I am for anything that gets a human being on a bike. Most of today"s biggest problems (obesity, health care costs, depression, etc.) could be fixed if everyone just rode a bike 3-4 times a week. Keep up the good work and let me/us (the readers) know how it goes. Create a great mtb club and team! Hi Nick,

First congratulations on starting a club for your students! We need more teachers like you. If only Shimano, Trek, Specialized, etc would support getting recreational cycling into schools. I share your fear about the competition aspect as one of the greatest things about cycling his anyone can enjoy it and when we start creating winners and losers it can sour the the experience (for the 99% who don’t win).

Off the top of my head I would make sure you separate the team from the club (students should be welcome to do both and you can have combined rides) and make sure the club is still based on having fun. When you do club rides make sure it is all about fun and learning, not a high speed training ride. If a few students try and make the club rides training rides tell them they are welcome to be on the team but not on the club rides until they change their focus. On club rides you can also stop to let the slower riders catch up and focus on skills while waiting for them (stop at a challenging section of trail).

As you know I am for anything that gets a human being on a bike. Most of today”s biggest problems (obesity, health care costs, depression, etc.) could be fixed if everyone just rode a bike 3-4 times a week.

Keep up the good work and let me/us (the readers) know how it goes.

Create a great mtb club and team!

]]> By: nick http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-633 nick Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:15:58 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-633 Hi. I teach 6th grade at a middle school. We have been blessed to have an extensive single track trail system across the street from our school. I picked up mountain biking about three years ago and and soon after made the obvious chioce to start up a mountain bike club with the middle schoolers. In the fall I have 20+ kids that ride and have always focused more on goal setting then competitive riding. I personally am not competitve and do not race, however this year MMBA (Michigan Mountain Bike association) as organized a scholastic bike league and will hold three races this fall for middle schools and high school teams. I guess I like to pick you brain on how you think I can add a competive piece to the club while not scaring away those reluctant riders that come out to have fun and just ride. Thanks. Nick. Hi. I teach 6th grade at a middle school. We have been blessed to have an extensive single track trail system across the street from our school. I picked up mountain biking about three years ago and and soon after made the obvious chioce to start up a mountain bike club with the middle schoolers. In the fall I have 20+ kids that ride and have always focused more on goal setting then competitive riding. I personally am not competitve and do not race, however this year MMBA (Michigan Mountain Bike association) as organized a scholastic bike league and will hold three races this fall for middle schools and high school teams. I guess I like to pick you brain on how you think I can add a competive piece to the club while not scaring away those reluctant riders that come out to have fun and just ride. Thanks.
Nick.

]]> By: Rick http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-116 Rick Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:08:39 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-116 Hi Douglas, I highly recommend the new kids bikes that don't have pedals and no training wheels. Training wheels don't help the kid learn balance and they teach him/her to steer like they are on a tricycle which is not how to turn a bicycle. Hi Douglas,

I highly recommend the new kids bikes that don’t have pedals and no training wheels. Training wheels don’t help the kid learn balance and they teach him/her to steer like they are on a tricycle which is not how to turn a bicycle.

]]> By: Gene http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-110 Gene Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:07:49 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-110 Hi Amy, Get rid of the training wheels and either convert those bikes to a pedal-less coaster design or buy one/two of these cool bikes. They help you child learn balance and how to ride a bike much quicker than training wheels. Trek, Specialized and many other companies make these bikes. Hi Amy,

Get rid of the training wheels and either convert those bikes to a pedal-less coaster design or buy one/two of these cool bikes. They help you child learn balance and how to ride a bike much quicker than training wheels. Trek, Specialized and many other companies make these bikes.

]]> By: Amy http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-108 Amy Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:39:54 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-108 I can't wait for my 4 and 5 year old girls to be able to ride the trail with me in my hometown. Any advice on overcoming training wheels so they can ride off-road? I can’t wait for my 4 and 5 year old girls to be able to ride the trail with me in my hometown. Any advice on overcoming training wheels so they can ride off-road?

]]> By: Gene http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-85 Gene Tue, 20 Apr 2010 03:27:00 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-85 Hi Ben, I love to hear that! I would gladly trade some single track time for a ride on a bike path with my three daughters (if I had any kids). I bet the four of you are the happiest dad and daughters in your area. Nothing like a bike ride to get you in the moment and smiling. Keep on being a great dad, Gene Hi Ben,

I love to hear that! I would gladly trade some single track time for a ride on a bike path with my three daughters (if I had any kids). I bet the four of you are the happiest dad and daughters in your area. Nothing like a bike ride to get you in the moment and smiling.

Keep on being a great dad,

Gene

]]> By: Ben Smith http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-84 Ben Smith Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:35:53 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-84 Great Story Gene, I have three Daughters 7,9,and 14 all riding bikes with me. They even ride single track when I beg. My favorite memmory was coming home from a store one day, Out of the blue my middle daughter who was three at the time says "Dad I don't want training wheels on my bike." I told her "ok but if I take them off I'm not going to put them back on." She agreed and I took them off as soon as we got home. She jumped on and I gave her a push to get started. To my amazment she rode all the way around the house before she stopped and never asked for the training wheels after that. Now days our typical ride is a paved trail for five miles to an icecream shop and back which I don't like as much as single track but they love it and I love spending the time with them. Keep up the great work. Ben Great Story Gene,
I have three Daughters 7,9,and 14 all riding bikes with me. They even ride single track when I beg. My favorite memmory was coming home from a store one day, Out of the blue my middle daughter who was three at the time says “Dad I don’t want training wheels on my bike.” I told her “ok but if I take them off I’m not going to put them back on.” She agreed and I took them off as soon as we got home. She jumped on and I gave her a push to get started. To my amazment she rode all the way around the house before she stopped and never asked for the training wheels after that.
Now days our typical ride is a paved trail for five miles to an icecream shop and back which I don’t like as much as single track but they love it and I love spending the time with them.
Keep up the great work.
Ben

]]> By: Gene http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-8 Gene Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:41:44 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-8 Hi Douglas, I highly recommend the new kids bikes that don't have pedals and no training wheels. Training wheels don't help the kid learn balance and they teach him/her to steer like they are on a tricycle which is not how to turn a bicycle. Hi Douglas,

I highly recommend the new kids bikes that don’t have pedals and no training wheels. Training wheels don’t help the kid learn balance and they teach him/her to steer like they are on a tricycle which is not how to turn a bicycle.

]]> By: Danny ellison http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-7 Danny ellison Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:55:00 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-7 I can't wait for my 4 and 5 year old girls to be able to ride the trail with me in my hometown. Any advice on overcoming training wheels so they can ride off-road? I can’t wait for my 4 and 5 year old girls to be able to ride the trail with me in my hometown. Any advice on overcoming training wheels so they can ride off-road?

]]> By: Gene http://betterride.net/blog/2010/kids-on-bikes/#comment-4 Gene Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:54:17 +0000 http://dev.webiquityhq.com/betterride/?p=145#comment-4 Wow, I love to hear that! The three of them must bring a lot of smiles to the crowd. Keep up the good parenting! Wow, I love to hear that! The three of them must bring a lot of smiles to the crowd. Keep up the good parenting!

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