9
Get into the habit of doing the checks given
in chapter 4.
“Before every ride”
together
with your child. In this way, the child will
learn to handle the bike properly and you
will be able to detect any defects that have
developed during use. Encourage your child
to tell you, if anything should not be working
properly on his or her bike. Rectify the fault
immediately or hand the bike in for repair, if
you are in doubt.
Children can be vain. Make sure
you buy a tested bike helmet that the
child feels happy with. Take your child with
you to make sure you buy one which the
child likes and which fits properly. This will
increase the chances that the helmet is actu-
ally used, which might be life-saving one
day!
9. Training wheels
Experts are of the opinion that training wheels
are suitable to only a limited extent for learn-
ing how to ride a bike and therefore even
counterproductive due to the memorizing of
movement patterns. Therefore, if this aid is
mounted, try to do without them as soon as
possible; otherwise your child will get used
to a completely wrong riding technique. It is
9. Kids‘ bikes
advisable to let your child train beforehand
with a three wheeler or a scooter. Experience
has shown that once your child has good
control of the scooter, he/she will find it easy
to get used to riding a bike.
If you decide to assemble training wheels,
start, if necessary, with mounting the wheels
to the supporting arms. Then release and
remove the wheel bolts on one side complete-
ly and attach the supporting arm together
with the mounting bracket to the chainstay.
Make sure to correctly assemble the mounting
bracket to the chainstay. Tighten the wheel
nut hand-tight and continue by mounting the
training wheel on the other side.
Both training wheels are then to be aligned
in a way that they touch the ground when
the bike is in an upright position. Finish by
tightening the wheel nuts to the prescribed
torque.
Keep in mind that training wheels only
insufficiently help small children to
ride a bike and ought to be removed at the
earliest stage possible so that your child can
learn to balance a two-wheeler.
