Learning Bike Safety

Jun 1
07:15

2010

Rob Mabry

Rob Mabry

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The most important aspect of learning to ride a bike is safety, but that doesn't end with insisting your child wear a helmet. Keeping a child safe on a bike is about understanding the environment and preparing for the worst.

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Cycling can be quite a terrific experience for any youngster,Learning Bike Safety Articles offering up entertainment, freedom and physical fitness. This grows a child’s self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. Like most fun-filled activities with this kind of wonderful reward, there is also the chance of injury. Giving your child an understanding of the basics of bike safety is an important step in the process of mastering the skill of riding a bike.

Always Wear Your Helmet

Head injuries account for more than 60% of bicycle related deaths involving younger cyclists. Usually, kids do not like donning a helmet. To persuade the use of helmets, let them choose their own helmet and emphasize to them that the reason they have to put it on is because you'd never ever want anything harmful to occur. No helmet, no bike. Period.

Like the Boy Scouts Say - Be Prepared

In the aged group under ten, nearly all cycling mishaps are caused through a loss of concentration or lapse in judgment. Young people hurt themselves riding into stationary objects such as parked cars or mailboxes. Kids will often run into each other into other kids or ride off the curb. Remind your child that being alert is just as important as wearing their helmet and riding safely matters. Remind them you are always pleased when they choose to make good decisions and ask them to be a leader anytime they are riding their bikes with friends.

As your child begins to explore more of his or her world on their bike, sit down and discuss the new locations they will be allowed to ride. Point out danger spots; parked cars that prevent clear paths of vision, busy traffic areas, large hills and make sure they can explain exactly how they will handle each scenario.

Obey the Traffic Rules

For most grownups, knowing and reacting to traffic signs and regulations is 2nd nature, but we often forget that children have not taken driver’s education courses. Show your little ones which direction to ride, what to do at intersections along with the significance of the traffic signs in their own neighborhood.

As you are riding along with your child in the car, quiz them on the various traffic signs and talk to them regarding exactly what they might do in the event that they were on their bicycle instead of in the car. Bring up illustrations of motorists who are not paying sufficient attention and use that to demonstrate the importance of staying alert.

Learn the Right Way From the Start

Learning to ride a bicycle starts with one elementary skill – balance. Numerous authorities recommend a good strategy that doesn't make use of training wheels. This particular technique has been the process in Europe for some time where a lot of children learn to ride using a wood bike that has sprockets, pedals or chains and is powered by the child’s feet.

Whenever teaching your child to ride a bike, put the focus on balance, not pedals. In case you don’t have a balance bike, remove the pedals, lower the seat as low as it will go and allow the child to try out their sense of balance by pushing the bike with their feet.

As they begin to get better at their balance, take them to the top of a small hill and let them coast down, skimming their feet on the ground as they ride. This can speed up the learning process and save your back because you will not end up being the one constantly pushing the bike around the neighborhood.

Bicycle Gear Maintenance

Always check to make sure that your child’s bicycle is in excellent, working condition. Pay close attention the brakes, both back and front. Brakes can degrade fairly quickly when used often and kids have a way of improvising stops whenever they do. This might lead to a rapid deterioration of shoes as they become the main braking mechanism.

Look at the tire pressure and rotation. Make sure all the spokes are undamaged and the gears and gear shifters are functioning. Examine the seat, handlebars and tires to make sure nothing is loose.

Share the Ride

It's always best to lead by example. If you have bike gathering dust and rust. Pump up those tires, give it a good maintenance check and get out and ride. You'd be surprised how much kids want to be like mom and dad. So get out and ride!