What Do Training Wheels Do?

Introduction

Learning to ride a bike is an exciting milestone for kids, but it can also be intimidating. Training wheels are a popular tool that can make the process easier and safer for new riders. But what do training wheels actually do? Training wheels are small, stabilizing wheels attached to the rear wheel of a child’s bike, preventing it from tipping over. This added support helps young riders focus on pedaling and steering without worrying about balancing on two wheels right away.

What Are Training Wheels Supposed To Do?

Training wheels serve as a learning aid for beginner riders by providing extra support. When attached to the back of the bike, they create a stable base, making it easier for the child to keep the bike upright. Here’s a breakdown of how training wheels work:

• Stability: Training wheels are designed to prevent the bike from tipping to either side, helping riders maintain balance as they get used to sitting on the bike and moving forward.

• Confidence Building: For young children, confidence is crucial. Training wheels let them pedal, steer, and stop the bike without fear of falling, building the self-assurance needed to learn.

• Skill Development: Training wheels allow children to practice pedaling and steering. These skills are fundamental for riding a bike and can be learned without worrying about balancing at the same time.

Drawbacks of Traditional Training Wheels

While traditional training wheels offer benefits like increased confidence and stability while your kids learn to pedal and steer there are several major disadvantages:

• Kids quickly grow dependent on training wheels, even if they've already mastered balancing from a balance bike. While they may have gained the ability to pedal and steer, their feeling of stability is entirely linked to the training wheels, making their removal a terrifying prospect.

• While traditional training wheels do improve stability, they also can be surprisingly dangerous.

  • Children who train with training wheels are less likely to stick their feet out to catch a fall when riding a bike without them.

  • It is still possible to lose your balance with training wheels on. When this happens, they will topple over the training wheel as the bike tips making the fall that much harder.

• Traditional training wheels are rigid. They either provide complete support (full contact with the ground), or no support (one wheel completely off the ground). This rigidity can make transitioning away from the support challenging for new riders.

What Do Flex Guiders Do?

Flex Guiders change the game. Flex Guiders offer all the benefits that traditional training wheels are supposed to offer without any of the drawbacks.

• Flex Guiders provide settings for beginners that offer the extra support needed to gain confidence in pedaling and steering.

• Because Flex Guiders are flexible, they prevent the rider from becoming too dependent on them.

• With Flex Guiders, even beginner riders are learning balance.

• Safe habits like sticking your feet out to catch a fall are learned from the beginning with Flex Guiders.

• Flex Guiders offer multiple support settings so that the rider can gradually transition to independent riding.