Your thoughts; teaching A child with Downsyndrome to cycle

heliguyheliguy

Your thoughts on teaching an 11 year old with Downsyndrome to cycle.
I have tried a few times but she struggles peddling, she can peddle on a stationary bike but cant get a regular bike to move at all.

Beasty

Try and find a gentle downward (preferably grassy) slope - the key is to get balance, and you need momentum for this (which the slope provides)

Hopefully the pedalling will come with the momentum - if not, have you thought about a 3-wheeler?

victorcarrera

Can you establish if the gearing/resistance of the pedals of the real bike is too hard for her. If it is safe to do so try a push start.
Maybe she does not yet have the balance and hence won't pedal.

I haven't read the complete article but this may be of some help

jaqian

If she can pedal stationary I presume that she is pedaling backwards/ freewheeling.

My sis-inlaw has Downs but she can't walk properly as her knee-caps are to the side. She couldn't pedal a bike as she has trouble walking. Can the child walk ok or would it put strain or her legs?

seamus

victorcarrera wrote: »

Can you establish if the gearing/resistance of the pedals of the real bike is too hard for her.

This would be my first guess, as a lot of effort is required to get the bike going initially, which she may not be able for.

As victor also says, perhaps try and establish if it's a fear thing - perhaps she's afraid she'll fall if she starts pedalling?

droidus

How is her vision? That could be a part of the fear factor (if that is indeed the issue).

rflynnr

I'm way out of my comfort zone here as I have no professional experience in this field but I wonder if it would help to entirely remove the pedals initially, drop the saddle and allow her to "walk" the bike along (i.e. sit in the saddle propelling the bike with her feet on the ground). This should acclimatize her to balancing the bike whilst in forward motion. On the other hand, maybe that's simply not an issue in this case.

heliguyheliguy

Don't think its Fear (she has none)
she runs jumps bounces around non-stop (strong as an ox)
she's on a child's bike with stabilisers
20/20 with glasses
she tries to peddle forward and cant so just paddles backward and wonders way it wont move, says it broke!
I think maybe your onto something with the gentle grassy slope but would like to try changing the gearing, any ideas on how I would go about doing this, there's not allot of options for a child's bike.

heliguyheliguy

rflynnr wrote: »

I'm way out of my comfort zone here as I have no professional experience in this field but I wonder if it would help to entirely remove the pedals initially, drop the saddle and allow her to "walk" the bike along (i.e. sit in the saddle propelling the bike with her feet on the ground). This should acclimatize her to balancing the bike whilst in forward motion. On the other hand, maybe that's simply not an issue in this case.

Tried this, she says its broke and wont even get on it.

dekbhoy

Could you maybe start her off with stableisers till she gets confidence and the strength she needs , my opinion would to be very very slow getting her started as tmaybe the slightest fall or mishap could put her off. good luck

heliguyheliguy

I have thought about a three wheeler but cant afford one that would be a suitable size, even if I could find one.
The small kiddes ones are far two small and then they seam to jump up in size to adult or teen and the prices are up around 1000euro too much for something that she may take one look at and refuse to get on, if it looks too different from everyone else's she wont use it.

BostonB

Perhaps you could get a threewheeler made in Rothar.ie from a bunch of parts.

I think you need to work on the balance thing. Maybe a 2 wheel scooter to get the idea across.

victorcarrera

heliguyheliguy wrote: »

she tries to peddle forward and cant so just paddles backward and wonders way it wont move, says it broke!

It seems she is just choosing the easier way to pedal.
It would be easy enough to change to a fixed gear so that she associates the correct pedalling direction with moving forward. This will also give you the opportunity to lower (ease) the gearing.
The only other thing I can think of is to associate the cycle with some other positive experience, for example cycling the cycle lane in the Phoenix Park towards the cafe for an ice cream or similar.
Keep trying.

heliguyheliguy

victorcarrera wrote: »

It seems she is just choosing the easier way to pedal.
It would be easy enough to change to a fixed gear so that she associates the correct pedalling direction with moving forward. This will also give you the opportunity to lower (ease) the gearing.
The only other thing I can think of is to associate the cycle with some other positive experience, for example cycling the cycle lane in the Phoenix Park towards the cafe for an ice cream or similar.
Keep trying.

sounds good, so where would I get a fixed gear setup for a child's bike, Is that something I can just pick off the shelf somewhere that I've missed.
All the kids bikes I've seen have free wheel.

ED E

As above. Gentle grassy slope. No pedals. No stabilisers(more harm than good). Lower the saddle. Once they can lift their legs and feewheel for 10/15M then replace pedals and readjust saddle. My dad has gotten several kids going in under an hour this way.

Gavin

Perhaps a bmx with suicide hub for fixed.

abcdggs

heliguyheliguy wrote: »

sounds good, so where would I get a fixed gear setup for a child's bike, Is that something I can just pick off the shelf somewhere that I've missed.
All the kids bikes I've seen have free wheel.

Drop into Rothar. From what i've heard they are very helpful, and they will certainly point you in the right direction

victorcarrera

heliguyheliguy wrote: »

sounds good, so where would I get a fixed gear setup for a child's bike, Is that something I can just pick off the shelf somewhere that I've missed.

If your existing freewheel is shimano I think its just a matter of swapping it out for a fixed cog and lockring as the threads are the same.
Try your local bike store first or if in Dublin try Rothar as suggested earlier.

droidus

heliguyheliguy wrote: »

Don't think its Fear (she has none)
she runs jumps bounces around non-stop (strong as an ox)
she's on a child's bike with stabilisers
20/20 with glasses
she tries to peddle forward and cant so just paddles backward and wonders way it wont move, says it broke!
I think maybe your onto something with the gentle grassy slope but would like to try changing the gearing, any ideas on how I would go about doing this, there's not allot of options for a child's bike.

Sounds like a great kid. Good luck - I hope you find a solution.

Velo Bro

Hi, just a thought but what about renting a tandem for a few spins around the Phoenix park. There is a place at the Wellington monument end that rents them and over a few outings she may get to grips with the pedalling motion and balance. A bit of good fun as well.

Best of luck!

http://www.phoenixparkbikehire.com/

heliguyheliguy

all good ideas lads, I will try work through them and see how we get on.
thank you all

tomc

Best of luck with your child, I hope you succeed and I hope they get as much reward from cycling as most of us on here from it!

Hi, just a thought but what about renting a tandem for a few spins around the Phoenix park. There is a place at the Wellington monument end that rents them and over a few outings she may get to grips with the pedalling motion and balance. A bit of good fun as well.

This sounds like a great idea! Some years ago I was part of a Scout group that toured through Holland on rental bikes and a tandem provided us with a perfect solution for one of our disabled members, boosted her confidence no end!

TomC

SubLuminal

What size bike is it? I volunteer in Rothar.ie, I'll see if we can get a fixed gear rear wheel sorted somehow? Not sure if they make them, or if we can, but if you want to go down that route I'll find out for you. PM me?