s/o bike or trike?

I visited a friend last weekend whose DS (just turned 3) is riding a bike (with training wheels) like a pro. It made me wonder if a bike might actually be easier to pedal than a trike? My girls have Kettler trikes -- Amy has just figured out how to pedal, but it seems awkward and her feet keep slipping off the pedals. Sarah can't do it at all.

It just seems like the motion of pedaling on a bike (where you push down towards the ground) might be easier than pushing forwards, like on a trike. But do bikes even come that small? Has anyone else tried this?

 

Mine got bikes back in March and caught on very quickly and do them very well. I would say better than the trikes. I think sitting up higher on the bike allows them to easier push the pedals versus being lower on the trikes trying to push them.

 

I'm thinking of doing the bikes. We have 2 trikes both with the push handles for us and i think they make my girls lazy.

 

We have the kettler tricycles and it took mine forever to learn how to pedal them, and I think part of the problem was how heavy the tricycles are. It took them awhile but they finally started to pedal their tricycle. But I found out that they knew how with the lighter trikes when we were at our friends house.

They both got puky bikes (balance bikes) for their 3rd birthdays and by this summers they are both pros at gliding and balancing on the bikes. We are thinking of getting them real bikes with no training wheels for Chrismtas.

 

For some reason, my DH is convinced that our girls cannot handle a trike. I wanted to get them trikes for their birthday, but he thinks they aren't ready. I have to tell him that some people are getting bicycles for their 3 yr olds! I'm not sure what his issue is with trikes. He's the same one who didn't want me to get rid of the baby swings either (the outdoor ones). We now have regular flat swings.

 

I would go with the trikes, they are also more correct developmentally. My friend was told by the OT that her son needed to pedal a trike before trying a bicycle. Trikes are also more study for them to learn on, and the fact that they pedal and steer through the same part helps them get the hang of steering easier.

 

Mine got trikes. I won't buy those tiny bikes. They're too fast and too short to see over the hood of a car. My kids have to be tall enough for 20-inch wheels before they get a bike. (There are no sidewalks in our town.)

 

We got bikes at Christmas. Ben had a much harder time with the trike than he has with his bike. Our trikes were cheap though, and totally unstable. His bike is really nice, totally stable, and practically propels itself!

 

QUOTE(sharongl @ Jun 17 2008, 02:56 AM) [snapback]830410[/snapback]
I would go with the trikes, they are also more correct developmentally. My friend was told by the OT that her son needed to pedal a trike before trying a bicycle. Trikes are also more study for them to learn on, and the fact that they pedal and steer through the same part helps them get the hang of steering easier.

I can see why this helps with the steering, but why are they better developmentally?

QUOTE(rubyturquoise @ Jun 17 2008, 10:46 AM) [snapback]830621[/snapback]
Mine got trikes. I won't buy those tiny bikes. They're too fast and too short to see over the hood of a car. My kids have to be tall enough for 20-inch wheels before they get a bike. (There are no sidewalks in our town.)

That's a good point. My friend's son is definitely fast on his bike. :icon_eek: She has him very well trained and he knows exactly where to stop for every intersection (and he has to wait for her, then get off the bike and walk it across the street), but it still scared me to death to watch him.

We do have sidewalks on most streets, but our little neighborhood has a few streets (including ours) with no sidewalks. Even on the trike, Amy was going fast enough that I sometimes had to jog to keep up with her. It was very nerve-wracking, but I figure to some extent it's just part of being a parent! Still, no reason to make it any riskier than it has to be.

 

QUOTE(rubyturquoise @ Jun 17 2008, 03:46 AM) [snapback]830621[/snapback]
Mine got trikes. I won't buy those tiny bikes. They're too fast and too short to see over the hood of a car. My kids have to be tall enough for 20-inch wheels before they get a bike. (There are no sidewalks in our town.)


Interesting perspective. My kids sit much taller on their tiny bikes than they do on their trikes. I feel much safer with them being higher up!

 

QUOTE
QUOTE(sharongl @ Jun 17 2008, 02:56 AM)
I would go with the trikes, they are also more correct developmentally. My friend was told by the OT that her son needed to pedal a trike before trying a bicycle. Trikes are also more study for them to learn on, and the fact that they pedal and steer through the same part helps them get the hang of steering easier.

I can see why this helps with the steering, but why are they better developmentally?


This is because of how the muscle systems are used. Pedalling in front helps to strenthen the thighs, while pedalling vertically strengthens the calves. Since it is harder to work the thighs through everyday activity, the tricycles help with that. (can you tell I wanted to be a physical therapist at one point?)