Training Wheels

Suzuki203
Edited Date/Time 11/26/2019 5:31am
Hey everyone quick question.

I want to get to get this for my stepson for Christmas. He’s four but still quite small (30 lbs) I’m thinking this for this year, to get his feet wet, then maybe a 50 next year.

Question is, how difficult would it be to put training wheels on here? Are there adjustable ones? Universal ones that can mount on any type of bike?

Thanks much appreciated.

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Falcon
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Falcon 11/25/2019 9:26am
11/25/2019 9:26am
You can probably mount the spring-loaded kind onto the bike; they aren't attached to the rear wheel. Rather, they extend from beneath the footpegs and allow for some lean, so the rider learns how to turn properly.

A much better option, in my opinion, is to go with a balance bike and then move him up to a motorcycle. I did that for my son and he was riding a PW50 three months after his 4th birthday.
You can combine the two by looking at a Stacyc bike, depending on your budget:
https://stacyc.com/products/12edrive
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zippytech
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zippytech 11/25/2019 10:01am
11/25/2019 10:01am
I found that training wheels actually made it more difficult for my son to learn to ride a bike cause that's not how bikes work. I would get a strider bike first.
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Camp332
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Camp332 11/25/2019 10:34am
11/25/2019 10:34am
Fully support the balance bike first idea.

We had our son cruising the balance bike by 18 months, then he rode a real bicycle(no training wheels) at 3 years old, then a razor electric quad to work the throttle piece(not really needed), finally on his 5th birthday he got on the PW and already knew what to do.

Have fun!
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Suzuki203 11/25/2019 10:54am
11/25/2019 10:54am
Falcon wrote:
You can probably mount the spring-loaded kind onto the bike; they aren't attached to the rear wheel. Rather, they extend from beneath the footpegs and allow...
You can probably mount the spring-loaded kind onto the bike; they aren't attached to the rear wheel. Rather, they extend from beneath the footpegs and allow for some lean, so the rider learns how to turn properly.

A much better option, in my opinion, is to go with a balance bike and then move him up to a motorcycle. I did that for my son and he was riding a PW50 three months after his 4th birthday.
You can combine the two by looking at a Stacyc bike, depending on your budget:
https://stacyc.com/products/12edrive
I’ve never really heard of these balance bikes before. What is the advantage I’m curious, just searching them now. Is it to get used to keeping your feet up with the reassurance that they can still touch the ground?

He can ride and pedal a bicycle (with training wheels). Do you think that it would still be a good step before going motorized?

Thanks for the thoughts guys.
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Boomslang
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Boomslang 11/25/2019 10:58am
11/25/2019 10:58am
Villopotto - the day his oldman came home with his first bike and it had training wheels fitted.


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dimetime
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dimetime 11/25/2019 11:11am
11/25/2019 11:11am
Yeah, don't do the training wheels. Both my kids were required to ride their bikes with balance before they got motorcycles. My son was much more motivated and rode his bike without training wheels before he was four. Took the daughter a little longer but she was riding her PW by five.

If they want to, they'll do it. I can also anecdotally say the one person l know who did let his kid use training wheels regretted it.
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SEE ARE125
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SEE ARE125 11/25/2019 11:20am
11/25/2019 11:20am
Started my son on a Strider at 2 and within a couple months he was ripping around with his feet up. At 2 1/2 we made the transition to a Stacyc with the power off for about a week, then turned it on. First ride started with an epic whiskey throttle loop out, at which point he realized dad was serious when he said “Twist it easy.” He got back on and now rides around on full power mode which is around 10mph. He’s 3 and never seen training wheels. He’s starting this “look no hands!” shit now though, that’s eventually gonna bite him. Laughing
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Deja New
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Deja New 11/25/2019 1:08pm
11/25/2019 1:08pm
My son did the balance bike thing could ride a bmx but wanted trading wheels on the jr worst idea ever he had to lean the wrong way in corners to go round. We took them off straight away we found them dangerous.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 11/25/2019 1:22pm
11/25/2019 1:22pm
All I did with my son was on his little 12” BMX at 3 was to run behind him at a basketball court holding the back of seat and tell him to pedal and let go occasionally so he got the feel of inertia equals balance. Within an hour he was on his own.
Falcon
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Falcon 11/25/2019 1:22pm
11/25/2019 1:22pm
Falcon wrote:
You can probably mount the spring-loaded kind onto the bike; they aren't attached to the rear wheel. Rather, they extend from beneath the footpegs and allow...
You can probably mount the spring-loaded kind onto the bike; they aren't attached to the rear wheel. Rather, they extend from beneath the footpegs and allow for some lean, so the rider learns how to turn properly.

A much better option, in my opinion, is to go with a balance bike and then move him up to a motorcycle. I did that for my son and he was riding a PW50 three months after his 4th birthday.
You can combine the two by looking at a Stacyc bike, depending on your budget:
https://stacyc.com/products/12edrive
Suzuki203 wrote:
I’ve never really heard of these balance bikes before. What is the advantage I’m curious, just searching them now. Is it to get used to keeping...
I’ve never really heard of these balance bikes before. What is the advantage I’m curious, just searching them now. Is it to get used to keeping your feet up with the reassurance that they can still touch the ground?

He can ride and pedal a bicycle (with training wheels). Do you think that it would still be a good step before going motorized?

Thanks for the thoughts guys.
I am 100% convinced that a balance bike is the way to go. Training wheels teach riders the wrong set of skills, so they have to re-learn when they are ready to go without. Once my kid rode a balance bike for a few months, he didn't need any assistance keeping his motorcycle on two wheels. He never rode a bike with training wheels.
There are several brands, but we went with Strider:
www.striderbikes.com
peltier626
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peltier626 11/25/2019 1:43pm
11/25/2019 1:43pm Edited Date/Time 11/25/2019 8:05pm
Agree with everyone here, no training wheels. Son started on a strider at 2yrs old, moved to a pedal bike at 3ish and the pw at 4 1/2. Training wheels gives a false sense of security and goes against the natural tendencies of cycling. Start with a strider or stacyc.
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Dirty Points 11/25/2019 2:01pm
11/25/2019 2:01pm Edited Date/Time 11/25/2019 2:02pm
Won't join the debate on whether to training wheel or not...

But the universal training wheels are typically a pair of pneumatic wheelbarrow/cart wheels on an axle that bolts around frame or footpeg mounts with u-bolts. Doesn't look to be any lower frame in that picture, but I don't see how with a little ingenuity one couldn't find a way to get the U-bolts around the footpeg mounts
zippytech
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zippytech 11/25/2019 2:04pm
11/25/2019 2:04pm
I know a boy that wore the tires on a strider till you could not see the tread at all... he loved that bike
mikec265
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mikec265 11/25/2019 2:18pm
11/25/2019 2:18pm
I've done training wheels with 2 kids so far. They rode when they were 2 and 3 with them on a PW50 and xr 50. Training wheels came off the bicycles at 3.5, then off the dirt bikes at 4. Our biggest battle was with old man winter causing 4 months of rust each year. We also used a strider bike and the cheap electric razor dirt bike from Walmart as tools to build skill for the real dirt bikes.
erik_94COBRA
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erik_94COBRA 11/25/2019 2:29pm
11/25/2019 2:29pm
I bought my son a PW50 from a guy who’s son ran over his foot with the training wheels, and permanently spooked himself from riding the thing.

Balance bike (strider) before riding a motorcycle is the way to go. Actually waited until he was good without training wheels on pedal bike.
AZRider
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AZRider 11/25/2019 3:04pm
11/25/2019 3:04pm
Please no training wheels! Go strider or Stacyc. He will thank you later and you will be happy before you know it. Both my kids where on bikes with no training wheels by 3.5. Training wheels cause so many bad things. My opinion only and I know some disagree.
Falcon
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Falcon 11/25/2019 3:12pm
11/25/2019 3:12pm
The main problem with training wheels is that they hold the bike upright and don't allow the machine to lean. The rider therefore learns to "steer" the bicycle with the handlebars; turn left, go left. Turn right, go right. Watch any kid riding a bike with training wheels and you'll see what I mean - turning left, the bike leans to the outside and rolls along with the right-side training wheel rolling on the ground.
This is actually the OPPOSITE of what happens when turning a bike or motorcycle. Not everyone knows this, but you turn the bars left to go right. Pay close attention that next time you ride and you will see what I mean; try turning your way around a corner by pointing the front wheel where you want it to go, and you will swiftly find yourself going the wrong way (or high-siding.)
zippytech
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zippytech 11/25/2019 3:14pm
11/25/2019 3:14pm
I eventually found out that with age he just picked it up. The training wheels did not help at all.

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Dropbear
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Dropbear 11/25/2019 3:29pm
11/25/2019 3:29pm
Falcon wrote:
The main problem with training wheels is that they hold the bike upright and don't allow the machine to lean. The rider therefore learns to "steer"...
The main problem with training wheels is that they hold the bike upright and don't allow the machine to lean. The rider therefore learns to "steer" the bicycle with the handlebars; turn left, go left. Turn right, go right. Watch any kid riding a bike with training wheels and you'll see what I mean - turning left, the bike leans to the outside and rolls along with the right-side training wheel rolling on the ground.
This is actually the OPPOSITE of what happens when turning a bike or motorcycle. Not everyone knows this, but you turn the bars left to go right. Pay close attention that next time you ride and you will see what I mean; try turning your way around a corner by pointing the front wheel where you want it to go, and you will swiftly find yourself going the wrong way (or high-siding.)
Basically have to ride it like a sidecar.
face biter
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face biter 11/25/2019 5:02pm
11/25/2019 5:02pm
If your step son already has a bicycle you can just remove the cranks, front sprocket, and chain and let him use it as a balance bike until he’s ready to pedal it.
We had a balance bike and bicycle with training wheels for my daughter, she did great on the balance bike but had no interest in taking the training wheels off of her bicycle, one day she asked when she could have a dirt bike and I told her she could have one after she learned to ride her bicycle without training wheels so the next day she asked me to take the training wheels off of her bike, within 30 minutes she was riding all over the place.
I got her an electric dirt bike like you’re considering and aside from the throttle acting more like an on off switch than a potentiometer it has been great, she has had a lot of fun on it, but gets bummed out that the battery only lasts for about 30-35 minutes, so I have CRF 50 stashed in the garage just waiting for Christmas.
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EvelMX11
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EvelMX11 11/25/2019 7:41pm
11/25/2019 7:41pm
Training wheels were great for my boy when he was 2-4.

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mikec265
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mikec265 11/25/2019 7:46pm
11/25/2019 7:46pm
Keep in mind the Stacyc bikes overheat if ran in grass. Glad I didn't buy one. There was a thread on here where a lot of guys had reliability problems with them.
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Justin345
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Justin345 11/26/2019 3:39am
11/26/2019 3:39am
Another vote for the strider -> stacyc -> PW50 route. Both my son and daughter started on their striders around 18 months. My son started on the Stacyc just after 3 and has mastered throttle control and braking. Once he’s big enough for a PW (probably around 4), he’ll have all the mechanics down already. My daughter is almost 2 and yesterday showed me her new trick of going as fast as she can on the strider, put her feet on the swingarm foot pads and actually stood up while riding! She’s been watching her brother. Monkey see, monkey do.
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Mx391
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Mx391 11/26/2019 5:31am
11/26/2019 5:31am
mikec265 wrote:
Keep in mind the Stacyc bikes overheat if ran in grass. Glad I didn't buy one. There was a thread on here where a lot of...
Keep in mind the Stacyc bikes overheat if ran in grass. Glad I didn't buy one. There was a thread on here where a lot of guys had reliability problems with them.
I've had a few overheating issues while my 2 year olds it. But still, he gets HOURS of fun out of it. Wouldn't let it scare you.

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