Watch toddler biking, riding balance bikes, learn to ride a bike, This is the biking education most never see.
https://youtu.be/QgopmWWI8rw?si=0fi1DS_xlRVLwRRY
Aloha,
My name is Brian Canevari, joining you from Bike Summit 2022. My home of 15 years is located in Kailua Beach, Oʻahu, in Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.
For over eight years, I've learned by doing—collecting experiences, stories, pictures, and video clips—and co-founded an organization to further the discussion and drive change surrounding the need for early childhood bike education for children ages 0–8.
This is the bicycling education most people never see: programs designed specifically for children ages 0–8 using balance bikes, helmets, and ramps.
Researchers agree that psychomotor development occurs in the first three years of life, and some argue through age five. Yet most bicycling education programs in the United States begin at age eight, exposing a significant national gap in bicycling skills education for children ages 0–8.
Parents, caregivers, and educators who experience the programs you are about to see often express amazement at how quickly children learn. They frequently say they wish opportunities like this had existed when they were young and inevitably ask, “Where can we get more?”
Biking and walking mobility empower healthy, active lifestyles for all children. Similar to learning a language, if we begin in the early years, children can grow into adulthood fluent in bicycling and transportation safety. Biking becomes a normal part of life, and children develop the skills needed to access public infrastructure such as bike paths and off-road trails.
We use tools for just about everything in life—forks, cups, shoes, and clothing. The right size and type varies based on the developmental stage of the user. Similarly, we need age-appropriate walking, biking, and mobility tools for younger children. Short attention spans, a desire for movement, independent choice, and engagement all require a specialized approach.
A recent article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health provides insight into a new approach for younger learners: the balance bike.
The article, Learning to Cycle: From Training Wheels to Balance Bike, describes how humans have natural modes of locomotion such as walking and running. It goes on to explain that bicycles were invented as transportation that is more efficient, economical, and less tiring than natural modes of movement.
The balance bike is the most accessible tool for getting the youngest children riding bicycles and serves as the precursor to pedal bikes.
Running machines for adults were first introduced in Europe in 1817. Almost 200 years later, in 1997, European designer Rolf Mertens developed and produced the first commercially available balance bike for children.
These bikes were designed with specific rider fit in mind. The seat height is set lower than standing height so riders can sit fully on the seat with both feet flat on the ground and knees slightly bent. Feet control starting and stopping. It is as natural as sitting.
Here we see the basic push. Pushing with both feet naturally requires both feet to be in the air simultaneously, introducing balance in a gradual and intuitive way.
With balance bikes available commercially for over 25 years, we are seeing a significant cultural shift in adoption and use. Yet barriers remain, including equipment costs, lack of knowledge about how to use the equipment, and adult attitudes such as:
“Biking is unsafe.”
“My child is not old enough to ride a bicycle.”
“We need training wheels.”
“We can’t have bikes on the playground.”
“Insurance won’t allow bikes.”
“If my child learns to ride a bike, I’ll have to ride with them.”
We need national early childhood bike education that is accessible and implementable.
What you're viewing here is Hawaiʻi State Children and Youth Day—two city blocks filled with activities that are completely free to enter and participate in for all children.
During a five-hour event, we served approximately 400 riders using just 17 balance bikes, two ramps, 20 helmets, and a handful of volunteers. The riding area measured approximately 25 by 100 feet.
Riders checked in by signing a waiver, being fitted for a helmet, and then being matched to a balance bike. For children with special needs, we also provided push trikes.
Most riders stayed for about 10 minutes, and many returned throughout the day to ride again. We did not establish directional arrows. As the course became crowded, riders naturally developed their own riding patterns and rules.
Across multiple years of events, I can recall only one instance of inappropriate behavior in the riding area.
What we see much more often are children who do not want to leave and parents saying, “Let's try something else.”
One future opportunity is finding ways to engage parents while children ride. Jot down your ideas.
We bring a variety of balance bikes to ensure proper rider fit, including bikes with different seat-post lengths already installed. For taller children, we bring wooden bikes with seat heights preset at different levels.
Volunteers quickly learn how to determine a starting point by asking, “How old is the child?” and then having the child straddle a bike.
If we are going to make an effort, we want it to count. We also want the experience to be fluid and flexible for families and children. Remember the age group: 0–8 years old.
Follow these key ingredients to create an enthusiastic, celebratory environment that families will photograph and remember:
Market events directly to families, including aunties, uncles, and grandparents.
Host activities at family-focused venues such as museums, discovery centers, festivals, and carnivals.
Keep entry and participation free to maximize equity and accessibility.
Run events for four to five hours. Children ages 0–8 operate on different schedules involving naps, meals, and sibling activities.
Offer multiple activities beyond balance bikes. Think arts and crafts, treasure hunts, and story circles. Remember that many children will ride for only about 10 minutes before moving on.
Think of the venue as circular theater. Encourage adults to step back and watch. You'll see plenty of smiles, even from adults whose children are not riding.
Here we see Family Sunday at the Honolulu Museum of Art over two different years.
The first event was held in collaboration with the local BMX track and themed around the 2016 Summer Olympics. It featured a large shaded area, but the ramps were cumbersome to install and the protective mats damaged the grass.
Two years later, we moved the event to a side parking lot with easy access through a gate to the main venue. Again, we benefited from shade, and parking lots proved ideal because they are naturally sloped for drainage.
This allowed children to push uphill, lift their feet, and enjoy a smooth ride downhill.
Everyone loves the ramps. For a detailed explanation of why they work, I provide a downloadable PDF flyer.
In short, balancing a two-wheeled bicycle requires forward motion. Even ramps that are only four to five inches high allow riders to lift their feet and experience successful coasting.
We have also operated balance bike programs as part of finish-line activities for charity races with over 1,200 participants. While effective, the setup and breakdown effort often exceeded the time families spent riding. Most participants attended for the primary event and only briefly visited the bike area before moving on to other activities.
We observed similar results when participating in the Honolulu Century Ride.
Based on all of these experiences, here is my current thinking:
We need to collectively empower existing preschool and daycare networks to reach the greatest number of children.
Imagine balance bikes stored alongside other playground equipment. Helmets available in buckets. A ramp tucked behind the bushes for a fun downhill ride. Children riding along a boardwalk or play yard whenever they choose.
My vision for the future is simple: balance bikes become as common and accessible as playground equipment across the nation.
Pediatricians will begin asking parents during checkups, “Does your child ride a bike?”
Pediatricians will be able to prescribe balance bikes for children who are outside a healthy weight range.
Balance bikes will become part of prenatal parenting classes.
So what are you waiting for? Let's go!
To learn more, visit www.kidswalkbike.com and explore the resources available to support biking education for children ages 0–8.
You can also visit www.KOKUAbikesUSA.com, click on the Blog, then Education, and be sure to check out:
- Step by Step Balance Bike
- Psychomotor Development Using Balance Bikes
- Lean, Turning, and Braking
Thank you very much.
Again, my name is Brian Canevari, and I can't wait to hear from you.