{"id":1449,"date":"2021-12-07T14:36:51","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T03:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.downsyndrome.org.au\/voice\/?p=1449"},"modified":"2021-12-07T14:36:51","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T03:36:51","slug":"lets-go-ride-a-bike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.downsyndrome.org.au\/voice\/2021\/12\/07\/lets-go-ride-a-bike\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s go ride a bike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As a mother in the midst of taking off the training wheels, Rebecca Richardson knows that patience is the key to success when it comes to her daughter Aurelia taking flight along the footpath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve always got to have patience in these situations,\u201d Rebecca says. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely the case with bike riding, as with all life skill kids have to learn. It takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the age of four Aurelia has tried to learn riding on everything from a wishbone bike to a tricycle, a three-wheeled body cycle bike, to a traditional bike with training wheels. Rebecca always held the hope Aurelia would graduate to two wheels, and now that her daughter is nine she has found support with Ride-A-Bike Right<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee-Anne Fleming, owner and lead coach of Ride-a-Bike Right in Adelaide has taught people with Down syndrome to ride a bike at every age \u2013 from young children to older adults in their 50s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says the most important thing to remember is that all people are individuals and learn at their own level.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the key things is to break the levels of progression down into smaller steps,\u201d Lee-Anne says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, most neurotypical children might learn to get the glide motion in two to three progressive steps, however children with Down syndrome might need a few more levels of attainment such as seven or eight smaller progressive steps to reach that level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee-Anne says anyone young or old learning to ride a bike has to get into a state of flow, so they are moving naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if they are resistant to activities that involve speed, such as going on swings or slides at the playground, they might be more cautious and have a difficult time learning the skills to ride a bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they don\u2019t love on being on slides or swings, that\u2019s their bodies saying that the speeds are too much for their bodies to handle,\u201d Lee-Anne explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeed is important in bike riding, because if you don\u2019t have the power to create the momentum to create the speed, they can find it harder to learn balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice, practice, and practice some more<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like all new skills, practice makes perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a lot of children, it\u2019s getting in that regular practice and trying for five minutes, by going down the driveway and back again. That can make a big difference,\u201d Lee-Anne says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they don\u2019t practice their new skills, they will be going back a step. Make the commitment and follow through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebecca says with Aurelia, she\u2019s in it for the long game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been practicing and she\u2019s definitely building up her confidence,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do think confidence is a big barrier. Once she does get something though she\u2019s over the moon.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While bike riding might not be an essential life skill for everyone to learn, it contributes to many on-going benefits for kids and adults alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your child really doesn\u2019t want to do it, you can\u2019t force them to do it. It\u2019s not an essential skill for life,\u201d Rebecca says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut being an OT myself, I can just see the benefits on an individual level. It\u2019s not only about the skill of riding a bike, but also about core strength, posture, bilateral coordination and a willingness to achieve something. That\u2019s why we\u2019re doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the right bike<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bike choice is a big consideration to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really important that they have the right bike to learn on,\u201d Lee-Anne says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe bike shop will sell you a bike, but it might not be the right bike for them to learn on as it might be too big and heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She suggests doing some research about what bike to get, otherwise you could be out of pocket for a lot of money. Lee-Anne says to remember that a good quality bike will last longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe strength of the child is really important when learning, particularly if they\u2019ve got low muscle tone. From my experience, when the bicycle is too heavy it makes it so much harder to learn to manipulate it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>So having a bike relative to the child\u2019s size and strength is key.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lee-Anne says some people with Down syndrome or their families might make the choice to have a tricycle or adapted bike, as this is one less worry for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of bike riding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n