Author Topic: Appropriate cycle training ideas for a 5 year old (Read 1875 times)

Ham · « **on:** 30 July, 2023, 09:01:39 am »

On holiday in a caravan with the almost 5 grandsonham, I brought his bike and my folder, he loves riding. And riding FAST. (He can get up to about 15mph plus!) - so much so some random stranger in the camp said to me "I didn't recognise you without your bike

"

Anyhow, he is very much just 4 in many ways, including looking where he is going etc. I'm trying to get him to ride carefully by my side for little bits of road, but I'm not confident with him yet, his enthusiasm and excitement overrides everything sometimes.

Anyhow, I've never done/seen/been in bike training with kids so ideas of what I could do would be appreciated - slalom? What sort of gaps? Don't assume I know or can guess anything. TIA

robgul · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 July, 2023, 12:32:16 pm »

If he's anything like our grandson he'll get the idea pretty quickly . . . he had the benefit of riding with me, and his father, on a 3/4 mile private road with perfect tarmac with nil* traffic. What we found was that with longer runs on the road and riding side-by-side sorted his attention and excitement to manageable levels.

*no more than the very occasional tractor, perhaps once every 2 hours!

Ham · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 July, 2023, 04:54:21 pm »

Oh, he gets that idea, just lots of other ideas as well. I've been doing some side by side riding in the campsite, and he is good at stopping when told, or when a car is coming. But, without being solid about left and right added to the dubious decisions he takes, I'm wary. I was thinking of giving him challenges he could achieve as a way of improving control and retaining his interest.

It is fun seeing him pedal at about 200 cadence, head down, though

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 July, 2023, 05:37:04 pm »

You could always have at look at Bikeability levels and see where he fits in that

https://www.bikeability.org.uk/get-cycling/cycle-training-for-children/bikeability-level-1/

onerousdeporte · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 July, 2023, 07:18:48 pm »

Ice cream bribes when he is more observant?

D.A.L.E. · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 July, 2023, 07:56:27 pm »

I guess first step is ascertaining his FTP.

Ham · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 July, 2023, 10:28:18 pm »

Quote from: Lightning Phil on 30 July, 2023, 05:37:04 pm

You could always have at look at Bikeability levels and see where he fits in that

https://www.bikeability.org.uk/get-cycling/cycle-training-for-children/bikeability-level-1/

Well he smashes level 1, but at 4 he can't yet read "stop" - even if he was so inclined

Actually, a bike ride is enough of a bribe, he just loves his bike and it's lovely to see. If I've done one lap of the camp, I've done 25,453.

I'm sure he will get better as he gets older, learns left and right and all that, but he also loves challenge, so I was going to try to set up some thing he could enjoy. Honestly, and I have no qualms about being biased as hell, if he went into competitive cycling (and of course who the hell knows), I could easily see a straight line back to now.

onerousdeporte · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 July, 2023, 11:01:46 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 30 July, 2023, 10:28:18 pm

Quote from: Lightning Phil on 30 July, 2023, 05:37:04 pm
You could always have at look at Bikeability levels and see where he fits in that

https://www.bikeability.org.uk/get-cycling/cycle-training-for-children/bikeability-level-1/

Well he smashes level 1, but at 4 he can't yet read "stop" - even if he was so inclined

Actually, a bike ride is enough of a bribe, he just loves his bike and it's lovely to see. If I've done one lap of the camp, I've done 25,453.

I'm sure he will get better as he gets older, learns left and right and all that, but he also loves challenge, so I was going to try to set up some thing he could enjoy. Honestly, and I have no qualms about being biased as hell, if he went into competitive cycling (and of course who the hell knows), I could easily see a straight line back to now.

Is youngest diy 200 an audax award

jsabine · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 July, 2023, 11:34:46 pm »

Kids' club at Herne Hill? We've got friends (who admittedly live rather closer to the velodrome than you) whose now 5 year old loved it last year.
https://www.hernehillvelodrome.com/kids

Ham · « **Reply #9 on:** 31 July, 2023, 08:43:15 am »

Nice idea, Herne Hill is a non starter for us, really, but there might be something at Stratford or Hog Hill, too, but I'm guessing he needs to be a bit older.

I was really looking for something to do with him this week, while we have "roads" he can ride on. I'm not sure he will be audax material, unless he can win.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #10 on:** 31 July, 2023, 09:56:04 am »

Do an obstacle course - mix up some tight turns, a fast turn, a narrow point and a paint line to ride along, slalom, a point to stop on top of momentarily and then ride on without putting his feet down - then time him.

Ham · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 August, 2023, 07:14:53 pm »

I'm going to have a go at that, in the meantime I took him on a path round the corner from me which goes over the A406. A view here or from below or top, the path starts below road level, so about a 10m climb? over about 50m? so, 20% * Not exactly tough but stiffer than anything his little legs have tried on 16" single speed

He managed in one on his third try. Quote: "It makes you puff a bit doesn't it?"

And REALLY enjoyed going down

*ETA, I would have said it was more like 10%-ish so my estimates may be wrong

drossall · « **Reply #12 on:** 08 August, 2023, 10:42:53 pm »

I think I'd just look for railway trails and similar safe places, and do rides of reasonable length for the age that involve lots of ice cream stops.

lissotriton · « **Reply #13 on:** 08 August, 2023, 11:17:36 pm »

A pump track could be fun.

Ham · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 August, 2023, 04:33:59 pm »

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RwmvJzQiEcxwswo27

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TGg57p96qYEPxBfU9

One happy kid

drossall · « **Reply #15 on:** 30 August, 2023, 04:54:34 pm »

paton · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 September, 2023, 09:07:30 am »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrKMWfI81C4

T42 · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 September, 2023, 01:27:04 pm »

Ham · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 September, 2023, 11:53:30 am »

No way am I showing that video to Thomas, his mum would kill me. I have shown him Danny Macaskill vids, his response "I'll probably have to be 10 to do that"

vorsprung · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 September, 2023, 03:06:43 pm »

Down our way (Tiverton) there is more than one BMX park. Basically anywhere without traffic until it's ingrained that one always looks first

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #20 on:** 20 September, 2023, 12:15:38 am »

When the SmallestCub was about to do bikeability and we realised he'd be stuck in the playground and not allowed out on the road because he simply couldn't ride one-handed to indicate, the EldestCub took him to the nearby nature reserve with its many cycle paths and trees/bushes to practise, and invented a game of 'touch a leaf' then built up to 'pick a leaf' while riding. He was distracted by the leaf challenge from the worrying about one-handed riding, and cracked it within half an hour...

drossall · « **Reply #21 on:** 20 September, 2023, 09:58:55 am »

Brings back memories of Cycling Proficiency. I was nervous taking the left hand off the bars, and more confident with the right. I believe I asked the instructor if I could use that right-handed circling signal that drivers were meant to do when turning left (and having no indicators). That got short shrift.

I believe I've got that issue sorted since. And yes, I got the CP. But of course CP was always on the playground anyway, which was one of the issues with it (that's another story).

mzjo · « **Reply #22 on:** 20 September, 2023, 06:56:41 pm »

Quote from: drossall on 20 September, 2023, 09:58:55 am

Brings back memories of Cycling Proficiency. I was nervous taking the left hand off the bars, and more confident with the right. I believe I asked the instructor if I could use that right-handed circling signal that drivers were meant to do when turning left (and having no indicators). That got short shrift.

I believe I've got that issue sorted since. And yes, I got the CP. But of course CP was always on the playground anyway, which was one of the issues with it (that's another story).

It was a long time ago but I think that I had to do hand signals for my motorbike licence. I certainly wasn't allowed to use the mirror to look behind - turn your head and look them in the eye. I couldn't do it now, too much arthritis in the cervicals!

Back to the thread: my daughter is thinking of taking the little one (3, rising 4 but sized like a 6yr old) here https://www.farcycles.org.uk/ which is not too far from her. At the same time I am rebuilding the tandem and digging out the kiddicrank adaptor (project that has been over the horizon for a little while now) for use on french holidays. He has a towbar for his little bike in UK as well, although I don't think it has been put to use yet

ETA Our vélodrome in Limoges has these learning features inside

(sorry I didn't get all of the training track in but you'll all get the idea I hope). I don't know if this is standard. It's a pity that the track is managed by the départmental road-race committee who don't know the first thing about managing a cycle track so we have a 5bn€ public investment basically for warm training for a few road racers. The fact that it is 15-20kms out of town, accessible only by car and covered with a canopy that gets damn hot in summer doesn't help. Apparently we are going to host a competition in november, I shall try to be there if there is any advance notice!