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#21
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Tom wrote:
Trail-a-bike was the worst thing we could have done to my son. I think it set him back years. We had him on the thing when he was four years old, but he wouldn't touch his own bike until he was eight. On the TAB he didn't really have to pedal or balance. Dad did all the work. On top of that, his range was much further with me than he would ever have gotten on his own. I actually had to ban him from the TAB to get him to ride his own, and even that didn't work for a long time. YMMV!!!! Laura was 6. Mom had (has) a bum knee and dad was, well, a bum; neither parent could/would run alongside. I arrived for a visit, and we decided to go check out the Katy Trail (a few miles away from where they lived). Rented a tandem & TAB and had a blast. The following year I purchased a TAB and we tried it with my city bike, but then it became apparent that the solo girl (then 9) needed to be on a tandem. So I picked up the entire rig. (When we outgrew the TAB I went shopping and finally got my Counterpoint. Alright, documentation: http://home.earthlink.net/~veloise/CPOINT.HTM) Chilly October morning, we're riding 1-1/2 miles to pick up a newspaper "because that would be a waste of gasoline." TABber mentioned that she was cold. Captain explained, "that's because you're not pedalling enough." Suddenly a tailwind kicked in and our speed increased a good 2mph. TABbing taught the little girl how it feels to go fast (which she loves--a real amusement park junkie) and balancing. Not to mention shifting. We got to watch a mechanic jury-rig a bracket for her computer, so then she got to experience speed and distance. Not taught in schools. I do not see how increasing range, using a TAB, is a bad thing. Otherwise the kid rides circles up and down the block and only learns how to pop wheelies and jump curbs. My babes learned roadway positioning, the importance of visible clothing and other proper equipment, got to experience the fun of organized week-long camping tours with a couple thousand other folks, got to experience the women's locker room at an age when it did not matter, shared birthday cake with the folks in vendors' row, met lots of new people, etc. etc. I'm guessing it has more to do with the personality of the kid than anything. And perhaps the personality of the custodial adult as well. (I'm an avid cyclist, and that's the best thing I could pass along to my nieces.) HTH --Karen M. |
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#22
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Veloise wrote:
I do not see how increasing range, using a TAB, is a bad thing. In the case of my son, his preference for the TAB outweighed any desire to ride on his own. In his case, he never had to learn how to balance cause Dad took care of that on the front end. As long as he kept his wiggling to a minimum, he didn't have to worry about it. Maybe subconciously it helped, but I guess we'll never know. We went a years where he refused to ride his own bike, preferring the greater speed and range of the TAB. He wouldn't learn to ride his own ride until he was banned from the Alleycat. I'm guessing it has more to do with the personality of the kid than anything. And perhaps the personality of the custodial adult as well. (I'm an avid cyclist, and that's the best thing I could pass along to my nieces.) Probably some of that too. Recognizing that is one of the keys to parenting. Wish I could do it more often. Son is now 10 and is a dedicated mountain biker. Rides circles around his little BMX buddies. I like to think I was a positive influence in that regard. Different kids, different adults, different outcomes. Just wanted to point out that, at least in my house, the TAB turned out to be somewhat counterproductive. Funny, the guy I bought it from could never get his own kid to ride it. His son preferred the independence of his own ride. Tom |
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