Why training wheels are a hinderance!
Quite often when we are out at shows letting little tackers ride our bikes, wearing our beautiful helmets we chat to parents who say "do you see the training wheels to add to your beautiful bikes?". At first I would ask them to repeat the question, but as time has gone on I have realised that more and more parents or grandparents don't really understand the concept of a balance bike, or really have never seen them before here in Australia.
The short explanation is that training wheels give a child a false sense of security, yes it feels great to see them peddle of and spin around while those two tiny wheel on the back of the bike counter balance them, but what are you actually teaching them? That you will always stay upright on the bike no matter what, and NOT how to balance naturally. What our balance bikes teach them is how to control their bodies when they over steer, go round a corner or get the wobbles. Also how to put their foot down naturally to keep that bike upright. All things that we as older people don't remember learning how to do, but are essential in teaching a child co-ordination.
So although it would be nice to take a photo of your little one burning around the park on their new fan-dangled bike (with training wheels) and post it on social media, if you put a little bit of hard work and patience in on getting them riding a balance bike, you will have a happier child in the long term.
Having a Australian Safety Standard on helmets IS important!
You may have been looking around for a new helmet for yourself or your little one, gets a bit confusing doesn't it? Confused about why some have a safety standard and why others don't? Well here it is in a simple sum up. Helmets that have the AUS/NZ 2063 safety standard have been tried and tested by a independent body to give the utmost protection to the wearer. In Australia and New Zealand it is law for all persons who are riding a bike to wear a helmet that holds the safety standard. It is in the best interest of the wearer that you check this before you purchase a helmet. If the helmet hasn't got a AUS/NZ Safety Standard Sticker, this helmet has more or less just been manufactured and sent out into the world without any testing, so in other words you don't really know that it is going to stand up to the test if a accident should occur. The scary thing is that any old factory (or new) in any part of the world could slap a helmet together, sell it on a website and unfortunately you might as well not be wearing a helmet at all.
Be sensible, you only get one noggin, you can't replace it, so protect it with the safest possible helmet you can, make sure you buy a AUS/NZ safety standard marked helmet.
And P.S, you can only get a AUS/NZ standard helmet from an Australian Retailer, international seller may claim that they meet the safety standard, but I bet my bottom dollar when you get that helmet in the post, it won't have that all important safety sticker in it! Shop Local.
