Riding a Bike

Riding a bike for kids is just plain fun.

Learning to ride a bike is something taken
for granted and assumed will naturally happen
at a certain age and developmental level in
kids.

Learning to ride a bike for some kids who have
Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum or a corpus
callosum disorder is not always an easy skill.

Some kids who have ACC may not struggle with
learning to ride a bike.

Others may have varying degrees of difficulty
learning to master the art of riding a two-wheel
bike.

Some kids with ACC may struggle immensely with
riding a bike and even with being able to ride
a regular trike. My son, Matthew, is one of
those kids.

When Matthew was enrolled in public school he
was involved in an adaptive physical education
class. That is where my child learned how to
ride a Rifton adaptive trike.


Rifton Trikes. We love them!!

Why?

Because Rifton makes it possible for my child,
Matthew, who has complete Agenesis of the
Corpus Callosum to be able to ride a 'bike'
and have fun outside just like all the other
kids who ride bikes.

Watch Video

Rifton trikes come in three colors


and three sizes:

Rifton-Ranger (small trike)



Rifton-Rustler (medium trike)


Rifton-Wrangler (large trike)


and you have the option of choosing from any of
the three colors for any size trike:

Red


Blue


Electric Lime


Rifton offers two sizes of seats:


Rifton also offers two types of handlebars:




Loop handlebars



Conventional handlebars

Rifton trikes come with pedal straps-
(perfect for my child)


In addition you may choose from other accessories
to add to the trike.

Rifton trikes also provide great exercise opportunity
and can help to build muscle strength on top of being
kid friendly fun!

Your child may very well learn to ride a two-wheel
bike...with much practice and help. So keep on
turning those wheels and trying.

Below are some things I found that may be helpful:

"The Undersized Bike Approach

The ideal bike for learning to ride, whether for a child or a
deprived adult, is a bike that is "too small" for efficient
riding. For learning purposes, the rider should be able to
sit on the saddle with both feet flat on the ground and the
knees slightly bent. The bike can then be used as a hobby
horse or scooter, with the feet always ready to stop a fall.
It may even be useful to remove the pedals at first, so
that the feet can swing freely. Ideally, a bike for this
approach should have at least one hand brake, so that the
child can stop while using both feet for balance. A good
place to practice is on a grassy field, perhaps with a slight
downgrade.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult for parents to justify
the expense of a smaller bike that will be outgrown shortly,
so there is a constant temptation to buy a bike that is a bit
too large on the theory that the child will "grow into" it."
~by Sheldon Brown
Teaching Kids to Ride

In addition, there is an article in The Callosal Connection, Spring 2003 edition entitled: "Learning to Ride a Bike - One Step at a Time".
You can find the bike riding story (written by the mom of a child with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum) on Pages 3 and 4 of the link above.

If you have a child who you feel may benefit from
a Rifton adaptive trike, definitely talk with your
child's physical therapist for their professional
opinion and advice.

We got our first Rifton adaptive trike for Matthew
when he was in the beginning of grade school. We
were lucky to have help with a big portion of
funding for the trike and we paid the remaining
balance out-of-pocket.

Matthew is now using his second Rifton trike-one
size bigger (since he outgrew the small size)
and he still enjoys pedaling those pedals and
steering his way around our neighborhood with
Mom or Dad beside him.

Explore funding options for Rifton adaptive trikes
through your medical insurance, developmental
disabilities family support plans or other funding
opportunities that may be available.

I can personally recommend Rifton as I have dealt
with them. I find Rifton to be a wonderful
company that makes excellent adaptive trikes and
they have super customer service too.

I am happy to share with you our own experience
with Rifton trikes so if you have any questions just
E-Mail me.

More information about these adaptive trikes can
be found at Rifton.

Remember to be safe and wear a helmet.


Are you an adult with ACC who would like to comment
about your own experience with bike riding?

Does your child with ACC ride a bike? Do you have
any tips and suggestions for what worked to help
your own child learn to ride a two wheel bike?

Have you found other adaptive trikes or bikes that
work for your child?

Your comments are valuable and help other people.