# The Gyrowheel



## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

This past weekend we had a site with a nice asphalt road in front for the DD to practice riding. I just got some new training wheels on there as the old ones broke.

Well... it got to the point where the dumb thing was put (more like thrown) in the back of the truck for the rest of the weekend. This was right after the first aid kit was put away.

After looking around this morning, I found this... the Gyrowheel. OMG! How cool is this. It's not shipping until 12/1 but I'm going to check this out. Kids are learning to ride in 1 hour with this on compared to weeks of training wheels.


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

Rob_G said:


> This past weekend we had a site with a nice asphalt road in front for the DD to practice riding. I just got some new training wheels on there as the old ones broke.
> 
> Well... it got to the point where the dumb thing was put (more like thrown) in the back of the truck for the rest of the weekend. This was right after the first aid kit was put away.
> 
> After looking around this morning, I found this... the Gyrowheel. OMG! How cool is this. It's not shipping until 12/1 but I'm going to check this out. Kids are learning to ride in 1 hour with this on compared to weeks of training wheels.


Where was this 8 years ago when I taught my son how to ride?


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

And another millionar is born.

Carey


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

Another opportunity to experience risk taking is gone. A few bumps and scrapes are OK (admittedly they can be frightening to both the kid and parent but understanding consequences of risk taking is not a bad thing necessarily). I guess I'd rather my kids have the opportunity to understand a bike crash at 2mph so they don't take unnecessary risks at 35mph. Preventing failures has its own consequence.

A very cool invention though, I must admit.

BBB


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Wonder if there is a learning curve with the gyrowheel off ???


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

BigBadBrain said:


> Another opportunity to experience risk taking is gone. A few bumps and scrapes are OK (admittedly they can be frightening to both the kid and parent but understanding consequences of risk taking is not a bad thing necessarily). I guess I'd rather my kids have the opportunity to understand a bike crash at 2mph so they don't take unnecessary risks at 35mph. Preventing failures has its own consequence.
> 
> A very cool invention though, I must admit.
> 
> BBB


I disagree. Kids will still get hurt. Kids need to learn failure and need to learn how to get back up when they fall down. It still falls... albeit a bit more slowly. It's not about the falling part for me. It the ineffectiveness of training wheels.

I just think the whole concept of training wheels doesn't work to well. You can't effectively (note the keyword there) teach someone to ride on 2 wheels when you have 4. Also, because a kid has no clue, centrifugal force pulls them to the outside of a turn as they make it. The training wheel just stops the fall, which usually doesn't work too well in the first place. It's not training anything, it's just a crutch. Now after weeks of this, sure, a kid learns to "lean into" the turn. I just don't think it's an effective training tool.

This.... you start on 2 wheels, you finish on 2 wheels.

I see your point on helicopter parents who have to wrap their precious little cupcakes in bubble wrap before they go blow bubbles. That's ridiculous. I just don't think that this follows that line.


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

Sayonara said:


> Wonder if there is a learning curve with the gyrowheel off ???


You mean other than the fact that the bike will only have one wheel!?!?


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Rob_G said:


> I disagree. Kids will still get hurt. Kids need to learn failure and need to learn how to get back up when they fall down. It still falls... albeit a bit more slowly. It's not about the falling part for me. It the ineffectiveness of training wheels.
> 
> I just think the whole concept of training wheels doesn't work to well. You can't effectively (note the keyword there) teach someone to ride on 2 wheels when you have 4. Also, because a kid has no clue, centrifugal force pulls them to the outside of a turn as they make it. The training wheel just stops the fall, which usually doesn't work too well in the first place. It's not training anything, it's just a crutch. Now after weeks of this, sure, a kid learns to "lean into" the turn. I just don't think it's an effective training tool.
> 
> ...


I certainly agree that "Training Wheels" are misnamed. They are "wheels to allow a young child to ride on a bicycle before they can pedal steadily and balance it." My DS decided one day that he wanted his off. He had been resistant to the idea prior to this day, but we told him he couldn't get a kickstand until he lost the training wheels. He spent 20 minutes trying and did fairly well. After his first crash, he asked for them back on. In the meanwhile the 1 year older neighbor boy saw that someone younger was taking his training wheels off. He had his off in 10 minutes and never went back. The next day when my DS saw him without training wheels, off his came again. So basically, the only two things the two boys needed were A: the confidence, and B: Peer pressure. If this adds confidence, then great, but like Sayonara mentioned, I'd bet there's a second learning curve when you take the gyroscope off.


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

Nathan said:


> I disagree. Kids will still get hurt. Kids need to learn failure and need to learn how to get back up when they fall down. It still falls... albeit a bit more slowly. It's not about the falling part for me. It the ineffectiveness of training wheels.
> 
> I just think the whole concept of training wheels doesn't work to well. You can't effectively (note the keyword there) teach someone to ride on 2 wheels when you have 4. Also, because a kid has no clue, centrifugal force pulls them to the outside of a turn as they make it. The training wheel just stops the fall, which usually doesn't work too well in the first place. It's not training anything, it's just a crutch. Now after weeks of this, sure, a kid learns to "lean into" the turn. I just don't think it's an effective training tool.
> 
> ...


I certainly agree that "Training Wheels" are misnamed. They are "wheels to allow a young child to ride on a bicycle before they can pedal steadily and balance it." My DS decided one day that he wanted his off. He had been resistant to the idea prior to this day, but we told him he couldn't get a kickstand until he lost the training wheels. He spent 20 minutes trying and did fairly well. After his first crash, he asked for them back on. In the meanwhile the 1 year older neighbor boy saw that someone younger was taking his training wheels off. He had his off in 10 minutes and never went back. The next day when my DS saw him without training wheels, off his came again. So basically, the only two things the two boys needed were A: the confidence, and B: Peer pressure. If this adds confidence, then great, but like Sayonara mentioned, I'd bet there's a second learning curve when you take the gyroscope off.
[/quote]
Going from on to off... sure... I bet that would be a heck of a curve. That's the beauty of this, there's a variable speed setting that provides 3 diff speeds... High/Med/Low/Off. As the confidence is there, you have the ability to slow the speed down to put more of the skill to work.


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## JerseyGirl86 (Mar 30, 2009)

I see your point on helicopter parents who have to wrap their precious little cupcakes in bubble wrap before they go blow bubbles. That's ridiculous. I just don't think that this follows that line.
[/quote]

HEY!







That's not nice!







I'm a helicopter parent and proud of it! Although I've never heard of that before, I'm positive I must be offended by it!









(Just extra love, that's all)


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## OregonCampin (Mar 9, 2007)

Well heck - doesn't everyone learn the way I did? My older siblings put me on a bike and "pushed" me down the road - I only came to a stop when I ran into the neighbors house.


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## webeopelas (Mar 11, 2006)

Definitely a cool device, but all I did was lower my son's seat until he could get his feet flat on the ground and then had him scoot around for awhile.

Then had him push really hard and glide, then glide and turn etc.

Took him two sessions to start pedaling. I had fought for weeks with training wheels and he was really no longer interested in trying anymore.

This got him riding in no time.


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## luckylynn (Jan 9, 2007)

Rob_G said:


> This past weekend we had a site with a nice asphalt road in front for the DD to practice riding. I just got some new training wheels on there as the old ones broke.
> 
> Well... it got to the point where the dumb thing was put (more like thrown) in the back of the truck for the rest of the weekend. This was right after the first aid kit was put away.
> 
> After looking around this morning, I found this... the Gyrowheel. OMG! How cool is this. It's not shipping until 12/1 but I'm going to check this out. Kids are learning to ride in 1 hour with this on compared to weeks of training wheels.


This is a pretty good thing........DD and DH "built" one for our grandson.He is 4 now and can ride his *Big Boy* bike but does Not like to. He says he can go fast on his little bike,but we all know it is because he doesn't like to peddle.He would never peddle his trik or his peddle car...









He did learn to ride fast without lots of falls.


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