When ICI/PRO member Kerri Fleisher showed me this video of her Kids Cycle class it was hard not to think "she may be on to something here..." I'm sure some will question the safety of small people on big bikes and I asked her about it. Kerri responded with ...
Safety is number one with me!! (Fun is number two!). I have my own kid in there! I would NEVER put a child on a bike unless I was 100% sure they were safe, and if I sense they are getting tired and losing form, I make them take a break. I teach 100% off the bike so I can give my undivided attention to the kids!
Amy and I would have jumped at the chance to have our two girls participate in this class, when they were that age. It's sad that we have blocked kids from enjoying this form of exercise.
So what would happen if there were Kid Sized Indoor Cycles? That fit them properly ... With some fun music, like Kerri uses ... And fun programing?
Watch the video and post a comment about how you could make this happen in your club or studio if you had the proper equipment.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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Kid-sized bikes with specific safety (minimum unremovable resistance to prevent leg speed). Also, I would be very strict on contraindications, and very cautious about cardiovascular impact for that age. Physical education for kids requires specific knowledge and understanding which I is not – to my knowledge – part of the common fitness education. What about having specific workshops for instructors?
I agree with the others that safety has to be number one and I like John’s idea of educating the instructors before they teach, maybe even a special certification would be in order. I personally would have my son in the class as well as I feel this is a GREAT way to get kids to exercise and have fun at the same time. My son though is only four and a bit to young still but he loves even at his age jumping on our spin bikes at our club and goes for a ride. He starts to talk as though he is teaching like his dad. Very cute!
Great work Kerri and I would love to help in any way I can.
I like John Chardonnens’ idea of having a minimum unremovable resistance, because I think the most dangerous thing is a fast moving flywheel and crank arms. One slip and they can easily fall and get whacked and seriously injured by the pedal, which isn’t going to stop. Another possibility is to have a minimally weighted flywheel, so it doesn’t gain so much momentum.
Obviously fit is a big issue. I personally cringe when I see small bodies on large bikes that don’t fit them.
It sounds like Kerri knows how to engage young kids. Kerri has commented in the Forum about what she does with them and it sounds like a lot of fun! That is a definite skill. I used to teach adult skiing, and occasionally I was called over to the kids ski school when they needed instructors – talk about challenging, I couldn’t wait for the day to get over and was exhausted with the mental aspect of it! I didn’t know how to keep them engaged and found a new respect for the kids instructors.
Classes would have to be short, and perhaps interspersed with other activities.
I agree with all of you about the unremovable resistance, and possibly a minimally weighted flywheel. That is the biggest learning curve when they first start riding! I am constantly walking around the room and making sure they are riding with resistance!
Joel, that is so great that your son is jumping on the bike! It’s amazing to see these guys “figure it out”! One of the kids in the video is 5, and was just a natural! His mom is a triathlete so I think it’s in the genes. I’ve also had about 5 or 6 kids this year that were training for a kid’s distance triathlon.
John, I understand and agree with your point about working with kids without specific training. It is indeed a special population. I have had past training working with kids as a camp counselor through college, and I have taken several classes on working with kids in fitness at IDEA conferences, although I haven’t found anything specific to cycling.
hmmmm, Kerri, maybe there is a niche for you there! Creating programs for IDEA and other organizations for younger kids that include cycling.
I teach a Teen spinning class in my studio They are 14yrs old
and personally I wouldn’t teach them any younger, at 14 They even find it hard to keep their hands on the handle bars and
concentate on proper form it is so important. I was cringing watching that video as I saw a lot of I C moves e.g knees going out to the side, one little one couldn’t even sit on the saddle with his feet on the pedals.
I agree there should be a special programe created for kids
and then it will be great.
I used to teach a spin class for ages 9 and up. We had very specific requirements that the child had to “fit” the bike. I would turn them away if they could not sit on the seat without their hips rocking. Proper form was a big part of the class. Some of these little guys are too small and cannot sit on the bike and pedal. That really concerns me. If we start them now, with improper technique and form, it will be that much more difficult to re-train them when they are older. It is a great form of exercise for kids, but must be done carefully and with great emphasis on proper fit.
There is in fact a very good children’s indoor bike made by Body Cycle (out of Canada I believe) called The Champ. I had one for my son that we would bring to my classes for him to ride. The age range for the bike is 6-12 years old. The bike is incredibly well built. The fit adjustments can be micro fit and include a fore and aft of the handle bar as well as the seat. Most importantly, The bike is NOT a fixed gear bike so the kids can stop pedaling just as they/we can on our outdoor bike. My son is now 14 and the bike was recently shipped to friends in Crested Butte CO for their 4 year old son to do the same as mine – go to class with his Dad.
I approached the clubs that I work with about the idea of a kids class and they nod with enthusiasm until they heard the cost of the bike which was no more than a traditional adult spin bike. The thought of making that investment all over again and then the storage in between class was to challenging for them. I think the Canadians are way ahead on this. I hope that Body Cycle is still around and making the bike. I tried to see if bodycycle.com is their site and it is not. Perhaps any ICI Pro folks in Canada can chime in. I could not say enough good things about the bike, the company and the durability over the six plus years that my son used it. The other neat thing we did was have him learn to clip in and out while riding on this bike before he rode outside with his Time Attack pedals. I think we saved a fall or two that he probably would have otherwise encountered.
The idea of permitting a child on an adult fixed gear spin bike has always troubled me for many of the reasons mentioned above.
Once a few clubs realize that the investment would payoff and the idea of some of the adverse winter weather places in the US could get kids in an afternoon class while Mom or Dad gets their workout at the same gym and the concept would have the potential to really take off.
Great idea and I wouldn’t try it unless the equipment was right. I’d want to influence children to learn something safe and beneficial in all respects. Did you hear one boy say “Oh, my knees hurt”? My gut says it shouldn’t be promoted until it can be done safely and we’re setting a good example.
I realize this is an old post, so I’m hoping you still check it! I think your kids cycling class is fantastic, and I have been running a very similar program for kids at schools across Canada for many years now. I solved the problem of bike sizing to make sure kids have a proper size bike every time, and wanted to share my experience and ideas to help you improve your program! Drop me an email at jkalef@gmail.com any time!