We are always being asked for bikes with stabilisers or if a bike can be fitted with stabilisers. Of course the answer is yes, we could do bikes with Stabilisers or fit stabilisers to probably just about anything, but there is good reasons why we don’t and all of the bikes we get in have the stabilisers removed and placed in the hidden box. Here are the reasons we think that stabilisers are not a good idea.
1. Stabilisers Don’t Teach A Child Balance
The whole point of stabilisers is to support the child as they’re learning to pedal their bike. When the stabilisers are eventually removed, the child will not be able to balance independently because they have become used to their support.
2. They Make The Bike Less Agile
Stabilisers prevent the natural lean of the bike while cornering which reduces the bike’s manoeuvrability. A bike steers by leaning and since the stabilisers hold the bike vertically, the rider can’t steer the bike as easily.
3. Stabilisers Teach Kids Bad Habits
Before the stabilisers are removed completely, people often raise the stabilisers upwards to help the child develop their balance. With only one stabiliser on the ground, the bike will often lean the wrong way in a corner and jerk around as it tips from side to side. The child will naturally shift their weight the opposite way to counteract, something that will need to be re-trained as they progress to a normal bike.
4. The Little Wheels Can’t Be Used On Uneven Ground
Stabilisers will only keep the bike upright if they are on a flat, smooth surface. Gravel, rocky paths or soggy grass will cause the tiny plastic wheels to get stuck. Likewise, if the surface is banked to one side, the bike will easily topple over. This limits the terrain that your child can ride on and hinder their little adventures.
5….Other Drawbacks
Stabilisers add extra cost, weight and complexity. They’re also cumbersome, ugly, noisy and flimsy (one regularly bends more than the other so the bike leans more on one side). Once you’re finished with them they’ll go to the landfill or might even land in our hidden box.
The one exception to our non supportive approach to stabilisers is if there is an underlying health condition where the rider cannot balance or has limited mobility that prevents them from riding a standard bike such as balancing or pedalling.
Stabiliser graduates still have to learn the primary skill of balancing with a sudden transition from being supported to unsupported, which can result in wobbles, crashes and loss of confidence. Of course there is a much better alternative to stabilisers, a modern and fun way of learning, gaining essential skills described above before we even get used to pedals. Give a Balance Bike a try. Our qualified cycle trainers can provide learn to ride sessions using our balance bikes to teach essential skills before progressing onto one of our lightweight squish pedal bikes, please contact us or ask in store to reserve your place. 
