ArticleJournal of functional morphology and kinesiology2024
Learning to Cycle: Why Is the Balance Bike More Efficient than the Bicycle with Training Wheels? The Lyapunov's Answer.
Article in Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Biomechanical Effects of the MIND&GAIT Exercise Program on Sit-to-Stand and Marching in Place Motor Coordination in Institutionalized Older Adults: Implications for Functional Stability.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Factors influencing caster board skill acquisition.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesRiding a bicycle is a foundational movement skill that can be acquired at an early age. The most common training bicycle has lateral training wheels (BTW). However, the balance bike (BB) has consistently been regarded as more efficient, as children require less time on this bike to successfully transition to a traditional bike (TB). The reasons for this greater efficiency remain unclear, but it is hypothesized that it is due to the immediate balancing requirements for learners. This study aimed to investigate the reasons why the BB is more efficient than the BTW for learning to cycle on a TB.
methodsWe compared the variability of the child-bicycle system throughout the learning process with these two types of training bicycles and after transitioning to the TB. Data were collected during the Learning to Cycle Program, with 23 children (6.00 ± 1.2 years old) included. Participants were divided into two experimental training groups, BB (N = 12) and BTW (N = 11). The angular velocity data of the child-bicycle system were collected by four inertial measurement sensors (IMUs), located on the child's vertex and T2 and the bicycle frame and handlebar, in three time phases: (i) before practice sessions, (ii) immediately after practice sessions, and (iii), two months after practice sessions with the TB. The largest Lyapunov exponents were calculated to assess movement variability.
conclusionsResults supported the hypothesis that the BB affords greater functional variability during practice sessions compared to the BTW, affording more functionally adaptive responses in the learning transition to using a TB.
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