Tuesday, July 15, 2014

instead of training wheels... a gyro for added balance and stability in kids first bikes and old people's last bikes


The secret is a quickly-spinning disc inside the front wheel, which uses gyroscopic force to automatically balance the small bike whenever it starts to wobble. For kids, it’s a way to learn how to ride a bike in an hour or two.

 But unlike using training wheels, it starts teaching the art of balance from the beginning; if you lean too heavily, the bike will tip over.

We found a sweet spot to provide a lot of stability to give the child confidence, which is sort of half the battle with kids learning to ride.”

Sometime next year, the company plans to introduce an adult version as well, intended mostly for older riders who have balance issues or those with disabilities.

 "So you would have an adult who might be more or less wobbly, depending on the speed and their abilities and their height, and the Jyrobike would automatically compensate for that until they become stable." The company is working on research now with the government in the Netherlands, where 70% of trips happen by bike.

(interesting... of course, getting a 3 wheeler first gets kids used to steering without dealing with the balance issue. Baby steps idea to learning to ride 101)

Found on http://www.fastcoexist.com/3031873/fund-this/no-more-training-wheels-this-bike-for-kids-just-wont-fall-over?utm_campaign=home&utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=exchange&partner=tumblr

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