Bicycling

Sometimes I run across an invention that makes me proud to be and engineer. (Yes, Ian always a bit proud to be an engineer. It's okay that you are a little jealous.) Please visit the website at Lose the Training Wheels . Dr. Richard E. Klein at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and his wife, Marjorie Klein began working on making a bicycle that would teach children and adults that have had difficulty moving to a conventional two-wheeled bike due to mental or physical handicap. Their goal is to teach riding a bike without scary crashes and to increase the number of people that can learn and enjoy riding a two- wheeler.

This is the first Roller-Bike that the children begin on.

The next phase is a bike with the roller in the back. The rollers allow the rider to get the feel of balance without the fear of falling down.

Mr. Geek and our Middle Geek had the privilege of volunteering at one of the camps last week. It was such a rewarding experience, that Mr. Geek moved his schedule around to be able to return for another day. Middle Geek worked with the younger kids in the gym and bonded with a few boys close to his age. One boy insisted that MG ride on a bike right next to him and there were lots of hugs that day.

Any parent of a child will tell you that watching your child ride independently on two wheels is a big big day. Now think about if you had tried in some cases for years without success, or perhaps you thought that riding a bike was just one more activity that would be unachievable for your child, and then one day you see them riding free. Imagine the joy of these parents and kids!