United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello,

My daughter is learning how to ride a bike w/out training wheels and her left hand and fingers do not open so her hand keeps slipping off the handlebar. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep her on hand on the handlebar?

This is a great job for your OT to help you with.
Find out if they have a bike at therapy or if you can bring your daughter's bike to therapy so that they can figure this out together. Whatever it is, has to be safe for your daughter in time of a bike emergency.

(my first reaction was to recommend having a splint made that would fit over the handlebar - but when I tried to visualize it, I thought about a fall and how she might not be able to get her arm off in time....)

good luck!

Jojo rides with one hand. I also thought about the splinting thing, but what if he falls?? That could be ugly.

Jordan is 9 and still can't ride a 2 wheeler. First it was because of his grip. The real problem for him, however, is his very off sense of balance. He's making strides this summer, though!

I prefer to ride one-handed with my BPI arm in a sling. I want it out of the way just in case.

I've only fallen twice in 11 years, and managed to keep the arm safe this way.

I only figured out how to ride a two-wheeler at age 9 (nearly 10), b/c I was not able to balance properly. I have full use of my hand/wrist, but still could not balance on a bike.

Use pedal breaks too, not hand breaks...

Frankie learned one handed we tryed velco grips but when he had to turn the bike to the right his left arm was not long enough also the whole falling with the hand straped to the bike not a good idea we were lucky stopped after 1st try and nothing bad happened. just do like with any other child hold the back till they feel balanced and then let go. one handed stuff does not feel natural to a two handed person but one handed stuff comes natural to most kids born with bpi because they never learn with two hands. Mare
PS watch your toes Frankie always managed to run mine over

Andrea:
years ago I was told of an excellent way to teach bike riding. My three older kids learned this way, and Juliana (lobpi) learned this way too...only her oldest sister taught her (hehee).

Put the bike seat low enough that the child can sit on the bike with both feet flat on the ground. (some people actually take the pedals off, i never did). Tell your daughter to hold on (one handed is fine) and just push with her feet, one foot than the next. Just a couple of pushes. Then do more. Do this until she is really propelling the bike. NOTE: DO NOT HOLD ONTO THE BIKE, IF THEY GET TIPPY, THEY PUT THEIR OWN FEET DOWN. Once she has the feet going, you tell her to go push, push, glide. The glide can be one second. Then stop. Keep doing push, push, glide until she can glide for a good distance and stops the bike easily with her feet on the ground. Now, raise the seat (btw, we always kept Juliana's seat a little low) to a normal height and have her push, push, glide for a while. Bike riding is about balance. You have just taught her balancing on a bike. Now let her try pedalling. If she is too tippy, lower the seat height and work more on the push, push glide.

My kids (Juliana included and she had major balance issues) all learned to ride a two-wheeler this way.

have fun biking!

claudia