A Lazy Dad's guide to teaching your child to ride a bicycle

or "How I taught my son to gain balance, on his own"

The earliest memories I have of riding a bicycle are of the 'Paramount' 16 inch bicycle with a long saddle and steel back support. I remember my dad running behind me teaching me to gain balance. Thanks to him, I learned about the confidence, mobility and independence that came with riding a bicycle, early in life. I would like to pass on the same to my son, I thought.

My son was five years old when we got him his first bicycle, a Maxit 14 inch. Little did I realize I had, in part, put a mental handicap of sorts on him by putting training wheels on the bike. A month passed, then two. He would never bring himself to take the weight off either the left or the right side training wheel. Wheels kept getting worn or broken.

A few days later, at Decathlon sports store, I saw,the "run and ride" or "push and balance" bicycles. These bicycles do not have a drive train on them. Built for 2-4 year olds, these are normal looking bikes without chain, sprockets and pedals. (What's a Balance Bicycle?) Children push the bicycle ahead by pushing back the ground with their feet, one foot a time alternately. Doing so teaches them to learn balance. It made sense. Without a parent or elder running behind them shouting instructions, the child will be free to pull up his instincts and likely learn balance faster. Unfortunately, I had already bought a bicycle and buying just for balance was impractical.

That evening, at home I read up about tricks to teach a child to gain riding balance. I couldn't find anything I was not already doing. Add to it, my work schedule made it tough to commit time everyday to the effort. For some very good reasons, my wife was not up to the task, even though she is a rider. I did not want to lose any more time either. That's when the 'lazy dad' in me kicked in to make everyone happy with a workable solution. It was time to get hands dirty, literally.

I removed the drive system completely. The bottom bracket, pedals, chain ring/sprocket and chain, the chain protector (it should be really called 'ankle joint protector'). I cleaned the bottom bracket of any residues and reset the wheel. Obviously, no training wheels either. My son did not like it one bit. He wanted all of those things right back on the bicycle. To him, it did not look like a bicycle. I spent the next evening teaching my son to get used to a bicycle without pedals. I needed to be around, I think, more because he now had a 'weird bicycle'. He needed to get used to lugging it around, first with me around him. After that I just let him be.

A week later, my son started demanding pedals back on his bicycle. He kept insisting it's time the pedals got back on. I was a little surprised. I knew this would teach him to balance, but a week (he probably used the bike only three or four times since) was too soon. That day again I went down to play with him and watch progress. I was pleasantly shocked to see my son had learnt to balance the bicycle. He had done it by himself and how quickly. The experiment, if you may, had worked!

Now, my son and I ride bicycles together.

PS: Pedals on not, please insist on always using a helmet while riding a bicycle. Theories and opinions aside, it's safe for children and adults alike.

A walk in the rain

It has been raining in Mumbai continuously for the last two nights. Sometimes a drizzle, sometimes a downpour, but unrelentingly on, the rain has kept at it.

This morning, it picked up pace with much louder pitter-patter. As I looked out beyond the balcony from the cozy living room with the cuppa in my hand I thought about the times, as kids, when we used to play in the rain. Busy life has a way of drawing you away from little pleasures like these. The itch to relive getting soaked in pelting water kept getting bigger.

So, I decided to take a walk in the rain. As if on a cue the rain turned into a downpour. As I stepped into the three inches of water on the concrete road, I noticed people going about their business as usual, on foot. No one seem to be particularly bothered. I was soaked to the core in no time.

There is a natural symmetry that comes with the rain. Water falling from corrugated rooftop sheets create umpteen number of little waterfalls all falling alongside each other, creating umpteen number of little puddles that get washed away in overflowing street water. Nature reminds you that she is all powerful.The underground drains were so flooded, the concrete covers were bobbing up and down in the water gushing from below.

The rain also brings alive sounds new to unaccustomed ears. I stood under a tree and could hear at least seven different water sounds; the pitter-patter of falling rain, the gushing from a water drain pipe into the water bubbling in the drain, water streaming down the street every now & then splashed about by a passing motorbike, slapping of the flip-flops of passers by, drops cracking on an abandoned plastic bag and the harmonic cycle of blobs crashing on to an inverted paint can. On the inverted paint can there was a different sound with every first, second and third drop, only to repeat the cycle of sounds thereafter, making you wonder what must be causing the drops to change size.

I was not the only one that thought a walk in the rain was all fun. There was a quartet of boys from a nearby slum  shouting and singing an undecipherable Bollywood number. Two on a bicycle kept goading the other two who were cartwheeling in ankle-deep water. I shouted in Hindi - Are you having fun in this rain? The boys on the bicycle shouted back in affirmation and flashed a beaming smile. I decided to let the camera phone rolled up in a plastic bag in my pocket remain inside. No point killing the phone even for a good shot.

We take some things for granted. We are too careful and protective of ourselves, maybe even a little inhibited. Walking in abandon in the rain offers a little escape from the life we spend ensconced in our cubbyhole apartments. There is a lot more fun in being a part of the rain than watching it from the living room. There is a sense of  liberation that comes from walking on the streets in soaked clothing, a feeling much distant from walking down the street in formal wear, watching out for and avoiding every little dirty puddle. I was smiling as passing vehicles created waves in their wake and the water kept lapping up to my shins.

After about an hour, I returned to my building and the security guard was beaming. He must have recognized my game. I thought maybe he was wondering what fun these people find walking soaked in heavy rain, or may be he was remembering his fun days in the rain.

As I waited outside my door, I was wondering what the reaction of my folks would be. My wife opened the door and gave me instructions on how to avoid getting the whole floor wet, including a side remark on washing my feet with Dettol water before getting under the shower.

Then, she asked how it had been. I said that I had had a lot of fun and saw new things. She said she would join me in the walk next time.