Bike Review: Wooden Balance Bike

I was intrigued when I first saw the design of the wooden balance bikes a few years ago.  Unlike their American counterparts, the European balance bikes lack pedals, and instead of focusing on the locomotion skills associated with turning the cranks of a bicycle drive train, the balance bikes focus on developing equilibrium.  Their design is simple, and focuses on teaching children how to balance on two wheels.  Last year I purchased one for my son, and I've found it to be excellent for teaching Alex the fundementals of riding a bike.  

I bought the bike at a specialty toy store in Amsterdam while on vacation with my wife.  I knew that the vacation would be a bit of a bike fest for us (me!), as Amsterdam is so bike friendly.  I took more photos of the dutch bikes than anything else, and we even rented a tandem bicycle to ride around town for an afternoon.  While walking around town, we noticed one of the wooden balance bikes in a toy store, and we inquired the price, availability, etc.  I liked the model that they had available, and it seemed to be a quality bike from what I could tell of the parts and construction.  We were quoted 65 euro, and since we hadn't really shopped around for these bikes, we decided to do some comparison shopping.  While continuing our tour around Amsterdam for a bit we came upon a bike shop, and I noticed some of these wooden balance bikes inside. We walked in and found that the bikes were very similar to the ones we saw at the toy store a few minutes before, and we inquired about the price.  The shop employee quoted us a price, which I misheard as 75 euro.  I turned to my wife and said, "that's 10 more than the toy store".  She quickly corrected me, stating "they just said it was 175 euro, not 75!"  thanks for the clarificaiton!  Quickly realizing that the wooden balance bike at the toy store was a particularly good deal, we ran back and purchased one.  The salesman at the toy store told us that the wooden balance bikes they carry usually quickly sell out after they receive them.  Considering what the bike shops were selling these bikes for, we understood why!  So, with our bike in hand, we headed back to the hotel to drop it off, so we weren't (or more precisely, I wasn't) carrying it around all day.  

Fast forward a bit...  when we brought it home, Alex was happy to have a gift from our trip (he stayed with Grandma and Grandpa).  I assembled the bike, with Alex watching the whole time, and he got to check it out that day.  Initially, he was unsure about the bike, with the size/fit an immediate problem.  At the time Alex was quite a bit shorter than he is now, and he was barely able to straddle the bike with the bike's seat at it's lowest setting.  Regardless, he was excited to have it, and instead of riding it he would push it around without straddling it, both in the house and outside.  Initially I was concerned about him not straddling the bike, but he eventually got comfortable enough (and big enough) with the bike to straddle it and walk around with it.  

Since these training bikes lack pedals, the kids can walk or run with the bike, developing their sense of balance as they run and glide.  After watching him develop on this european training bike, I see now that the typical American kid's bike is probably too overwhelming for new riders.  Specifically, I think the pedals/drivetrain and the act of balancing are probably too much for kids to take on at one time.  The act of balance is probably the most difficult aspect of learning to ride a bike, when compared to the skill of pedaling.  So it's a lot easier for the child to just focus on balancing the bike as they run and walk, a method of locomotion they are already well aquainted with prior to starting on these bikes.  I think this makes it easier for a kid to learn how to ride a bike.  I've witnessed this watching Alex on his wooden balance bike.  

As Alex became more comfortable and confident with the bike he was gradually able to go from walking to running with it.  It was at this point that Alex started to develop balance.  He quickly learned that he could lift his feet and coast after running with the bike, experiencing the sensation of balancing on two wheels.    

A couple of things may have helped him learn balance.  First, I would ride my mountain bike along side him.  I dropped my seat post height as low as it could go, and along with the relatively small frame size associated with my off road bike, I was able to imitate the fit of his bike. I could be seated while having my feet planted firmly on the ground.  These minor adjustments to my bike allowed me to shuffle around on my bike in a way that was similar to his balance bike, allowing me to demonstrate walking and running with the bike, as well as the ability to pick up the feet and balance the bike while moving.  Second, our parco has garden area with a couple of small, gradual descents that were also very helpful.  These descents allowed him to coast for longer periods of time as he became more comfortable going fast on the bike.  Coasting on these gradual descents allowed him to experience the sensation of balancing for a longer period of time.  

The video above was recorded a few months after he began riding the wooden balance bike, and there are a few moments where you can see he is quite comfortable and capable of balancing on two wheels.  

Alex's bike has held up well under his use and abuse.  He has ridden quite a bit since we brought it home last summer.  He really enjoys taking it outside, but he also has fun riding it (well, walking pretty slowly) in the house. All the parts and components of the bike have held up well.  The bike is made primarily of laminated wood and held together by a series of bolts and fasteners.  The simple construction makes for a durable product.  His particular bike is painted in police colors, well, Dutch Politie colors actually.  Some of the design features that I like include the integrated carry handle in the frame, the adjustable seat, and the wall-saving bumper equipped handle grips.  The frame's integrated handle makes it easy to pick up the bike and carry it, which has been necessary a few times when walking a fussy rider back to the house for his daily nap.  The handle is situated near the bike's center of gravity, making it very easy to carry (particularly helpful while dealing with a wild child).  The adjustable seat has been great, extending the life of the bike.  Granted, with the speed at which Alex is growing, this bike may not last much longer.  It is designed for age 3-6.  Alex just turned three, and we had to raise the seat to the top and final position! 

The final feature that's proved useful was a bit of a surprise to me: the handle grips.  I typically don't notice handle grips much, not even on my own bike, as they are typically just a soft grippy bit of rubber on the handlebar.  There's not much to like about them, they just do their job, right?  Well, the grips that came with his wooden balance bike have large rubber bumpers on the end to protect the bike and his hands and the things that it may (will!) rest on and crash into.  The bumpers have no doubt saved the walls at our house, as well as protecting the wooden handlebar and Alex's hands from being hurt when scraping or crashing into walls.  

This bike has been a wonderful way for Alex and I to enjoy the outdoors, and an excellent way for him to learn to ride a bike.  

Riding with the Carbonari

I’m living the dream. As a lover of mountain bikes, pizza, and great wine, I couldn’t have it any better. Two thousand nine found me moving half way around the world to Naples, Italy where I’d be working the next three years. I was excited to live in Europe, and as a cyclist, interested to find out about biking opportunities in Italy.

il gruppo di Carbonari

Before moving to Italy, I discovered some interesting videos created by a Neapolitan bike group while searching the internet. These videos were created by the Carbonari, a mountain bike club based out of Naples, Italy. Their videos featured Urban Assault on full suspension mountain bikes through the mean streets of Naples. They also had numerous videos of them riding in the mountains in/around Naples, including Mt. Vesuvius! Needless to say, I was excited to ride in Italy. 

Without much difficulty, I found the group’s website, and sent an email asking to become a member. Marcello and Salvatore, the group’s founders and organizers readily accepted me. I looked forward to meeting them, and as I began the long process of moving to Europe, I continued to follow the group’s rides through the photos, maps, and videos they posted.

Upon arriving in Italy it took me a few months to get set up, at home and on the bike. During this time I got to explore southern Italy a bit, enjoy the Italian food and wine, too. I got out mountain biking on my own, locally on the volcanic island of Ischia, and further north in the Dolomite Mountains around Lago di Garda, and the Alps near Garmisch, Germany. The Carbonari weren’t riding as a group during the summer, to avoid the heat. By late summer, though, the Carbonari had put together their fall riding schedule.

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Mondragone

My first ride with the Carbonari was along the Mediterranean coast in Mondragone. We rode for over 7 hours, climbing up and over the mountain twice that day. While the heat and the mountain took its toll, I was invigorated by the awesome view of the Mediterranean Sea.

The first of many climbs at Mondragone

The trails were mostly jeep trails, with one exception: a strip of singletrack about 4 km long that traced downhill toward the Mediterranean below. Oddly enough, the trail was also being used by a boy on a Vespa scooter, despite the rough conditions of the trail. This single track descent lead to the far side of the mountain range. Once there, we took a short break at a small coffee bar. I grabbed some water, because I thought it was better to be safe than sorry, as I didn’t know if we were in for much more riding. And were we ever!

We climbed Monte Mondragone for the second time. We waited for over a half hour for the group to reassemble at the top, giving me an opportunity to try to get to know some of the folks. I had trail mix with me, a simple mixture of dried fruit and nuts that I put together before the ride. As the group started collecting at the top of the mountain, I soon discovered that the trail mix was very popular, as there were quite a few riders in need of an energy boost.

I was able to gain the respect of my fellow riders, not through my ability to converse, as my Italian was still very basic, but instead through positive attitude and good deeds on a particularly hot, hard mountain bike ride. The organizers, Marcello and Salvatore, seemed to appreciate my positive attitude. The beautiful Mediterranean, visible from the various points of our ride, helped keep a smile on my face.

Once the group reassembled, we were off. We continued along some winding trails, many of which appeared to be high altitude pasture, judging by the clumps of dung lying around. We had to cross a series of barbed wire fences, passing the bikes over the top and walking through the small pedestrian gate. Quite the adventure! There was a great sense of community and team work for the entire route!

The final descent back to the trailhead was a mad dash, with the entire group starting all at once. The crowded, fast descent mimicked the automobile traffic of Naples. Needless to say the downhill was fun and fast, and riding in a massive pack heightened the challenge. What a blast!

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Cassino

My second ride with the Carbonari was at Cassino. The mountainous terrain around Cassino was the site for a tremendous battle in WW2, and provided excellent terrain for a great mountain bike ride. The ride was on a beautiful fall day. It was perfect riding weather--a slight breeze brought the scent of sage and pine to the air.

That ride found us climbing for about three hours up pine tree lined gravel roads. As we climbed we passed a series of technical ‘stunts’ that a couple of the riders successfully negotiated. These stunts included ladders and jumps hidden just off the fire road in among the pine trees. Once we reached the top, we took a short lunch break, and pointed downhill into some of the best singletrack I’ve ever ridden. We descended for over an hour on the fast and technical singletrack, twisting our way down the mountain. We eventually started seeing more civilization, riding through small Italian villages--a sign that the ride was coming to an end.

After we made it back to the trailhead and packed up the cars, we drove down into Cassino for pranzo, or lunch. We met at what initially appeared to be a small coffee bar. It turned out that this small place could really put on a spread! We enjoyed a wonderful meal of mozzarella di bufala, pasta, french fries, a plate of assorted meats, and dessert followed by café (espresso). The ride took about 4 hours; the meal took about two hours. What an excellent way to finish the day: calories replenished!

KML and GPX trail files of Monte Cassino
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Parco di Ulissi

The third ride with the Carbonari was in Formia, just up the coast from Naples. Our course took us through Formia and Gaeta, in the area known as Parco di Ulissi, or the Park of Ulysses. The riding featured singletrack, fire roads, and the paved streets of Gaeta. At the trailhead we started a short climb, weaving through the some great singletrack in the forest. After taking a short break at the top of the hill for the customary group photo, we started downhill toward the Mediterranean coast. Half way into the descent the trail emerged from the shady forest into the expansive green hillside with an amazing view of the sea. My eyes were filled with the expanse of blue in every direction--and all this while riding some great singletrack! Awesome!

Our next stop was at an old Roman port located in the park. The piers and steps are still intact, and we took some photos of the ruins. It was interesting to see that the local Italians that I was riding with were as impressed as I was with the Roman antiquities. After the port, we continued riding through the park on the various single and double tracks that were scattered about. We eventually reached a sheer cliff along the sea, where we stopped at an old Roman fort for another quick photo break.

The ancient Roman Port at Parco Ulissi

After the break, we continued through the park toward Formia and Gaeta. The pace really picked up on the road. Despite what many think about Italian drivers (they are a bit crazy), they are actually very respectful of cyclists. Needless to say our large group successfully navigated the streets of Formia and Gaeta without mishap. Once we passed through the center of Gaeta, we started climbing Monte Orlando, a large mountain in Gaeta that rests on the end of the peninsula that creates the town harbor. As we climbed the paved route to the top we took a couple of photo breaks, taking full advantage of the terrific view of Gaeta and the Mediterranean Sea from the heights of Monte Orlando. We continued on and took a lunch break on the top, where we all enjoyed whatever picnic we had packed. I noticed some of the riders eating traditional mozzarella di buffala and prosciutto sandwiches, which looked a lot more appealing than my peanut butter and jelly. We took another group photo in front of the large circular Mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus, who I later learned was an advisor to Augustus Ceasar. All sorts of Roman history on this ride!

After lunch and the group photo, we pointed our bikes downhill to enjoy the singletrack that lay just off the paved and gravel road that lead us up to the top. We weaved down a couple technical sections, only to head up the mountain again to enjoy a couple more routes. Monte Orlando has plenty of trails, and we explored almost all of them, with the resulting GPS track looking a bit like my favorite pasta. Eventually we wound down the opposite end of the mountain on a gravel fire road. As we rode the switchback downhill, it was hard not to take in the view below of Gaeta, Castle Angioino-Aragonese, and the Mediterranean. As we continued downhill, the landscape soon changed from forested mountain to the old city landscape of Gaeta, with the gravel fire road turning to cobble stone street. Once at the bottom, we took another break: for gelato, the Italian ice cream. I love riding in Italy!

After the gelato, we hit the road back to Formia and Parco Ulissi, where our cars were parked. An excellent ride, and I left looking forward to all the future rides and good times with the Carbonari.

KML and GPX trail files of Parco Ulissi and Monte Orlando

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Italians are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, and the Carbonari are no exception. I’ve reflected many times on how quickly the group accepted me, a foreigner, into their club. I suspect that a foreigner would not be so quickly welcomed in any social club in Northern Europe or the US. I’ve learned a lot from living and riding with the Italians, and I believe the Italians are onto something by being so loving and accepting of others. While I’ve experienced many cyclists in the US being judgemental about performance, type of cycling, and type of bicycle, it’s interesting to ride with the Carbonari, a cycling group of differing skills and equipment, and to see them all get along, even on difficult rides. It’s clear that Italians focus on enjoying life, and the Carbonari are about having a good time on their mountain bikes. Not only has the Carbonari shown me quite a bit of Italy, but they have reminded me of the basic joy that cycling brings. And that this joy can be shared, even without a shared language.

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Carbonari

Be sure to check out the Carbonari’s website for group information, ride schedule, trail information in both Google Earth and GPS files, as well as photos and videos of their exploits at:www.carbonaribikers.com. Even if just to see how great the riding in Italia really is! Ciao!

Giro di Italia

Today I got to see my first professional bike race, and it was the 100th Anniversary of the Giro di Italia (Ride of Italy). First impresstions: I was overwhelmed with how fast the racers were riding, and equally impressed with how tight of a formation they could hold in the Peleton. There must have been close to 100 riders in the span of the average city bus. What was interesting about the experience, though, was how underwhelming it was... Remember the scene from Indiana Jones (raiders of the lost arc) where an arab swordsman threatens Indy for at least a minute, with intricate sword swirls and such? And Indy just shoots him... All that lead up for a split second, and undramatic finish. Well, ditto for the race. We get off the highway, near our house, and see a crowd formed up where the Poliza have cordoned off the street that they'll be racing on. As time goes by, a number of Poliza cars race by, ensuring the route is clear, and a few vans selling official 'Giro di Italia' t-shirts cruise by. The crowd continues to grow, with an increasing number of the locals buying shirts and such from the 'Giro' vans driving by. To add to the suspense, the crowd down the way starts cheering, just to see an old italian man riding his beater of a bike down the street. Ha! That 'Gotcha' happens a few times. Finally, team vehicles start cruising by, one of the most impressive being the Mavic (French wheel maker) vehicle: an all yellow sports-stationwagon (they don't have these in the States, unfortunately) with all yellow Cannondale racing bikes featuring all yellow Mavic wheels and all yellow seats/saddles. Looked like a chariot of gold. Then more Poliza cars and motorcycles. Then the lead group of cyclists race by, about 20 or so, with the crowd going nuts. About 3 seconds behind the lead group is the main body of the racers. I look frantically for Lance Armstrong in both groups, however my eyes and brain are not able to sort visual data as quickly as the group of cyclist ride by...as all this occurs in less than, oh, 10 seconds. Everyone then hopped in their cars, as the surrounding areas roads had become a parking lot. The area cleared out very quickly; it would have taken at least a half an hour in the states for the drivers to clear the area, but the Italians were able to get back to 'normal' very quickly. Simply amazing to see. Crazy how underwhelming it was, because of the speed involved, and my small perspective of the race. So many kilometers, and I saw mearly a few hundred meters of it. Overall, the experience was great. I'll be there again next year!