Bike Camp Days 1 and 2

Madeline is doing awesome at “Lose the Training Wheels” Bike Camp hosted by the Evansville Easter Seals!!  Lose the Training Wheels is an organization that had its start with help from University of Illinois professor, Dr. Richard E. Klein.  Go Illini!! The Lose The Training Wheels™ bike program has grown from one camp and one fleet of adapted bike equipment in 1999, to over 80 camps across the U.S. and Canada and ten fleets of adapted bike equipment. You can learn more about this wonderful program at www.losethetrainingwheels.org.

We are so proud of Madeline and all she has accomplished in these first two days.  I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest, except that they worked with children like her all over the nation. Monday afternoon, in the first ten minutes, they were able to get her to do far more than Brad and I had been able to get her to do for the last two years!

Day One:  Hopped right on and took off!

Typically, she would straddle the bike a friend had given her in the back yard and spend most of the time telling me how she couldn’t ride a bike and would proceed to give me all kinds of excuses as to why she couldn’t ride a bike.  We were in the back yard on the grass so she wouldn’t be afraid of falling on the sidewalk.  I would reassure her she could do it and she would argue that she couldn’t.  I held her seat and promised not to let go.  We broke it down step by step.   Nothing seemed to work.  Eventually my encouragement turned to frustration and then she would get frustrated.  As you can imagine when things had escalated to this point, no bike riding occurred.  After a few days of this, we would conclude that it was time to put the bike away until next year only to have a rerun of the previous attempt occur.

Monday afternoon she received her new t-shirt and bike helmet, hopped ON the bike with her assigned spotter beside her, and she took off.  My lower jaw hit the floor.  She didn’t once straddle the bike and argue with anyone.  Just hopped on like she’d always done this and took off!!!!  Granted the cylinder was on the back giving her complete balance, but for 75 minutes Monday Maddie rode a bike and did lap after lap in the Evansville Armory Gymnasium.  Blew me away!  It took her the first 10 minutes to figure out how to steer the bike and as time went on, her spotter did less and less of that for her.  She had a smile on her face and talked the arm and leg off of Ariel, her spotter for the week.  In fact, I texted Brad that if she pedaled as much as she was talking, there would have been fire and smoke coming off the back cylinder!

Instead of a back wheel, there is a cylinder.  When they first start they are fatter.  As they progress the ends of the cylinder will become more and more tapered. 

Before the 75 minute session was over, they had had her come in for a “pit stop” on three separate occasions.  While she was getting a drink they flipped the bike over and switched the cylinder to a different one that had the outer ends more tapered.  This causes the rider to gradually learn to balance more and more on their own.  They make this switch while the campers are out of the gym because they don’t want them to feel like it’s going to be getting too difficult and lose confidence.  Before she comes back in from her drink, the bike is back in her station just like she left it.  Very sneaky!  LOVE IT!

Today she was able to ride a tandem bike.  The Lose the Training Wheels Bike Instructor lets everyone have at least one ride during the course of the week.  This allows them to feel what it is like to ride a bike at normal speed and he would even get close to other riders doing their laps and at one point it must have been too close for Madeline’s comfort because I heard her say, “OH MY!” all the way up in the balcony where the parents sit.

She had progressed enough today that they laid out discs for her to ride over in each of the four corners and she had to “hit” them or ride over them.  Then they had some cones on one of the lengths of the gym and she was able to weave in and out of them.  Today they changed her cylinder twice that I know of.  The last change caused her to be a bit wobbly, but she didn’t quit, argue, or complain.  However, she did talk a little less! J    

Tomorrow she may get to go to the outside course.  It was my understanding that when they go outside, they will be riding a wheeled bike.  I have mixed feelings about this because I’m not sure what to expect.  Part of me is afraid the bike-straddling, argumentative, blond monster with blue fire flaming from her eyes, and horns protruding from the bike helmet will come out.  Trust me when I say that when that occurs, it’s a down right ugly thing.  The other part of me thinks maybe she’s gained enough confidence and has learned the feel of it these past two days that she’ll be able to ride with some encouragement and a steady hand from her spotter.  Maybe the precious little rosebud of mine with the blond hair and blue eyes will shine oh so bright!  Time will tell!  It’s on the blacktop behind the armory so it’s going to be a hot one for sure.  I’ve got Gatorade chillin’ and am taking sunscreen and an umbrella for shade.  

OH…and I’ve saved the best for last!  Brad will be coming home tomorrow evening so he will be here the last two days of her camp and will be her spotter.  They asked us to have a family spotter the last two days of camp at the parent meeting Sunday morning and so he’s not only going to be able to be here to see her in person, but to also participate with her.  I can’t wait!  I told him today he’d better get ready because her last two laps today in the gym were her best yet.  She had her spotter running beside her! I bought him some Gatorade, too!  I’ll keep you posted!