CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Stabilizers

(15 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by SRD
  • Latest reply from SRD
  • This topic is resolved

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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    So, bought a red Raleigh for the wee man, mainly because it came with stabilizers (we do have some other mostly working small bikes at hand, but the price of bike = price of stabilizers, and the pedals go round on this one).

    But can't for the life of me figure out how to put them on. I'm presuming that they're not particularly unusual design, rather that the fault is with me.

    Advice? Offers of help? (yes, i'm shameless when it comes to this sort of thing, but I'm always happy to pay in currency of jam, marmalade or chutney)

    (btw, I'm really not looking for advice on whether or not to use them; i appreciate that lots of people don't like them, my feeling is that for a short while, and for little kids, they;re generally helpful).

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    Might have to remove chainguard to get second one on. Frame where they should sit isn't very high off the ground.

    Found one stabiliser in garage, no idea where other one is. It has five holes to alter height, and another little bit of metal, possibly to stabilise the stabiliser on rear fork. Yours are different.

    Not much help, sorry. No jam for me.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. davey2wheels
    Member

    From the picture, it looks like bits are specific to the bike and use the T shaped cutout in front of the rear axle.
    As a guess, I would feed the bolt from the inside and fit the block so the small horizontal bit is on the outside and at the top - the bits on the inside should make it fit snuggly in the cutout. The bar goes on next, bolt through the large slot, small slot for the bit at the top of the block. Big black washers with the sticky out bits on the inside, flat washer and then nut.
    You should be able to slide the bar up and down a little to adjust and then tighten the nut.
    Mirror for the other side.

    I have spanner and live on the same side of town (Fountainbridge) if you need further help.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. SRD
    Moderator

    @davey2wheels i tried something like that but the plastic bits didn't actually fit the way it looks like they should. at least not when I try it. Hmmm...except I think I may have been mislead by the way they were put together when acquired, with washers and plastic bits on opposite sides of the actual stabiliser.

    will have another go. recombodna of this forum may be able to help too. if not, will give you a shout.

    thanks!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    You sure those stabilisers were on that bike?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. custard
    Member

    Usually go on the rear wheel bolt end?
    However thats assuming your bolts are long enough.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. biketrain
    Member

    @srd do you have a picture of the other side of the bike.

    I have some axle mounted flip up stabilisers that may be suitable.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. SRD
    Moderator

    Hmmmm.....just saw pic on eBay that makes me understand why chdot said what he said...

    @biketrain. Yes. Give me a minute, the other side is all encased in plastic, but I suppose that's removable.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. Nelly
    Member

    Normally the plastic (sometimes metal) bits are to brace the stabiliser - I.e. to stop it loosening off in use if you get my drift?

    We used them for a short period way back and I am convinced they sat on the outside of the actual stabiliser, but screwed tight in order to make the bracing effect.

    .......not sure any of that makes sense

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. tk
    Member

    Looking on google images I'd suggest the round buts of plastic go inside the frame, the rectangular bits in the outside then the stabiliser with the nut on last. They appear to fit on the t shaped cutout. The rectangular plastic bit looks like it's designed to fill the space in the chain guard but I suspect should fit equally on both sides of the bike. The t slot may be to make them easily removable for transport.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. SRD
    Moderator

    Thanks for all the advice folks. Now OBE. Never did manage to fit them. Then couldn't find them*. So went out today w/out and did just fine :)

    Very proud not quite 3 and a half year old boy (also mum and dad)

    *hmmmm..... Did chdot come pinch them from our stairwell?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. Tulyar
    Member

    Just best without. Stabilsers actually create a less stable cycle - ride along & turn & the bike rotates, pivoting on the stabiliser wheel, outwards on the turn potentially throwing rider face first into ground.

    3 basic actions in riding a bike.

    Control - how to steer and stop
    Balance - self explanatory
    Action - pedalling

    It takes a lot to grasp all those at the same moment, so a better way is to learn one and then add to that in stages.

    Learn control first - very useful to know how to steer and stop the bike - often with stabilisers the child can go speeding away and then you/they realise that not knowing how to stop is going to be a problem.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. SRD
    Moderator

    I dint think having stabilizers for a couple of weeks harmed our eldest's cycling, but her small brother seems to be coping just fine without.

    Reports from this mornings ride suggest that he is already going too fast for accompanying parent, but I'm not sure he has figured out braking....

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. wingpig
    Member

    More balance-bike-user stabiliser-avoiding success:


    IMAG1304 by wingpig, on Flickr

    After a bit of pedals-off scootling round the house, a bit of "now, gently brake, don't scrape your feet" on the way to the park, the pedals were reattached and he was off. We had to wait until the 4th birthday as his legs were still two inches shy of the Cnoc 14's minimum at winter festive period.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. SRD
    Moderator

    Amazing to see isn't it.

    Well done all of you.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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