Ride Like the Wind

Ride Like the Wind

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RIDE LIKE THE WIND
by Margie Watson

What do you do when your five-year-old
announces that she wants to go bike riding with you—and, the five-year-old
happens to be blind? Here is how Margie Watson solved the problem:

My five-year-old daughter, Katie, likes
to ride her bike. That surprises most people, because Katie is blind. My husband
or I walk about ten feet in front of Katie and tell her when to turn the corner,
but otherwise she rides straight ahead on her
own.

Last spring, we were getting our bikes
out from the basement, (Wisconsin snow keeps us off of them in the winter),
and Katie told us that she wanted to ride with us and not ride behind us while
we walked. Our first thought was to look into purchasing
a tandem bike.

We learned that we could add on something
called a stoker kit which would make the back seat the right size for a child.
The problem with this idea was that it was expensive—about $1,000.

Another problem with the tandem bike
was that the back-seat rider would have to pedal at the pace of the front-seat
rider. That would be difficult for a five-year-old child. Disappointed, we figured
that we would have to forego family bike rides until Katie was big enough for
a tandem bike. Then we heard about a bike called the Allycat Shadow. It was
designed for bike-riding enthusiasts who also happened to be parents. Essentially,
it is a child-sized bike without a front tire. A bar extends up from the handlebars
which is then attached to an adult's bike just below the seat.

The Allycat Shadow would make our own
bike into a detachable children's tandem. It was the right size for Katie, and
the price was reasonable. We immediately ordered one. We are thrilled with Katie's
new bike. For us it means an affordable bike for Katie and that we can use the
adult bike we already have. For Katie it means that she can pedal (or not pedal)
at her own pace. And while riding with mom and dad, she is getting the feel
of balancing and learning to turn, as well as
riding much faster.

You can ask Katie how much fun she is
having riding her new bike—that is, if you can catch her.