Get your bike ready!

Get your bike ready to ride!

Make sure your bike is safe and ready to go before your bike riding physiotherapy

1. Does your helmet fit?

Your helmet should fit snuggly, and not move when you shake your head!

Here's some tips:

2. Is your bike safe and working?

A check the tyre air pressure

B check the brakes work

C check the chain is clean and lubricated

D drop your bike (carefully as shown in the video) from shin height to check for any loose items or noises

Get your bike serviced at a bike shop if you are unsure how to do any of these thins, or have concerns about any of them.

Here's a video showing how to check each of these:

3. Can we easily adjust your bike during physiotherapy if we need to?

We often need to make adjustments to your bike during sessions to help you learn to ride your bike. Check that the following are easily adjustable and not rusted on:

• seat height

• pedals on and off (including the crank, not just the foot pedal. Sometimes we remove these and use some strategies to help kids learn how to balance their bike)

• brakes if we need to swap them left and right (eg if you have hemiplegia with right hand affected, we recommend swapping it over to the left so you can learn to use the brake)

Why is it important to have a safe bike and a helmet that fits?

• Unfortunately if your bike is not safe, or if you don't have a helmet that fits, we won't be able to do the sessions. Please talk to us about any concerns. Bike shops are a great resource for doing services, swapping around hand brakes to the other side, and are generally happy to help fit your helmet when you purchase one.

• These things can take a bit of time and kids often want to get moving in their physiotherapy sessions! They can get a bit fed up waiting for us to try to fit a helmet before getting started, which I understand!

Shayna Gavin is a physiotherapist who is passionate about helping babies, children and young people learn functional skills so they can participate in life at home, school and in their community. Recognising that children do best in their own environments, she visits homes, schools, and leisure activities from football fields to ballet classes. She also has daily aquatic physiotherapy sessions available at two private swimming schools in Moonee Ponds and Greensborough, Melbourne. She combines principles of paediatric physiotherapy, Contemporary Neuro Developmental Treatment, motor learning, and swimming teaching to address the individual needs of each child and their family. She loves providing professional development to physiotherapists, allied health and education professionals, allied health assistants and swimming teachers.