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Unquestioned Convictions and Traditions
By | August 22, 2009
I’m writing this post feeling very proud first of all but also with the wish of sharing with you an important lesson…
Before I share this valuable wisdom with you, let me ask you a question:
How old were you when you learned how to ride a bycicle without those stupid side wheels?
I do not know about you, but I was 7 years old!
(I actually checked on the Internet and the average age when a child learns to ride a bike is 8 years old)
I remember my dad running after me on a long dead end street in the Santa Anita Country Club in Guadalajara Mexico making sure I will get speed enough to mantain the balance.
Now, try to remember how you learned to ride a bike…most likely it was on a very similar way as how I did it.
Now, forward 33 years… this time was my time to teach my child how to ride a bike!
I think this is a time we as children will always remember, but it is also one of those moments you surely look forward as a parent.
Last weekend we bought my son Vincent his first bike with pedals and literally within 5 seconds of sitting on it, he was riding away as if he was an 8 year old kid. (He’s only 3).
Neither me or my wife had to run behind him to make sure he could ride nor he was wearing a protective helmet in fear that he will fall and break his head!
Sure I feel very proud! But that is not the point…
As you probably know we live in Holland and my son Vincent is 1/2 Dutch.
The Netherlands is such a flat country, it is perfect for bike riding , thus Dutch people ride their bikes very regularly. Bikes here are used more for transportation than leisure and of course learning how to ride a bike is a big priority for people in this country.
The prime minister goes to work on his bike, high executives in big companies ride a bike to work. Most kids ride a bike to school, it is not strange even to see a member of the Royal Family on his or her bike.
The average age at what kids learn how to bike in Holland is 5 years old (compared to 8 years old on the rest of the world).
Now, the question is: How is it possible that kids learn to ride a bike in Holland being as little as 2 years old ?
Well, they do something VERY VERY VERY different than what they do in the rest of the world…
They do not add those stupid side wheels to their kid’s bikes!
Please have a look at this picture of my son Vincent at age 2 riding his first bike:
As you can see, the bike has no side wheels BUT it also has no pedals!!!
Little kids learn to gain balance very easily using these bikes, so when they start with a bike with pedals it is almost ’second nature’ for them to do it. That’s why they have absolutely no problems learning how to ride a bike without those idiotic side wheels!
Now you might say: I’ve never seen those bikes anywhere!
Well, I’ve been telling everyone about them because they are amazing. They are called puky bikes
The hardest part of learning how to ride a bike is the balance not the pedaling, having the side wheels you do not learn how to gain balance correct?
Now, the fact that kids bikes are still manufactured with side wheels and that they still sell all over the world is a clear sign of a tradition and an unquestioned conviction that is making parents train their kids in a very obsolete and idiotic way!
My point is: How many of this unquestioned convictions and stupid traditions are you still a victim of?
Everywhere I look, I see people doing things in ways that do not make sense at this point in time without realizing that things can be done more effectively and on an easier way if simply done differently.
So, my tip for you on this post is as follows: Ask yourself regularly… How can this be done more effectively?
You’ll be surprised how often you find amazing answers to that question right in front of your nose!
Enjoy today’s food for thought
Ernesto
Topics: Great Tips, Inspirational Stuff, Thinking | 40 Comments »
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
very true Ernesto,,,,very true indeed!
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Happy you agree
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Thanks. Nice to have such information.
Well! I will keep in mind about pucky Bikes for my grand child.
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Nice you enjoyed!
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hi Ernesto,
I want to translate of this post to Persian and put it on my blog. Do I have rights to do it?
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
of course it is sindicated
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Bravo, it is great story and it is very very true.
Thank You for sharing this with me.
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
My Pleasure, Hope it was helpful
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
hey,
i amlost in the memories….
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Hello Ernesto,
I learned to ride a bike when I was 10 yr old! I learned it by myself painfully. My father cannot teach me how to ride, because he himself do not know how to ride a bike! Maybe that is the tradition that he would like to stop and involve me into something different. Right now, I feel proud my kids learn to ride a bike at a young age, with me as the teacher.
Cheers,
Allan
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August 22nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Hi Ernesto,
I fully agree with you on this. I have learnt without without side wheels.
Interesting food for thought!
Cheers,
Shaik
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August 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Also, a powerful illustration of how important it is to network and engage in mentoring/coaching. Getting a perspective from someone outside of your immediate environment can contribute to great leaps in success, it expands awareness! Thanks Ernesto, I always enjoy your posts.
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Indeed Anna, thanks for comments
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August 22nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Ernesto,
As a parent of two sons (now 21 and 23) this is so fascinating! I can still remember the proud thrill we felt when they were able to ride their bikes. Hopefully I’ll make the most of your analogy and come up with some more effective strategies on things in my life.
Thanks for sharing.
MJ
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August 22nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
The message is forthright and I shall strive how best to put it to practice regularly for better effect.
Regards
Krishna
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August 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I loved your post… I’m a strong believer in doing things differently and effectively. Always making way for newer ways to enhance or do away with routine and ideas that are not working anymore or simply unnecessary.
I think it makes one more adaptable to changes around you, besides pushing out the old, makes way for the new:)
Thank you for sharing.
Regards,
Mazarine
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Happy it was inspiring
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August 22nd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Wow, what timing as I was going to help my daughter with her new bike this weekend. Great observation on everyday things we do without questioning “Is there a better way?” Thanks.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Very true Ernesto. Thinking “traditionally ” is not always correct.
regards
Srini
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August 22nd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Very True.I m soon going to be a dad and I think I will definitely do it differently for my child be it riding a bike or getting him to school or pursuing a career .We should really do it more effectively these days in all walks of life.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
The pictures of your son are darling! This story made my day. I wasn’t familiar with that philosophy of bike training, but the same works with swimming. You can much more easily teach a 6 month old to swim than an older child – they haven’t been programmed to be afraid. Since I teach people not to do what has always been done “just because” in real estate, so I will direct my readers to this blog post!
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admin Reply:
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Thanks Deane, Thanks for sharing this story, It is indeedfor anyone outside the Netherlands (including myself) an eye opening from an obsolete paradigm
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August 22nd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Hi Ernesto,
This is a very fascinating fact that people do things because they have always seen them being done in that particular way without finding a better way to do it.
We have to think out of the box and teach others to do so as well.
Thanks for the biking lesson!
Bharat
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August 22nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of information. I remember in our educational programs, we keep hearing:
If you keep doing things the way you have always done, you will keep getting the results you have always got.
Meaning, we should be prepared for change, we need to keep an open and inquisitive mind and we will see what we have not see before.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Hi There
This goes back to suspend your disbelieves!
Our Ozzie pups were mountain biking when they were 3 years and we never did stabilizers .. however i feel i need a simmer frame sometimes when i am trying to get forward with my IM…. later. Sarah
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August 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
That is Innovation,Empowerment and Ingenuity.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 7:02 pm
its not about going from A to B,but getting there safely.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Hi Ernesto:
Being a grandmother now and having gone through the same procedure with my daughters that your described for yourself, I will pass this on, so this “new technique” is used on my grandaughters.
Thanks for sharing.
Ana Luis
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August 23rd, 2009 at 7:17 am
Hi.. Iam agree with u, sometime we look a problem with its complexity. but as you said if we can make it simply and do it with a different way. I think we faced the problem just easiers.. Good Luck, Bro
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August 23rd, 2009 at 7:36 am
very true.. well i learned how to ride a bike when i guess i was 6 or 7 and no I did not have the posh bike with side wheels as we can’t afford it
(brings back memories) instead its a medium size bike and rented 
cheers and thanks for sharing 
keep it comming
I’ll keep in mind the puky bike for my kids (once i have one)
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August 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 am
Good story Ernesto & you really hit a point with it. Congratulations for your son & always share with us this kind food for the thought.
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August 23rd, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Lovely to see your son and he is lucky to have such a father. You are full of wisdom Ernesto laand I always cherish your words especially when you were inspiring us in Damascus.
All the best
Huda
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August 23rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Dear EV,
In my younger days there were no child bykes handy in our village. So I was simply watching others riding the bikes. When I was in primary school in
Guntakal it was thrill for me to join my eldest brother by sitting on the cross bar. I was watching how the front tyre rotates with its design spinning in speed in the down gradient. One time my fingers went into the brake lever which my brother could not see. But I managed to know that I should be careful in placing my fingers for not getting hurt.
Later on at the high school level close to my school there was a bicycle renter shop. I was gazing at them if I can ride the bigger byke at the very first time. I kep on watching them for couple of years and was looking smaller hight bykes to come so that when I cannot balance I can keep down my leg easily on to the ground to protect from the fall and injury from the cycle frame and attachments.
One fine morning I found a cycle of lower wheel size and was imagining to ride it some how and learn the byking easily. ……….. to be continued….
I have to go out on urgent home work. I shall continue in my next email.
Thanks for your time.
Veeranna Setty
copy your reply to my other email address
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August 23rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Ernie:
Cogratulations for you and Vincent!!!!!!!!!
As your father and Vincent’s grandfather I am also
very proud.
It is a real milestone!!!!!!!!!!!
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August 23rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Ernesto:
What a very interesting post. It does seem very logical. I’ll recommend the puky bike to my family for sure.
I learned to ride a bike when I was perhaps 8 or 10. There were no small bikes available, let alone ones with training wheels. I had to ride the bike by inserting myself under the bar and riding sort of “side saddle” if you can envision that. I was most pleased when I got big enough to mount the bike properly and reach the pedals from a more upright position.
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August 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Well, I fully agree with you. I learned riding motorbike at age of 10 because my father supported me had confidence in me.
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August 24th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Ernesto always hits the nail on the head and is a person with so much energy.I will never forget him inspiring us to fire walk in Colombo on a KLM training programme which was the two most inspring days in my life without doubt. By the way,I never had side wheel bikes and learned riding by leaning on to the seat sideways.
Rgds Tom
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August 25th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Hi Ernesto,
I am asking that question about my entire life right now……..!
Regards
Paul
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September 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
Hi Ernesto,
Vincent is very lucky to be taught by you early in life about stuff that we adults learn after we turn 30. My kids have a jump start and constantly reinvent the wheel – whether it is homework or life in general. For them its a way of life and I am grateful to all the wonderful people/authors out there who touched my life and shared their knowledge with me.
On another perspective, people could learn to go through life without the side pedals (baggage they carry through life)- if they remove the baggage they carry constantly, they could move through life in a simpler, smoother and more effective way.
Your son is totally adorable !!
Take care
Sharon
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September 8th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
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