Push biking for kids

There’s a growing sport that more and more parents are discovering to introduce wholesome competition to kids in the age range of two to eight while teaching the value of fitness. It’s called push or balance bike racing where participants mount their no-pedal two-wheelers and use their feet to navigate a winding track whose length depends on age categories.

For parents looking to expose their children to sports at an early age, push biking is a perfect pathway as “a developmental tool that teaches essential life skills such as balance, coordination, discipline and focus (which) are the building blocks for not only excelling in sports but also for overall growth and development.”

Even before kids learn how to bike with pedals, they’re grooved to advance to the next level. “Push biking is unique in that it is one of the few sports where children as young as two or three years old can participate independently, allowing them to experience the thrill of cycling at an age when most are just learning to walk,” said Cristalle Belo-Pitt, spokesperson for Kick2Pedal, a push biking advocate that is active in Manila and recently held its first Davao race. “This early exposure to physical activity helps instill a life-long passion for fitness and outdoor adventure. We believe that biking is a skill in which Filipinos can excel and we’re committed to making push biking accessible to every child across the nation. In today’s digital age, it’s crucial that children develop a love for the outdoors and push biking is the perfect way to achieve that. It’s a sport that not only promotes physical activity but also brings joy and excitement to both children and their parents.”

A bike is usually 90cm in length and 52cm in height with an adjustable seat to conform to the rider’s size. Weight is two kilograms or over. Track length is 250 meters for ages two to three and 400-600 meters for ages four and above. Riders wear helmets and knee and elbow pads which are essential accessories.

Push biking traces its beginnings in the country to Metro Manila in 2018 when the National Bike Organization in BGC promoted push biking as part of its lessons program, a way to teach toddlers how to balance through play. It eventually led to an offshoot dedicated to kids called Philippine Balance Bike Racing led by Benedict and Marie Camara. The sport has since grown to include a Cebu group called KC46 headed by Keken and Ingrid Cabahug. Kick2Pedal is pushing it further by setting up bike academies and making bikes available through its website kick2pedal.com.

Over 300 push bike races have been organized across the nation since 2018. There is no international federation that governs the sport but it’s been growing organically over the last decade in Asia. China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are among the Asian countries with some of the biggest push bike communities, holding international races with as many as 1,000 kids competing. More on push biking in tomorrow’s column with a heads-up on the “National Push Bike Race: A Celebration of Emerging Sport for Filipino Kids,” an event organized by KC46 and Kick2Pedal to be held in front of the Quirino Grandstand on Saturday.