Stabilizer Wheels for Adults

My elderly mom fell off an electric bike two or three months ago, flying face-first onto the asphalt and banging her knee. She was so distraught, she did not want to ride again as it could have been fatal for someone her age. I assured her that we would find a solution so she could join us and her grandchildren on rides, but tricycles (trikes) were off the books at the time. I wanted to turn her existing bicycle into one for several reasons:

• Lower cost than buying an electric trike
• Easier transportation: Stabilizer wheels could be taken off if the bike would not fit in the car with them on
• Reusability: We could just take the wheels off and use the bike normally again

I searched for MONTHS for stabilizer wheels for adults and was shocked to see that not many choices were available, let alone on Amazon. The Bike USA one looked very promising. Stabilizer wheels are meant to be permanently mounted to a bicycle and could even be used on rough terrain.

Adult Stabilizer Wheels on HeyBike

Teach An Adult To Bike

If your goal was to use stabilizer wheels to teach an adult how to bike, they do not help because they will not train the person how to balance. Balance is the first and most difficult requirement for learning to ride, and once achieved, pedaling could be picked up VERY quickly. How do I know? See my other article: How to Quickly Teach a Child to Ride a Bike.

Balance is the first and most difficult requirement for learning to ride.

Bikes: Chillafish (Daughter 2.5 yo), Woom 3 (Son 6.5 yo)

This may look silly, but it really works! Take off the stabilizer wheels and turn the bicycle into a balance bike instead. To do so, take the pedals off, lower the seats so both feet are firmly on the ground, and have the adult coast along with their own feet until they have achieved balance. Only then can you put the pedals back on and the rider would likely pick up biking within hours.

Stabilizer wheels are counterproductive to teaching an adult how to ride a bike. Balance is the single, most important skill to pick up first.

Installation

Installation of the Bike USA Stabilizer Wheels was a bit of a challenge. The printed, black-and-white guide (with pictures) was difficult to follow even though I read instructions all the time and do lots of DIY work around the house. I eventually figured it out. Perhaps the installation was more difficult because of the eBike I wanted to use the stabilizer with: the HeyBike Cityrun. The bicycle itself is excellent (see our review), but unfortunately, the Bike USA stabilizers did not fit because of the way the bike’s rear frame is positioned. It required the removal of the rear basket and deviating a bit from the installation instructions by using larger bolts. Even then, the wheels could not be lowered to less than 1.5″ off the ground — Manufacturer recommended 0.5″. This was, in my opinion, in part due to poor design. If more holes or a sliding area could be added, more varied heights and configurations could have been accommodated.

U-Bolts and Spacers

Both wheels should be equally off the ground on both sides, and Bike USA recommends the chain guard to be removed.

The adult stabilizer wheels extend farther out on both sides than kids’ training wheels to help create greater stability.

Once mounted, like a car, the wheels must be properly aligned or you will feel the bicycle pulling to the side or dragging. You may have to consult a professional bike shop for proper installation and alignment.

My mother-in-law asked why I would not line the stabilizer wheels up to be the same height as the bike itself. Good question. Here are reasons for why the three wheels should not touch the ground at the same time:

• Manual asked to be 0.5″ off the ground
• I wanted my mom to continue maintaining some balance on her own instead of solely relying on the stabilizers
• Having all three wheels on the ground would make it impossible to put most of the weight onto the rear tire
  • Affects traction and braking when the rear tire does not bear most of the rider’s weight
  • Puts premature wear onto the stabilizer wheels themselves

One should note that the manufacturer does NOT recommend the product to be used with an electric or foldable bike.

Test Rides

I decided to give the wheels a test ride anyway since they were already installed. Keep in mind that the stabilizers were 1.5″ off the ground instead of Bike USA’s recommendation of 0.5″.

Flat Surfaces

Heavy-Duty Wheel Kit

I found the ride to be very stable on flat surfaces, but turning took some adjustment: it was a significantly wider radius. Stop and go was straight-forward, and I felt in control at all times for as long as the route was straight. Turning, on the other hand, felt quite odd: I had to lean slightly to the side to counter the outward, centrifugal pull since the bike could not lean into the turn like one without stabilizers. It took some adjusting, but after 30 minutes, the ride felt second nature.

Inclined Roads Or Curbs

After getting used to flat roads, I wanted to check performance on a leaning road or incline like the curb. That was where I felt far less in control. Turning took considerable effort and more lean in order to maintain stability and control, making it feel like somebody was holding onto the seat post and pulling me more and more to the side. I genuinely struggled to turn and had a hard time shifting my weight in a seated position. I wanted to simulate being my mom as much as possible who would have a slower reaction time and less agility.

When I got closer to the curb, I felt the bike tipping over and was forced to get off before I would crash. What happened? After a few more minutes, I figured it out.

Steel Frame and 16″ Wheels

First, before turning, the rider must lean into the turn. Second, slow down. Because the bicycle could not lean much, it was imperative to turn slowly and early in order to maintain some sense of control. Third, the stabilizer wheels were probably too high off the ground, making it difficult to regain balance once the rider was already tilted too far away from the turn.

I do not see my mom being able to handle this correctly.

Rough Terrain

The eBike handled rough roads very well with the stabilizer wheels on. Would I take it riding down a rocky mountain trail? Heck no. But for unpaved, fairly flat terrain, they worked quite well.

Build Quality

All the components felt VERY sturdy and well-made. Just be sure not to overtighten the bolts. Manufacturer rated the stabilizer wheels for riders up to 250 lbs.

Final Thoughts

The Bike USA Stabilizer Wheels for Adults was a strong, well-made product that could help keep an adult stable during straight, flat-surfaced riding. Turning and riding on uneven terrain required the rider to make adjustments and move differently than a two-wheeled bicycle. Unfortunately, they did not work with my mom’s electric bike due to a combination of not correctly fitting the bicycle frame, being too high off the ground, and my mother not having the required agility and reaction times to safely stay on. I will be getting her a trike (tricycle) instead and see how that goes although I expect challenges with turning still. A good friend of mine did say that his mom actually fell off a trike, too, during a sharper turn. So, caution should still be exercised.

For younger adults, adding stabilizer wheels to a compatible bicycle could mean a world of difference for someone with balance issues. The Bike USA worked well, and with the right amount of training and adjustment, it could work very well for those riders. Be sure to slow down and lean early into a turn.

Where To Buy

• Bike USA Stabilizer Wheels for Adults
• Salzmann 3M Spoke Reflectors
• Burley D’Lite 2-Seat Bike Trailer/Stroller
  • Additional Trailer Coupler so Burley can be switched to another bike (ie. bike failed or ran out of battery)

Related Posts

• How to Quickly Teach a Child to Ride a Bike (Balance With No Training Wheels)
• Reviews
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