Typing Dinosaur vs Typing Bike, Which Game Improves Typing WPM?

I had trouble last month.

My typing practice was very mundane. Just drills. Same words. Same lessons. My mind was going iffy.

So I looked around for typing games to play. Something fun. Something that wouldn't be homework.

There were two that seemed like they were good options. One that has a dinosaur. One with a bike.

I played for hours and hours. I tracked my speed. I made notes. I was distracting my wife with noises and clicks.

Here's what happened.

First Stop: Typing Dinosaur (The Reflex Trainer)

It is an amusing game that teaches kids to type words and sentences using the keyboard.

The well-known dino game that pops up when the internet goes down, you know? Cute pixel dinosaur. Cacti. Spacebar to jump.

The game is typing dinosaur, but with some twists. You don't jump. You type.

The words or letters move towards the dinosaur. When you type them right, the dinosaur runs on. You make a typo? He slows down or crashes.

The Version I Played

There were a few free versions that I found online. The one I chose to stick with was that random letters pop up at the bottom of the screen. Type them before the dinosaur collides with an obstacle. Fast. Accurate. No second chances.

Another one was fifty levels, with power–ups – you keep a caveman ahead of a dinosaur by typing words. I also played that one but the original was more straightforward. No gimmicks. The only thing you are facing is the keyboard.

What It Feels Like to Play

Round one, two, or three? Panic.

Letters come fast. Your brain must locate the letter, find it on the keyboard, and type it – all in one second or less.

If you miss one, the stumbling dinosaur. Miss them once and it's all done.

However, after about 10 rounds, a change takes place. You leave behind the thought of single letters. Your fingers simply... move.

One time I had a run that I typed "f g h j f g h j" on a loop. I wasn't looking at my hands, I was looking at his. I didn't think about where the keys were. I just typed. What makes the game magic, is that it becomes our reality. It gets you in a flow state as there is no time for thinking.

The WPM Impact (Real Numbers)

I kept track of my TypingBattles before and after I played typing dinosaur.

1. Average: 98 WPM, 94% accuracy
2. Daily typing for a week of dinosaur (15 minutes typing a day): average 101 WPM, 96% accuracy

Not a huge jump. But noticeable.

The actual improvement was in the reaction time. Dinosaur training my brain quickened in reading letters and got my fingers moving without hesitation.

Who is the best person to play Typing Dinosaur?

1. Beginners. It is not necessary to recognize fully-worded phrases. Just letters. Ideal for teaching positions.
2. People who hesitate. This game will quickly end a person's habit of pausing between letters.
3. Kids. Cute little dinosaur. The stakes are low. They don't get the feeling they're doing homework.
4. Warm-ups. 5 minutes of typing dinos wakes up my fingers before a TypingBattles race.

The Next Stop is Typing Bike (The Endurance Builder).

This is no bike typing. No panic. No dinosaurs. A road with a bicycle.

Words appear. You type them. The more words you get right the faster the bike pedals. Each typo slows you down.

Typically, the objective is to arrive at a checkered course or as far as you can go without losing accuracy.

My Version of Played

The one that I found that was the most polished was the typing game for motorcycles. The game is played by typing the English letters and words as fast as you can and as accurately as you can. The game can be played against the computer or other players.

I also found another version with “type to move” type of platforms to jump onto so your character could move up.

What it Feels Like to play.

Much calmer than typing dinosaur. No crazy letter spam! You type full words word for word, however, at a steady speed.

The bike doesn't accelerate all that much. It just... pedals. Smooth. Consistent.

I saw something strange after a short time. I began to type in time. Type a word. Pause. Type another word. Pause.

This is the secret of the game. Typing dinosaur means that you are typing letters all the time. No breaks. When typing bike, you need to control your pace. If you're not fast enough, you'll never make it to the finish line. If you are so quick that you are not accurate, then you will make typos which will slow you down.

It helps you discover your best speed – the fastest WPM at which you can still maintain a high accuracy.

The WPM Impact

I tracked again.

1. Before: average 100 WPM, 98% accuracy
2. After 1 week of typing bike 15 minutes a day: Average 100 WPM, 97% accuracy

This accuracy gain was larger than typing "dinosaur. Why? Because typing bike penalizes typos more harshly. You will slow your bike down with just one error. You get to know how to type properly, not just quickly.

Typing Bike is Best Played by Anyone Who can Type.

1. Intermediate typists. You are familiar with important roles. So now it is time to increase endurance.
2. Individuals with poor accuracy. What will make this game humble you quick, is if you get many typos.
3. Anyone who suffers from wrist fatigue. The regular speed is simpler on your hands compared to the mad dash for letter spam.
4. Rythm typists who need rhythm. The consistent cadence of the bicycle helps you to keep your typing consistent.

Head to Head – Which One Wins?

I tried them both and here's the results. One week on each. At the same time of day (late evening). Side by side keyboard (Gateron Browns). Same tired fingers.

This is an unscientific, but messy, comparison of my own.

Reaction Speed

A mile ahead typing dinosaur! The stream of constant letter triggers a response that you have to make immediately. No time to think. There's no time for second guessing. Fingers simply flow.

Typing bike is done at a slower pace. There is time between words for breath. Well, it's accurate, but bad for raw speed training.

Accuracy

Typing bike wins. Typos are harshly dealt. Your bike comes to a halt to a crawl. You don't type sloppily for the reason that rushing the race costs you your typing skills.

When typing dinosaur, it will forgive a small mistake. You can type something wrong and it won't matter!

Endurance

The second race of the day was a typing bike win. The slow typing simulates long typing periods like emailing, blogging, programming marathons. Practice to stay on target and accurate over time.

Dinosaur typing is a dash. Great for warm-ups. Not good for developing endurance.

Fun Factor

Dinosaur typing is more addictive! It's impossible not to play this frantic and cute pixel dinosaur. It's "just one more round" but then it gets into the fives.

Self typing bike is more relaxing. It doesn't seem like a game it's more like a practice tool. That's not a problem but it doesn't drag you behind as well.

The Verdict

You need both.

1. Pressing the buttons corresponding to the dinosaurs for some warm-up and reflexes. Warm-up your fingers by playing it before races.
2. Accurate and stamina typing on a bicycle. To encourage good and consistent typing skills, play it.

I have both on rotation! 5 minutes of typing dinosaur to get my blood pumping. Then I typed a few times to check my accuracy, and dialed in my accuracy for the next few rounds of typing. Afterwards, I play TypingBattles vs humans.

Are these Games Actually Effective?

The truth of the matter is.

Being a fast typist isn't necessarily achieved by taking typing lessons. There still needs to be some practice. There's still technique that you must learn.

However, they make very good supplements indeed.

Typing games are said to bring out of plateaus in players. Dinosaur is among the most successful free typing games to boost typing speed. Training in the racing typing game: review and build accuracy of vocabulary.

It's all about consistency. An hour of typing weekly on drill is not as valuable as 10 minutes a day on a typing game.

My Honest Routine

So, after all the testing I do:

1. Warm up and wake up fingers - 5 minutes typing dinosaur.
2. 5 minutes typing bike – now concentrate on getting the accuracy right, now get into rhythm,
3. Racing 10 minutes of TypingBattles – test your typing speed against real people.
4. Set aside 5 mins to go over any letters that you have missed during races.

Total time: 25 minutes a day. In two months, my WPM has gone from 98 to 105. In two months, my WPM has increased from 98 to 105.

The Bottom Line

Dinosaur typing and type-bike typing won't be substitutes for a real typing course. They aren't supposed to, however.

They're tools. Tools to make practice easier, more fun.

Learn typing using typing dinosaur. Get used to typing for extended periods of time with typing bike. Then use this knowledge and compete with real people on TypingBattles.

Well, that's where the real improvement takes place.

Key Takeaways

1. Typing dinosaur trains reflexes and reaction time through fast letter typing.
2. Typing bike builds accuracy and endurance through steady word typing.
3. Neither game replaces structured practice – but both are excellent supplements.
4. Use typing dinosaur as a warm-up before races or typing sessions.
5. Use typing bike to improve your accuracy and find your optimal typing rhythm.
6. Consistency matters more than intensity. 10 minutes daily beats an hour weekly.
7. Both games are free and browser-based – no downloads or accounts required.

Author Bio

Abid types at 105 WPM on TypingBattles and has won over 400 online races. He thought typing games were just for kids until he played typing dinosaur and got humbled. Now he uses both dinosaur and bike games in his daily warm-up routine. His wife thinks the clicking sounds are annoying. He doesn't care.

Recommendation

Warmed up with dinosaur and bike? Good. Now race a real human.

Typing games build your skills. TypingBattles tests them under pressure. One race and you'll see the difference.

Start your first race →

Read Also:

1. Gaming Keyboard and Mouse: I Read 100+ Reddit Threads So You Don't Have To
2. Keyboard Switches Changed My Typing Life – But Not How You'd Expect
3. Key Master: Slay Monsters, Turn Off the Lights, and Claim Your Typing Crown