OT: Teaching a Child to Ride a Bicycle

[ti_boi]

Well this January will mark a landmark moment. I have bought my little girl her first bicycle. She loves bikes! Says, "look daddy a bike!" when she sees one on the road....just warms my heart. Like most things I do, I am going to try my best to make this a great experience for her, but I am worried...she understands turning and pedaling....I even think she has a sense of left & right....but I want to teach her correctly.

:p Can anyone offer some suggestions so that my daughter can safely enjoy her new Hello Kitty Bike?

[Chad Engle]

I'm assuming you mean teaching her to ride w/out the training wheels.

First I tried the gentle sloped grass hill method that was outlined in Bicycling, no luck. I think our hill was too rough, too many crashes, I could see the interest dwindling.

Second try was the lower the seat so she could rest her feet flat on the ground method, the removed the pedals and let her push it around and get used to balancing. Let her do that for two days, then put the pedals back on and it took about two tries and she had it.

Good luck!! It was a great feeling to watch her ride around the cul-de-sac the first time, we were both awfully proud.

[nick0137]

With the stabilisers on, there's no teaching required - pedal, don't pedal, brake. Easy.

When the stabilisers come off, well that's a whole 'nother story. My honest advice? Get her grandfather to teach her. (After weeks of tongue biting on my part as absolutely no prgress was made, he took her off to the park and they came home 30 minutes later with her breezing along like she'd been riding for years.)

[Birddog]

I've heard that using only ONE training wheel is the ticket. Kinda makes sense to me.

Birddog

[ChrisK]

This worked well for my son and I'll bet it will for your daughter:

With training wheels: Lift the back wheel an inch and get her to start spinning. Do this for a few minutes. Kids develop muscle memory very quickly. Now she will know what to do so just stand back.

Without Training Wheels. Get her a razor scooter, the best balance enhancer ever made. Once she can coast 100 feet on it the bike will be easy. Lower the saddle and just run along side with your hand under the saddle until she pulls away or your back snaps. Don't let her fall at first, that will really discourage her.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7618/732/400/Tour_de_Shady_Oaks-b.jpg

[Kirk Pacenti]

My kids are still a little young yet, but I think I will start them out with a "Likeabike".

http://www.likeabikeusa.com/

You have to see the video on this site; that kid has "flow"! Anyway, the like_a_bikes look like a fun, and a good way to start out.

[Birddog]

"Likeabike".

Very cool looking, but does it have the ability to "plane"?

Birddog

[catulle]

How old is she? I taught my daughter when she was four or so, I think, by taking the training wheels off (of course, she had been riding with the training wheels for a long time), and then walking alongside her while holding the back of the saddle. Little by little I'd let go and in two days, I think, she was riding by herself.

On the other hand, I learned by myself just riding down my dad's garage entrance which was on an incline. I learned after a few tries. I taught my sister the same way. I'd just let her go down the garage ramp. Of course, I don't recommend this course of action, atmo.

[ti_boi]

She'll be four this January....these are some fantastic suggestions! I knew we would have a braintrust here ready to tackle this issue.

It is one of those life changing scenarios....if I do a decent job, I might be grooming my future riding partner!

[don'TreadOnMe]

This thing works/worked the best for us (and we tried seemingly them all):
http://www.readyrider.com/

Have fun!!!

don'TreadOnMe

[catulle]

God bless you. A wonderful stage in life indeed.

[Ray]

I've heard that using only ONE training wheel is the ticket. Kinda makes sense to me.

Birddog
For serious NASCAR fans only - the bike only turns in one direction!

I HIGHLY recommend the approach Chad mentioned - get rid of the training wheels before she ever gets on the bike. Take the pedals off and lower the seat so she can put both feet firmly on the ground. Let her play with the bike as a scooter for a couple of days, just running around with it on level ground, then picking her feet up and coasting, learning to balance. Once she's comfortable doing that, put the pedals back on and, assuming she knows how pedalling works from her trike, she'll be going in no time. Then after another day or two, you can raise the seat to a reasonable level.

Training wheels, whether one or two, teach the child exactly how NOT to ride since you can't lean into a turn. Then they have bad habits to unlearn when you take them off. Starting without training wheels or pedals teaches them the balance thing first, in a very unthreatening way, and the rest falls into place really easily.

And, oh yeah, she WILL be a future riding partner. Pretty much immediately around your neighborhood, then on mutil-use paths, and eventually maybe more. I have two daughters - both rode through the MUT phase, and one of them did a few tours with me when she was in her mid-teens. She's in college now and not riding, but she's done enough that she may well come back to it someday.

Good luck and have fun!

-Ray

[swoop]

follow her lead. she'll show you when she's ready. everyone sort of comes into their own development at their own pace the variances within the developmental milestones are pretty broad... and as long as she isn't pushed into it.. the way you show her will be the right way.
but if you push her beyound what she's ready for...
keep it fun.
the thing i trust is your gut.


p.s., nice little cy twombly action she's got going on!

[vaxn8r]

....Training wheels, whether one or two, teach the child exactly how NOT to ride since you can't lean into a turn. Then they have bad habits to unlearn when you take them off. Starting without training wheels or pedals teaches them the balance thing first, in a very unthreatening way, and the rest falls into place really easily....


Having had 4 kids learn to ride a bike, and all 4 used training wheels, I have to disagree. That's like the school of thought that says your kid will never learn to walk if they use an infant walker...or they'll never learn to use the toilet if you let them uise a potty chair. Hmmmph!

She'll ride when she's ready. The bikes with small wheels are easier to learn on for kids under 5 years of age. I've found the more kids are willing to take risks in all phases of their lives are the ones who will ride at age 3-4. The more conservative kids learn around 5-6. You can't make your kid walk before they're ready and they won't learn to ride a 2 wheeler before they want to. In the mean time go all out with the training wheels.

[gt6267a]

are there other young children around who know how to ride? watching another kid do it seems to go a long way in the determination and confidence departments.

[Zard]

For my daughter at age 4.5 we did the following:

Deflated the tires a bit. Slows the bike down. Found a flat to slightly inclining road. Had her pedal up the slight inclince...got her use to having to keep pressure on the pedals. Held onto to her from behind. Took her about an hour. I think the key was the slight incline. It slowed everything down and kept her pedaling.

Good luck. It is a cool sight indeed to see your kid riding on their own.

[stevep]

my jennifer ( now 25 and almost through law school )... i set her up w/ training wheels and she was muddling around in the driveway...after awhile at that a kid in her class rode by w/o training wheels... she said take them off... i did...she rode away.
was just ready i reckon.
she now rides a time on some of my group rides and acquits herself quite well.

[dreadpiratetim]

I started the Little Dread on a scooter to learn balance and the mechanics of steering (plus the need to control speed) and the transition to a two-wheeled bike was beautiful... at age 4. (He's now 7 and he spins out his bike every time he gets on it!) The beautiful part is that he learned to balance and steer with no major damage if he fell off. As soon as he could coast 20' on the scooter it was bike time. The training wheels were off in less than two months. Same method worked with Little Dread #2. By the way, for all you purists, I also included a "base period" of fixed gear riding... on a tricycle.

:bike:

[myette10]

Get her grandfather to teach her. (After weeks of tongue biting on my part as absolutely no prgress was made, he took her off to the park and they came home 30 minutes later with her breezing along like she'd been riding for years.)

+1

Despite my best intentions, he just didn't respond. Papa had him up and riding in minutes. You may have the pressure turned way down, but she'll have it turend way up trying to do it right for you.

[ti_boi]

Amazing recommendations. I feel much better about the whole thing.

Swoop.......Cy Twombly LOL :D

[harlond]

I HIGHLY recommend the approach Chad mentioned - get rid of the training wheels before she ever gets on the bike. Take the pedals off and lower the seat so she can put both feet firmly on the ground. Let her play with the bike as a scooter for a couple of days, just running around with it on level ground, then picking her feet up and coasting, learning to balance. Once she's comfortable doing that, put the pedals back on and, assuming she knows how pedalling works from her trike, she'll be going in no time. Then after another day or two, you can raise the seat to a reasonable level.-RayI read this thread nine months ago and have been looking for a bike for my 4-year-old ever since, intending to follow this method. I had decided on the FUN-ONE bike with easily removable cranks, but with 16-inch wheels, it was probably too big for him.

Anyway, last night, my wife found a bike with 12-inch wheels for $6. So I removed the pedals, lowered the seat, and Project Ride Now was begun. Last night and this morning, we worked on balance. We skipped the period of him pushing himself around with his feet Instead, holding the seat, I would ask the boy to raise his feet and give him a push (using a sort of bowling motion). Before long, he could coast 50-60 feet with his feet up while staying on the sidewalk. I asked him if he wanted the pedals back on and he said yes.

With the pedals back on, we tried again, me still giving him a push. In no time, he was pedaling himself along the sidewalk for distances up to 80-100 feet. (Somewhere in there, he made clear that he'd had enough of me maniacally repeating "pedal, pedal, pedal.") He can't get himself going yet and he still tends to stop by putting his feet on the ground. But he pedals, he balances, he steers, HE RIDES! It didn't hurt any that all our neighbors were working outside and very nice about cheering and congratulating him. Liberal usage by non-family members of the words "big boy" provides a very strong incentive.

No cuts, no scrapes, no bruises, and excellent results within 24 hours. Heck, my wife was impressed enough to ask me where I'd learned to teach kids to ride. I'm a believer. Thanks.

[SimonC]

I didn't see this the first time round, so I'll add my $0.02;

I still remember my father teaching me to ride - he used a visualisation trick. He told me to imagine a glass of water balanced on the handlebars. Now, could I ride down the road without spilling a drop? I don't recall any incentives being used, but just the challenge of making that happen was enough to make me learn. Interestingly, I was quite a late starter on the bike, a good year or so after my peers (and later my brother). However, once I got those pedals turning I don't seem to have stopped, so I've more than made up for lost time.

A friend asked me how she could get her son riding a year ago or so. I suggested a Like-a-bike. It sat in the hallway for about three months until he got the confidence to give it a try, then he became inseperable from it for about six months. At the end of that, he had the balance sorted and it was a simple transition to a bike with no training wheels - though I suspect suddenly having brakes rather than putting his feet down was a retrograde step - perhaps we should have just put him straight on a brakeless bike and had a courier in the making?

[93legendti]

Having had 4 kids learn to ride a bike, and all 4 used training wheels, I have to disagree. That's like the school of thought that says your kid will never learn to walk if they use an infant walker...or they'll never learn to use the toilet if you let them uise a potty chair. Hmmmph!

She'll ride when she's ready. The bikes with small wheels are easier to learn on for kids under 5 years of age. I've found the more kids are willing to take risks in all phases of their lives are the ones who will ride at age 3-4. The more conservative kids learn around 5-6. You can't make your kid walk before they're ready and they won't learn to ride a 2 wheeler before they want to. In the mean time go all out with the training wheels.

Agreed. My 4 1/2 year old who loves riding the tandem with me on group rides ("Daddy, please ask them to move out of our way so we can go faster.") has asked me NOT to take off her training wheels just yet. Fine with me.

Only problem with the tried and true running along side method is when we bike togther on our respective singles, she hits 10-11 mph pretty easily-I don't know how long I will be able to run and keep up with her 'till she does it...

I can still remember my Dad teaching me 40 years ago...that was fun!

[malcolm]

Like a bike works. Our daughter learned to ride sans training wheels after just a couple o weeks using the like a bike. No crashes at least not initailly

[ti_boi]

Mine is 3 1/2 years old and rocks the hello kitty bike with the training wheels, she makes great turns, pumps her little legs and meanwhile I am always super nervous that she is going to fall off....I need to relax... :rolleyes:

[stackie]

We are using the "likeabike" method. Just using a Skuut bike. It's like $80 compared to the more than $200 for the Likeabike. Daughter can scoot like crazy on Skuut. She can go about 6 plus miles on the 16 inch pedal bike with training wheels. Just had to move up from 12 incher as she was spinning the 12 out. Just need to put the two together and we'll be golden.

Jon

[mike p]

My father's approach. Step 1. Find a suitable hill ( 20% or more ). Step 2. Fit rider to bike. Make sure the riders feet can touch pedals ( my father neglected this step). Step 3. The launch and war cry (need I say more). Step 4. Recovery. Step 5. Repeat as many times as neccessary.

Mike

PS come back when your kids ready to swim.