Humble Brag - 3.5 year old - rides bike - no training wheels

[pdonk]

I just want to share my recent experience "teaching" my daughter to ride a 2 wheeled bike.

She started with her custom built balance bike. She has been on it for late last summer /fall into this spring. Over this time she learned how to coast and turn and generally balance. We were doing 5km "rides" and she was having lots of fun.

During the winter she asked for a "real" "big kid bike with pedals" "that is green like dad's". I ended up getting her a 16 inch spawn yoji - she meets the minimum height and inseam recommendations. When the bike arrived, I took the pedals off and she transitioned to it as a balance bike developing skills with the brakes and getting used to the bigger wheels. She rode the bike like this for a few weeks, then one day she asked me to put the pedals on so she could ride. She got really frustrated and upset about not being able to ride her bike as she could not figure out balance and pedaling at the same time. I took the pedals off and she went back to balance biking.

I then had an idea, and set her bike up on my trainer and she would pedal it. We did this for a few weeks.

Then one day, when we were going to the dog park, she asked for the pedals to be put back on her bike as she was going to ride it.

As soon as I got her, and the bike out of he car, and a helmet on, she grabbed her bike, hopped on it and pedaled away with no help.

She now starts by herself, knows some basic rules of the road (stopping at driveways and sidewalk ends, riding in straight line). She likes "super boosts",I give her a good push to get her going. We've done a few 5 km rides and she loves it.

TLDNR take a ways:

1) I let her dictate the rate at which she chose to learn to ride.
2) I let her choose the colour of her bike.
3) I tried to size her bike properly - even though her bike is slightly big.
4) When we go riding, I let her set the pace and choose the routes. She likes to go to the lake to see the ducks. We are luck to live near a large multi use path that we can get to safely.

I am willing to share ideas to help others, I got really lucky.

[joosttx]

Super rad! Way to go Dad. She’s a little shredder!!!

[XXtwindad]

I just want to share my recent experience "teaching" my daughter to ride a 2 wheeled bike.

She started with her custom built balance bike. She has been on it for late last summer /fall into this spring. Over this time she learned how to coast and turn and generally balance. We were doing 5km "rides" and she was having lots of fun.

During the winter she asked for a "real" "big kid bike with pedals" "that is green like dad's". I ended up getting her a 16 inch spawn yoji - she meets the minimum height and inseam recommendations. When the bike arrived, I took the pedals off and she transitioned to it as a balance bike developing skills with the brakes and getting used to the bigger wheels. She rode the bike like this for a few weeks, then one day she asked me to put the pedals on so she could ride. She got really frustrated and upset about not being able to ride her bike as she could not figure out balance and pedaling at the same time. I took the pedals off and she went back to balance biking.

I then had an idea, and set her bike up on my trainer and she would pedal it. We did this for a few weeks.

Then one day, when we were going to the dog park, she asked for the pedals to be put back on her bike as she was going to ride it.

As soon as I got her, and the bike out of he car, and a helmet on, she grabbed her bike, hopped on it and pedaled away with no help.

She now starts by herself, knows some basic rules of the road (stopping at driveways and sidewalk ends, riding in straight line). She likes "super boosts",I give her a good push to get her going. We've done a few 5 km rides and she loves it.

TLDNR take a ways:

1) I let her dictate the rate at which she chose to learn to ride.
2) I let her choose the colour of her bike.
3) I tried to size her bike properly - even though her bike is slightly big.
4) When we go riding, I let her set the pace and choose the routes. She likes to go to the lake to see the ducks. We are luck to live near a large multi use path that we can get to safely.

I am willing to share ideas to help others, I got really lucky.

That moment is like "magic," isn't it? I've had many great moments on a bike. None of them compare to the first time my daughter(s) pedaled off unassisted.

[weisan]

My second daughter did that too. She just rode off even before I had time to close the rear hatch of our minivan. She is now 20...and drives a car. :rolleyes:

[reuben]

This thread has awesome written all over it.

[redir]

The balance bikes are the best way to go in the beginning.

[mulp]

Wow that's amazing! I didn't start riding two wheeled bikes until wayyyyy later!

[pdonk]

Here is a link to the thread about building her balance bike. It has since been repainted to army green. https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=221654

With number 2 on the way shortly, I decided to go with a more expensive bike would be a wise "investment" and likely cheaper over the long-term. Here is a link to the company - spawn. https://spawncycles.com/yoji-16

And here is a pic of our green bikes together.

Thought a good news thread, could brighten people's day.

[OtayBW]

Not. Too. Shabby. Dad! :banana:

[4151zero]

Congrats, I know the feeling all too well.

My son transitioned from his balance bike (which he rode at pump tracks last year/Sea Otter) to his bmx pedal bike without hesitation, during the COVID19 lockdown. Mind you, no push, and on our tiny back patio/yard with concrete slab and gravel borders. He actually scares me how fast in tight circles he goes, without putting his feet down.

:bike:

ENJOY those rides, miles of SMILES are in your future.

[buddybikes]

Congrats.

We were riding other day by town park, small BMX course - 4 year old going up and down the ramps. We stood there in awe

[Likes2ridefar]

Congrats, my daughter is just now getting comfortable at age 6.

[charliedid]

Best post in some time!

Like

[thirdgenbird]

We were gifted a balance bike for our daughter (about 15 months old) and she has an interest in it already. She would randomly go over and investigate it so my wife sat her on it and walked her along. She still struggles, but has been able to take several steps unassisted. We don’t force in on her, but every few days after her initial experience, she will pull it off the wall. She can’t get on herself yet, but if we go over and hold it up after she express interest, she will get on it with a smile. Some days she will just sit on it, and other days she will try and walk. She has had a few spills, but it doesn’t phase her. She stands back up and immediately gets to working on standing the bike back up. Kids are amazing.

[unterhausen]

That's a really great story. I think that the day I learned to ride is one of the few enduring memories of my childhood.

My mother ran a Montessori school for a number of years. When a kid would learn to ride one of her bikes, she would start teaching them to read. Her theory was coordination and reading are linked. OTOH, I think most of those kids were 4.

[veloduffer]

I think my son was about 5 when the training wheels came off. He started with a kids' Trek bike with training wheels and used the pedals. I/we never pushed him to remove them and one day he decided that he wanted to try.

We drove to a large parking lot (empty) and I started pushing the bike. My wife was waiting about 40 yards away (the target). I pushed may be 3 feet and he was off. He stopped in the middle and looked to see where I was. I told him that he got to that point on his own and he could see I was far away.

The smile of satisfaction that came on his face was priceless - it was so bright that it could have lit up our town.

Then he just started pedaling and doing turns and circles like he had been doing it all along. So much fun.

Now he's 21 and he skateboards (he drives but doesn't like to and doesn't want a car). Life has sped by too quickly.

[d_douglas]

Here is a link to the thread about building her balance bike. It has since been repainted to army green. https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=221654

With number 2 on the way shortly, I decided to go with a more expensive bike would be a wise "investment" and likely cheaper over the long-term. Here is a link to the company - spawn. https://spawncycles.com/yoji-16

And here is a pic of our green bikes together.

Thought a good news thread, could brighten people's day.

Great story! That Dekerf is making my eyes water. That is a classic beauty. The greatest envy bike of my 20s...

[mktng]

What a great feeling right???

My son recently started riding no training wheels. Roughly the same age. Zero pressure from me. It was the desire to be faster than our neighbors kid in a race that made him run to me and ask to remove the training wheels.

[KVN]

My son quickly learned to pedal at a really early age and then one day decided he was to done with it and switched over the a scooter for a year and totally forgot about the bike. He had to relearn all over again at 4 years old and it was much harder the second time around. Weird.

[mcfarton]

My daughter lost the training wheels at 4. I got lucky as the neighborhood kids really inspired and taught her to ride without the training wheels. Now I have to get my 3 year old off her training wheels. I feel like she should stop crashing so often before I press the issue. My kids love their bikes and I even have my oldest(5) running with me occasionally. Life is great


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[oldpotatoe]

The balance bikes are the best way to go in the beginning.

I agree..altho both my grand daughters never had interest in the balance bikes I bought for them..both when they were 3..yup, they did the training wheels gig, then off they came when they wanted them off and the rest is history(been about 3 years now)...I loved it when the oldest, now 9, when she went for our first no training wheels ride, I asked how did she like it, 'it feels like freedom'....:).
A GREAT thing during the 'rona gig..mom, dad and girls go for a bike ride...

[bitpuddle]

This is awesome and really needed a happy story today. I can’t wait for my 18 month-old to get on a balance bike.

[merlinmurph]

Thanks guys, I really love hearing these stories. I don't have kids, so I get my kids-on-bikes fix living vicariously thru my friends. I've done bike rides with them and truly get a kick out of it.

We're in a campground for a few weeks and I love seeing kids riding around the campground endlessly, around and around and around. They hook up with other kids and get to be, well, kids.

Keep the stories coming.

[veloduffer]

If there’s a silver lining to the COVID situation, the lack of other activities and staying local has helped push kids to get a bike and ride. I haven’t seen so many families going riding in a long time

No more travel team soccer (or other sport) and many other activities. The virus has slowed us down. Unfortunately it remains a stressful period in other ways.


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[pdonk]

Great story! That Dekerf is making my eyes water. That is a classic beauty. The greatest envy bike of my 20s...

If only it had the open seat stays, it would be so much cooler.

I bought it for myself as a university graduation present summer of 1996. It was my primary mtb until 10 years ago, when I got into dualies.