great day yesteday....

[Ozz]

....my son learned how to ride a bike! (bike pictured below, but is without the training wheels)

I have been a bad father, and have not really pushed my older son to ride his bike...he is 7 years old. The street in front of our house has some blind corners and hills, so I needed to drive him to the local elementary school to ride...all of 6 blocks away! Shame on me..... :no:

Anyway, last week he received an invitation to a birthday party, which is going to be a ride on a trail thru the Mercer Slough. He wants to go, so I need to get busy.

Well yesterday he went from coasting down a gentle slope and terrified of crashing, to hopping the curb on the running track, down some hills, over roots, thru mud puddles, etc and having a blast. Even some crashing where he got up laughing. He didn't want to quit and wants me to take him back there tonight...

Man that was fun....I need to get a mountain bike so I can ride with him! ;)

:D :D :D

[William]

That’s great! :banana:

Don’t feel too bad, my son took to it right away. My daughter on the other hand had really resisted learning until just recently when she started feeling left out when her brother and I would go on rides. Two days of gentle coaching…and being kind of tough when it was called for….got her from slow coasting with her feet dragging to ripping around the property with her brother. It was wonderful to see. I felt bad for a while because she just turned eight, but then I realized she just wasn’t ready earlier and took to it when she felt it was right.

It’s a great feeling when they first take off isn’t it?! :cool:




William

[Ozz]

...It’s a great feeling when they first take off isn’t it?! :cool: ...
Heck ya!

The bike is almost too small for him now, but he likes it (likes the paint ;) ).....maybe for his birthday!

[93legendti]

Great job!

My daughter rides the tandem with me, but has resisted learning to ride. I don't push and she's not even 6, so I figure there is time.

[konstantkarma]

Congrats! It's fun to see the expression of independence.

My boy is 5 next month, still on training wheels. I don't want to push him too much. I have gotten him on a trail-a-bike recently. I am hoping that the experience with the side to side motion prepares him for the day that his training wheels come off. Probably next spring.

[johnnymossville]

Congrats! It's great isn't it?

My older daughter loves to ride with me and says she'll be able to beat me on hills before she turns 14!?! My younger daughter who is 6 really wants to ride, but I haven't been a good dad lately. Looking at your pic there I think it's time she got herself a new bike.

[Cdub]

That is a great day. I rememeber when my daughter and son shed the training wheels. Proud day indeed! :banana: :banana:

[KeithS]

My now 8 year old told me one day when he was 4 that he wanted to ride a big boy bike. I wasn't pushing him and I thought 4 was too young, so I hadn't put the training wheels back on the bike his sister had learned on. He said training wheels are for babies and he wanted to ride a big boy bike. He had ridden a razor all summer and was pretty good at it. He got on the bike and within 15 minutes we were riding to the park a couple of blocks away. It took a while to catch on to the coaster brakes. Now he doesn't descend from a long line of atheletes, he is my son. I think it was the razor, you can't teach balance. His sister didn't ride without training wheels until she was in 1st grade. She never had a scooter.

His smile was as big a smile as I have ever seen on his face before or since. What a great time.

[thwart]

And in what seems like (in retrospect) 5 or 6 weeks, you'll be teaching them to drive.

And 2 weeks later, how to assemble a loft in their dorm room...

Enjoy the moment!

[14max]

Nicely done and 'grats. My 6 year old has grown so much this year that he's move on to a 20". I, too, haven't pushed him to ride but he's motivated now even though he still has to use training wheels. It's only a matter of time...

[Ozz]

Nicely done and 'grats. My 6 year old has grown so much this year that he's move on to a 20". I, too, haven't pushed him to ride but he's motivated now even though he still has to use training wheels. It's only a matter of time...
While he was riding around, I was thinking his bike looked a little small....I even offered to get him a new one in the Spring, but he said he liked (the paint) the one he has! :rolleyes:

He'll come around eventually! ;)

[Lifelover]

.......I need to get a mountain bike so I can ride with him! ;)

:D :D :D

Even on a MTB you will tend to ride to fast.

I'm 6' 1", 250 lbs and up until a few months ago, I have been riding around with my kids on a 20" BMX bike.

Check out craigslist or the likes and find youself a decent quality BMX for around $100. Ride it until you son fits it.

If you are lucky you might find a 24" cruiser BMX.

[OperaLover]

One fine Saturday in Spetember she asked me to take off the training wheels. A month earlier she rode on two wheels but did not like the stopping with the coaster brake (she would prefer Record Skeletons I'm sure; better modulation!) She freaked out on the whole concept and refused to do it again.

I was skeptical about taking them off, but she insisted and reminded me twice, "Daddy, I told you to take off my training wheels!" I took them off and asked if she wanted me to hold the bike and help her get started. She refused. So I asked if she wanted to put on some knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards that came with my older son's skateboard. She agreed, and like Dumbo's feather, that's all it took! She proceeded in the next 15 minutes to teach herself without my help! ("Do you need help?" No Daddy, I do it myself!") Proud moment for old Dad!

She also had a razor and that taught balance. So, the bike was just a natural progression. She is so proud of herself!

Just one of the joys of parenthood!