Age for pedalling a bike (with training wheels) and how to teach!

[brachy]

DS is very proficient on his balance bike so the in-laws decided to get him a 12inch bike with training wheels for his birthday. The poor chap is desperate to ride like his sister but he can only pedal backwards...he can't even touch the floor to use this bike like his balance bike.
What sort of age do they 'get' how to pedal forwards and how can we help him, he is so keen yet perhaps, physically not ready. We don't won a trike of any sort so he has had no experience of pedalling.
Many thanks.

[cantfindamnnickname]

I think it varies child to child - my oldest was 6 and it took lots of arguments and set holding and stress for couple of days.

My other ds - 4 - jumped on his bike at weekend and just went - no help, no holding him nothing - just got on it and rode off - was quite shocked

[WoofToYouTooLady]

if he can't touch the floor the bike is no use to him

can you lower the seat so that his feet are flat on the ground

hours of pushing him with his feet on the pedals are coming your way

trikes aren't that spenny, why not scour local car boots, you might pick one up for a tenner if you don't want to shell out on a new one

[UniS]

pedalling a trike 18months.proficient on a balance bike 2 , managing his friends bike with trainer wheels 2.9 . pedalling his own 2 wheeler 3.5.

OP- How old is your DS?

If the 12 inch bike is too tall for him to reach ground its too big for him really. The wheels maybe small but the frame is too big. Its probably quite heavy too, with lots of added friction from the trainer wheels and those small wheels are not easy to set in motion.

Can you get him on small trike at preschool or toddler group to get him pedalling until he's tall enough for the birthday bike.

[Trouble100]

DD got a pedal bike with stabilisers or her 3rd birthday. We didn't have a trike and she just got on it and pedalled so I don't know how or when she worked out how to pedal. BUT she doesn't get her balance bike at all so I reckon just go with what they can do.

[An0therName]

my DS was great on his balance bike 2.5- he couldn't pedal until over 3 - did it a pre-school on trikes -I didn't have one either - he had a very very small bike 10 " I think which he touch the ground on - he is quite short - at 3.5 - had stabliser on it for a few months - and then asked for them to taken off and rode straight away at 3.10

[alana39]

I'd say it's very variable too. DS1 insisted in stabilisers off after 2 goes and just pedalled off with no help St 4. DS2 nearly 7 and can pedal trike, or use balance bike, but can't put the 2 skills together.