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Original poster

Learning to ride a bike, essential skill?

87 replies

PinotAndPlaydough · 04/08/2019 22:14

My children are 7 & 5, neither can rise a bike. In the past we simply could not afford to buy them. We also live in a first floor flat and have nowhere to store bikes. They would have to learn on the pavement as the nearest parks that would be suitable for learning are a bus ride away (I can’t drive) and I don’t think I could safely carry two bikes plus manage the kids all the way to the bus stop and on the bus.

Once we could afford bikes we got second hand one for them, eldest has some sen which makes learning harder and when we last tried to teacher her the bike ended being literally picked up thrown and thrown in the road (by her not me!).
They would now need new bikes as theirs are a bit small now and weren’t the best quality to begin with.
We could afford to buy new but it would mean sacrifices else where (days out during the holidays). Im so torn on this, I loved going out on my bike when I was a kid but my situation and opportunities to ride were very different. I really want them to learn but don’t know if the money and the general hassle of it all is worth it when they’ll have so little opportunity to actually use them.

So what would you do? Get the bikes or just leave it?

OP posts:
Ullupullu · 04/08/2019 22:16

Yes learning to ride a bike is an essential skill. But buy second hand!

CherryPlum · 04/08/2019 22:24

I taught both my girls, I kind of felt like they 'had' to learn. Like it's an essential. We live in a fairly cycle-friendly city, and near a park suitable for learning. BUT now that my girls are 12yrs and 10yrs, they never ever go out on bikes. For loads of reasons - they don't need to, they walk to school, none of their friends go out on bikes, it's too dangerous on the roads, they aren't bothered about bikes. I honestly don't know how worthwhile it is for them to learn, at the end of the day they don't actually NEED to.

lassie25 · 04/08/2019 22:28

I grew up in Glasgow in a tenement flat in the 70s and we didn’t have bikes as kids for similar reasons: nowhere to store them, too many flights of stairs up, lived on a hill which ran down to a main road, no bikes allowed in the park (!?) plus we had limited money. This was common so it wasn’t just us. It wasn’t until I was about 32 and met my husband that I learned to ride a bike - he taught me just like you would a kid by running along behind me holding on until I got it. I now love cycling. My point is not that you need to wait that long but don’t worry or feel bad if the circumstances aren’t right now - there is still plenty of time.

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Cycling Families
SpoonBlender · 04/08/2019 22:32

I count it as an essential skill, though not as important as eg swimming. Could you break them into wheeled transport via scooters, maybe? That's how my sister got her two onto bikes - kids learn on scooter, then you take them out for a bike ride and the scooter shows just how rubbish it really is for transport.

Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 04/08/2019 22:38

They have scooters and we use them a lot, they are much more manageable than bikes plus one of them folds down so storage is less of an issue.

I don’t want my kids coming back at me as adults bemoaning the fact they can’t ride bikes but maybe you’re right that now isn’t practically the best time.

OP posts:
MarriageOfPigaro · 04/08/2019 22:41

Same position here OP. Live on a hill... Even the garden is hilly, can't fit bikes in car....so nobody has learnt🙄

Titsywoo · 04/08/2019 22:44

Yes definitely an important skill. Both my kids were about 9 when they finally learned (due to dodgy coordination/nerves for one and SN the other) but we persisted and they love it now.

Titsywoo · 04/08/2019 22:45

My kids don't actually get to ride bikes often as there is nowhere local to ride them and it's bloody hard transporting them but on holidays and days out we hire them quite a lot.

Kittekats · 04/08/2019 22:47

I do think it’s an important skill but understand your circumstances make it difficult. Is there somewhere else they can learn and use bikes, maybe a grandparents who can keep the bikes there? Definitely second hand btw especially if they are not going to be used often.

thirdfiddle · 04/08/2019 22:48

They can always learn as adults if it just doesn't work at the moment.
If you do decide to have a go I'd look out for people selling them on on local selling sites, I often see kids' bikes very cheap. What I would do is take the pedals off and use them as balance bikes at first - also helps to get up speed and actually go somewhere rather than trying to do the running after thing. They might find that less frustrating. When they're good at coasting around pedals back on.

Hedgehogblues · 04/08/2019 22:50

I can't ride a bike and I'm not dead so no, not an essential skill

IHeartKingThistle · 04/08/2019 22:53

My DS is nearly 10 and technically CAN ride a bike but he doesn't. He agreed to learn on the proviso that he could then choose whether to do it again. He hates it and he has made the decision not to. I'm not going to make him! He says it's not like swimming which is a life skill, it's a choice and he should be allowed to make it.

I'm normally quite strict but I found it hard to argue with that one...

Wish we could have family bike rides though.

CrispbuttyNo1 · 04/08/2019 22:53

It's not an essential but it's a skill that they are missing out on especially if their peers can ride. If they go on school residentials, a bike ride is often part of the activities and it's always sad when you see the kids who can't ride feeling left out.

mycatisblack · 04/08/2019 22:57

Yes, an essential skill 40 years ago but as roads and traffic are so congested, I don't think it's as important as learning to swim. My DS is dyspraxic and is unlikely to learn to ride. He has no interest and I think there are other more important life skills to learn.

Andallofasuddenitsover · 04/08/2019 22:57

My 7 year old had only just learnt because she had previously refused and we hadn’t pushed her. At 7 it doesn’t take long to learn, 2 hours of practice and she can cycle quite well now.

converseandjeans · 04/08/2019 22:57

There are usually bikes on FB for sale for good price? My kids have mostly had 2nd hand bikes. Definitely don't need new.
I don't think I would have wanted to go by bus with 2 bikes on the off chance they will have a go.
Could you take them to campsite or caravan park? Mine learned at caravan park where there was more space. That would require bike rack tho...

BillywigSting · 04/08/2019 23:01

I never learned to ride a bike as a kid.

I had one but wasn't allowed out on it alone (dangerous neighbourhood) and was never taken out on it. So it sat in the too small to practice in back yard getting rusty until I grew too big for it.

I'm getting a bike tomorrow actually and hoping and praying I can actually teach myself to ride it.

I'm 28 and wholly fed up of not being able to.

Teach your kids how to ride. It's horrible (and a bit scary) having to learn as an adult

BillywigSting · 04/08/2019 23:02

Also apparently pavement is the better surface to learn on because it's flatter even if it's harder than grass

AliMonkey · 04/08/2019 23:10

Ideal but not essential.

We have the space (large garden, quiet road, near park, car we can fit two kids bikes in) so they had bikes from very young (with stabilisers) but were late learning to ride without stabilisers due to confidence / anxiety issues. Effect of learning late has been:

  • Their primary school does bikeability in y5/6 and almost everyone takes part, but DS in particular had only learnt a few months earlier and struggled with things like indicating.
  • Many of DS's friends now cycle to secondary school but he isn't confident enough so walks (with just one non-cycling friend) and it takes longer.
  • They never use them to get from A to B (except at Center Parcs), always walk or rely on lifts or public transport.

But we do use them for family bike rides as are lucky to live near some good paths/common/parks.

OTOH, DH didn't learn until he was over 30 and he picked it up after one hour's lesson and rides confidently (except on really busy roads). So not learning as a child doesn't stop them doing it later in life.

Sounds like it's not practical for now so don't worry about it.

PassMeAnotherCoffee · 04/08/2019 23:30

Its not an essential skill at that age. I didn't get a bike until I was in secondary school. I learned to ride a bike as well as anyone else.

Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 05/08/2019 10:06

Such decided opinions!!

OP posts:
TowerRingInferno · 05/08/2019 10:10

I think it’s a great skill but not essential. I can’t ride a bike and it really hasn’t mattered at all. I tried to learn twice but have no balance and terrible hand/eye coordination and just couldn’t do it!

We live in an area where cycling is hugely popular and I do feel quite envious of those people who do it as a social form of exercise.

PullingMySocksUp · 05/08/2019 10:11

Second hand bikes normally go for about 1/4 of the price of new if you’re looking at a decent make like ridgeback. I only mention that as that’s what we’ve done, got a £200 bike for £50 each time. Sometimes sold them on for the same.

Once they can ride a bike would the park be near enough to ride to?

PullingMySocksUp · 05/08/2019 10:14

Oh and if you were to teach them, we saw lots of articles saying to hold the child, not the seat.

If they’re ready, it should just take a couple of 20 minute sessions.

SnuggyBuggy · 05/08/2019 10:16

I doubt mine will ever learn. The roads here don't have cycle lanes and the nearby parks don't really have much space for cycling, like others say it would be a case of driving the bikes somewhere to actually be able to use them.

I don't cycle as an adult. It's not a bad hobby but I don't see how it's essential for everyone.