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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:

isabellerossignol · 05/08/2019 10:19

I'm in my 40s and never had a bike as a child. I could ride a bike, I just was never allowed one of my own. I bought my first bike aged 41 but I've never actually ridden it.

I don't think my life has a big bicycle shaped gap in it.

PixieLumos · 05/08/2019 10:22

Essential? I guess not really, as plenty of people never bike ride - but I would say it’s a bit unusual to not be able to.

Progress2019 · 05/08/2019 10:25

Also it might be worth looking on, or requesting on freecycle/freegle. I recently decluttered all my daughters childhood bikes. One daughters were well used, the other never felt confident, and I doubt will ever ride a bike again. The bikes were snapped up really quickly, but I often see people giving away bikes on there.

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Myimaginarycathasfleas · 05/08/2019 12:52

I would find a way for them to learn now if you can. It's much easier at their ages to master the balancing skills necessary. The bikes don't have to be anything special. As a pp suggested, second hand or ideally free!

It's not essential, but would definitely be beneficial to their health, independence and confidence.

Vintagevixen · 05/08/2019 12:57

I can't ride a bike and neither can DD (11). We get around on our scooters or public transport, though we do live in a city so transport is plentiful. I couldn't teach her as I had no idea how to ride myself!

Don't feel I missed out and as such I wouldn't rate it as an essential life skill, though possibly if you live somewhere more rural it's pretty useful.

Vintagevixen · 05/08/2019 12:57

Don't feel I missed out and as such I wouldn't rate it as an essential life skill, though possibly if you live somewhere more rural it's pretty useful.

Vintagevixen · 05/08/2019 12:57

Don't feel I missed out and as such I wouldn't rate it as an essential life skill, though possibly if you live somewhere more rural it's pretty useful.

confusedofengland · 05/08/2019 14:09

I think it's important but not essential. My 2 biggest could only do it without stabilizers at 8, DS2 has SEN so he's found it tricky but he is determined!

Now, we are finding that it's a good way for 10-year old DS1 to have a little independence & play out with friends. We also went on a big group camping trip recently & all the big DC had bikes, DS1 would have been left out without one.

Where we are (Essex), the school offers free Bikeability lessons in Year 4 & Year 6, does this also happen where you are?

BarbedBloom · 05/08/2019 14:26

Important but not essential. I cannot ride a bike, just can't balance at all and many people have tried to help. It doesn't really bother me or affect me on a day to day basis as I use public transport. The roads here aren't safe to cycle anyway

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 05/08/2019 15:19

I didn’t have a bike as a child because my parents couldn’t afford one. Never learned o ride one. It hasn’t blighted my life.

PantsyMcPantsface · 05/08/2019 15:28

Mine have only just learnt this summer - and my 6 year old is dyspraxic and was sooooo determined she wanted to do it that I bawled my eyes out when she wobbled off into the distance with a grin on her face.

Wouldn't have blighted their lives if they couldn't do it - but they were going to come up against various bike-oriented events as they grew up (their Beavers did the cycling badge recently - although it was more of a "sit on your bike and ding your bell continuously for an hour" badge) and I want them to have the option.

stayathomer · 05/08/2019 15:33

We are close to you in that we had so many reasons, cost and where we lived included and so are now teaching a 9 and 11 and 6 yo how to cycle. It's tough but there's been so much talk about cycling in school and a few of their friends go out on bikes, so I don't ever want them to not have the option. It's a bloody hard slog but all are just about there within a few weeks. They may never cycle when they're older but is just in case!!!

stayathomer · 05/08/2019 15:34

Ps ours are being taken out early in the morning or evening to empty car parks

ShivD · 05/08/2019 15:54

My local authority have a scheme that costs £10 a session and they will teach your child to ride their bike- you might need 2 lessons to get going but it’s such a good idea. They also do further levels such as road safety awareness for older kids and adults. You do need a bike for that though.

I think it’s a very good skill to have especially as kids get older. Do all schools have bike safety training in year 5/6? My sons entire class of 30
Could ride a bike when they did theirs.

WellTidy · 05/08/2019 16:02

DS has probably dyspraxia and could not ride a bike at age 10. He could barely get on it. He then went on a course, one hour a day, for three days. There were about 10 kids there, mostly much younger than him, all elarning. There was a guarantee that he would be cycling by the end of day three, or he would get the next three-hour course for free, and again, and again, as necessary. DH and I joked that DS would likely cause the business to go bankrupt as he was so far from being able to cycle when he went.

But he was indeed cycling by the end of the third hour. I couldn't believe it. DH and I had each tried to teach him and he was clueless. The teacher recommended Islabikes, as they are lightweight. So that's what we got. There are facebook groups that sell them second hand, they hold their value very well. he loves cycling now.

I learnt when I was about 8, cycled as a kid, and haven't been on a bike for many, many years. So I'm not sure whether it is an essential life skill. More like something to enjoy doing with friends, to give increased independence or as a mode of transport.

UselessTrees · 05/08/2019 16:11

Mine both taught themselves how to do it over the course of a weekend, a few weeks ago. They are 10 and 7, and hadn't learned before for various reasons (lack of bikes, convenience of scooters, lack of confidence on DD1's part). I do feel like we've ticked a big thing off the 'life skills' checklist, but I suspect that in reality they are unlikely to get further than trundling round the local park for quite a while yet, thanks to a hilly area and busy roads.

Chakano · 05/08/2019 16:13

If you want to be a cyclist then Yes it is an essential skill.
If you are unlikely to need (not want) to ride a bike it's hardly essential.
Swimming is the same, few swimmers could help themselves in the middle of the sea or similar.

Floralnomad · 05/08/2019 16:17

It’s not essential but it is useful . I was a beaver and cub leader for a number of years and we had ‘tour de France ‘ themed evenings most years and my dh and a few other parents taught the few kids that couldn’t ride a bike how to on those evenings . My own dc have never been bike riders but again ds was on a school camp recently ( he’s a teacher) and he had to go out on the bike riding activity and he’d have been very embarrassed if he couldn’t ride the bike as everyone assumed that all the teachers could .

AlunWynsKnee · 05/08/2019 16:24

In dd's Y6 cycling proficiency there was 1 child out of 60 who couldn't ride a bike at all.

H2OH20Everywhere · 05/08/2019 16:28

I learnt to ride as a child (though failed my cycling proficiency, though that was due to problems with the bike) but never rode much. My mum couldn't ride so we couldn't go for bike rides together (was just me and her) and she didn't drive, so couldn't take it anyway. All I did was cycle up and down my road, and a bit of the near vicinity when I was older, but really not far at all.

I got one as an adult about ten years ago and although I didn't use it much at first I'm now a really regular cyclist. Ok, so I don't go more than about ten miles, but I will use it to go to work or to visit friends.

My point is that although I didn't get much opportunity to ride as a child I am glad I learnt then, as I'm sure it would be much harder to do so now.

probstimeforanewname · 05/08/2019 16:29

I think it's essential and much easier to learn as a child than as an adult.

You could pick up bikes for free on Freecycle and the like. I did for ds. And have also given away via Freecycle.

probstimeforanewname · 05/08/2019 16:31

Ok not completely essential, but very useful and a good option for leisure as well as utility use. I think all children should be able to ride a bike, swim, and cook.

katewhinesalot · 05/08/2019 16:33

It's easier to learn when you are young and even if you don't use the skill the saying "it's like riding a bike" means that you'll never forget - or at least it'll be easy to remaster it.

It's not worth buying new for kids. Get some cheap bikes to learn on and find a quiet cut de sac to learn in. Even better have a chat to dc's friends parents if you are on good terms with them, and ask if their kids can "help" teach your kids. They could learn in one or two play dates if you are on hand too.

milienhaus · 05/08/2019 16:35

I learned to cycle at 21 because I needed to cycle around my uni town (lived miles away from lectures) and I wish I’d learned earlier!

Babdoc · 05/08/2019 16:39

Not in the least essential! I’m 63, and have never owned, or learned to ride, a bike. I’ve seen plenty of patients in A and E who’ve been knocked off them though- does that count?!

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