Learning to ride a bike - stabilisers or not?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

DS has just turned 5. He is good at scooting (on a 3-wheeler) but has practically no experience at anything else with wheels - he never liked ride-ons, ignored balance bikes etc. He has always struggled a bit with co-ordination/motor skills (we got him assessed for dyspraxia at one point but the conclusion was he is probably just at the tail end of normal development).

We’ve decided to bite the bullet and have bought a bike. We’ve tried it a couple of times with the seat down and pedals off to try riding it like a balance bike - he can’t get the hang of it at all so far. We’ve tried putting the pedals on and supporting him under his arms - he seems to like this slightly more though he can’t get the hang of turning the pedals. Mostly he’s just getting upset and doesn’t want to try again.

I know everyone is sniffy about stabilisers but I am wondering, particularly given. His poor coordination whether it might be a better way to make progress and develop an interest in using the bike.

Or should I persevere and try to coax him back on the bike and see if we can get him riding on two wheels.

If it's the difference between riding a bike and not riding a bike at all, certainly get some stabilisers.

They will teach him some bad habits which will have to be unlearned at some point if he ever wants to ride a bike properly, but the benefits of getting out on a bike are really high in my opinion, so it could be a worthwhile sacrifice. After all, plenty of children have learned this way and will continue to do so - it all evens out in the end.

I would probably give it a really good try before giving up, though. It does take time and perseverance, especially for children who are not naturally physically confident. My DD is the same and it took almost a month of regular practice for her to really take off on her pedal bike, despite having (very slowly) mastered a balance bike beforehand. A couple of tries for a child who never got the hang of a balance bike first is not enough to write it off.

One thing to consider is the quality of the bike. Some cheap kids' bikes are very heavy in relation to the child's weight and therefore very difficult to ride for children who are not strong and physical by nature. This can make the whole process very frustrating and off-putting.

Thanks - I realise we haven’t really given it much of a go yet but it’s just been tears and frustration. Maybe I need to set up some kind of reward/incentive for trying as the pay-off of actually being able ride a bike isn’t motivating him at all.

I initially bought a heavy bike, realised my mistake, returned it and splashed out on an Islabike - the main benefit at the moment is at least it’s nice and light when I inevitably have to carry it home!

If pedalling is an issue, try propping the stabilisers up on tins of paint so the back wheel is off the floor. Then they can learn to pedal whilst being stationary- much easier for you than running along next to them!

They need to have leg strength for the pedals and arm strength/balance to hold the bike up.

Our two are good on scooters and as a result weren't prepared to put in any effort on a balance bike. So we abandoned the balance bike and went for stabilizers, figuring if the legs were strong enough for pedalling that was 50% sorted!

DD1 has just learnt to ride without stabilizers, we probably spent 2-3 seasions of 30 minutes or so holding her body while she pedalled which I didn't think was too bad. She is 6yo not sure if that is on the late side for learning but I don't think she would have been strong enough to hold the bike before now. She can only cycle for 20 minutes before it all starts going wobbly!

I did lots of research before teaching DD to ride and holding the shoulders is widely felt to be best method of teaching.
I agree you have to have the arm and leg strength to pedal. Tag alongs help to develop this so could be worth considering.

My son learned by a free class that the council did as I tried the running behind him.

In essence you take the stabilisers and pedals off the bike. Let them balance bike. When they can glide along for the count of 10 pop the pedals on. He was cycling in 30 mins. In was like . Hope it helps!

Also remember, that kids can learn at any age. DD was 9yo when she was finally ready to give it another go. She was so upset at not getting it at 5yo because her bike was too heavy for her, she refused and we just let it go for a while. We took the pedals off her new mountain bike to turn it into a giant balance bike and she got that within 30mins, put the pedals on and she went off riding after a couple of false starts.

The only thing was that we looked a bit odd in the park with a 9yo on a mountain bike riding it like a balance bike and little kids going zooming alongside on their tiny balance bikes

Good luck OP, it's brilliant when they finally get it.

With both of mine, I took the pedals off their bikes. They learned to balance that way, without the need for stabilizers.

Hi, I have a 5 year old DS and he has stabilisers on his bike. He started with an Islabike balance bike when he was 2, but didn't master it and then lost interest at 3 years old. So last Christmas, at 4.4 years old, we bought him a Frog43 and took the pedals off. He had mastered balancing by about April this year, so in the summer we put the pedals on. He can go about the length of our street in a v wobbly fashion if you give him a push to get started. But it is not at all consistent and he couldn't start or stop. Pedalling wasnt easy for him - he is not v coordinated and generally a bit behind his peers in terms of physical ability. We then put stabilizers on as it was getting to be a massive chore for him and we only had time to do it once a week. He's had the stabilisers on a little while now and he is much happier about going on the bike and often cycles to school on it. His pedalling is a lot better and he has also learnt to brake. I think sometime in the next couple of months we'll try again without stabilisers.

Maybe I need to set up some kind of reward/incentive for trying as the pay-off of actually being able ride a bike isn’t motivating him at all.

You could promise a bike ride to a place he loves - out for ice cream or something that is a treat. With DD I promised a basket for her bike once she had mastered it - that could work if your DS is into the idea. Cool decals or a bell could be an alternative.

It can also be motivating to see peers and you riding bikes and enjoying it.

My DD is a cautious child who is generally slow to master physical skills and we have her cycling at 4 due to a lot of encouragement and perseverance. She loves it now and can go for almost 10km. It is a fine line between encouragement and pressure though, so of course you have to be a bit careful.

And if he's started to get stressed at the mere idea of trying, you probably need to take a short break!

I agree taking pedals off the actual bike worked best. And somewhere with a nice gentle downhill slope to make it fun.

(Mine fell off cornering on stabilisers and it set us back massively)

People are funny about stabilisers but I really don't think it matters - they'll all learn whatever really. My DS had them so he could enjoy riding his bike and when he was ready we took them off and he learnt fine. I know I had stabilisers as a child and I learnt fine too!!