Teaching a child to cycle, help!!

[Rubytinsleslippers]

My eldest DC can't cycle without stabilisers. He is 8. He fears falling. He is not confident and so far I have just let him cycle round with them on, loads of praise etc to build his confidence. Now his bike is way too small and he can't cycle as knees practically hitting his nose. But can't attach stabilisers to a 'big' bike...so now stuck.. As put off by tiny bike making it impossible to cycle and fear of no stabilisers.. What can I do? He actually likes being on the bike but feels this pressure he should be able to do it without stabilisers as all his class can but gives up and can't cycle now on the too small one.... Anyone any tips? Help?

Watching. Mine is a little younger but same issue. Hope someone will be along to help!

I'd take the pedals off the bike and get him used to using it like a balance bike - once he has got the hang of that he'll be fine.

Us too!!!!!

Take pedals off the small bike or the big one?

What @UnaOfStormhold said. They did this at my sons school. Remove pedals get used to the balancing. Then add pedals again. The only help you give is steadying the back of the seat while he gets momentum.

Have you tried letting him try without stabilises but on grass or with you holding him? I think holding him rather than the seat works best, but do check.
Otherwise, what size of bike will you be moving up to? Could you get some bigger stabilisers?

Take them off the big one, assuming his feet can touch ground.

Take the pedals off the big bike and adjust the seat height so that he can sit and have his feet on the ground to push. Find a gently sloping hill and let him roll down it using his feet to adjust the speed. Encourage him to take large steps to learn to balance. Once he can balance, pedals back on and teach him to pedal

He won't try cycling on the grass. There is a nice path where we can go.
Thanks for the tips. Will attempt again with no pedals on the big bike. Is it hard to take them off then put back on?

Dd was 6 and couldn't ride a bike at all. When we tried friends bikes she couldn't even push her legs round etc so we booked a riding lesson with national cycling academy. They say 93% of children are riding within the hour.

Dd wasn't riding within the hour when we did her lesson but the teacher did tell me quite a few things...

• Never use stabilisers as children learn nothing from them and it prolongs being able to ride properly.

• Start off with a balance bike (two wheels, no pedals).

As dd was 6 she was way too big for a balance bike (they usually go up to 5) so we bought a 2nd hand bike and removed the pedals.

Don't get a balance bike that is too big. The child needs to have their legs straight, bum on seat and feet flat on the floor. If the bike is too big and their feet are not flat on the floor they will have limited stability and confidence.

Dd practised for 30 mins 3 times a week for 2 weeks and then said she thought she could do a bike with pedals.

Got dd a bike with pedals and within 2 mins she was riding properly!

I've written almost the same answer on another thread so forgive me if you have already read it.
I'm a coach at our local kids cycling club and I agree wholeheartedly with AllForAnEasyLife
I used to be sceptical about balance bikes as after all, we all learned with stabilisers, but now I would never go back to teaching with stabilisers. Riding a bike with stabilisers is like riding a tricycle. It doesn't teach balance and it doesn't teach how to move the bike using body weight, which are two absolutely key skills. Most children will get the hang of things eventually but it teaches the skills the wrong way round. If you learn balance and weight transfer first and then add pedalling its usually a lot easier and less stressful.
We have had quite a few kids at our club, some older than your DS who have been unable to manage with stabilisers and have come to us very anxious and upset about riding, but they have all successfully learned to ride by the balance bike method. We have a few bikes that we have stripped everything off to make balance bikes for older kids, but you can make do with just taking the pedals off and dropping the seat so that their feet are securely on the floor.
We also get quite a lot of parents who tell us that they have tried a balance bike but it hasn't worked. This is almost always because they have thought their child should intuitively know what to do with a balance bike. Some do, but lots need to be shown. We use the British Cycling Ready Set Ride programme which has a really good structure. It is aimed at preschoolers but we have used it very successfully with children up to 9 or 10 - you just need to make the language appropriate to your child as some of the terminology is a bit young. Just go to the Ready Set Ride website and create an account. Anyone can access it and its free. You won't need to do all the preparation exercises but I would strongly recommend you work through the exercises in the "balance" section in order.
One tip I find helpful is that older children who have become anxious about riding need to take things a bit slower than the totally fearless 3 year olds so take care not to compare with what younger friends are doing. I always refer to the activities as "games" when I am coaching young children and put the focus on having fun rather than achieving a specific goal. If they are enjoying themselves they forget to feel anxious and are far more likely to make progress.
When things get back to normal again you might like to look for a British Cycling Go Ride Club in your area. They are always in traffic free locations with qualified coaches so great for building up confidence in a low risk way.

I'd suggest using whichever bike makes it easier to get his feet properly on the ground for pushing/greater feeling of stability, so probably the smaller one. It's fairly easy to take the pedals off as long as you have the appropriate size spanner but you need to be aware that one of the pedals is threaded the opposite way to normal, which also means it's important to mark the left and right pedals so you can put them back on the right way round. I'd suggest googling for videos.

I think some bikes are easier to ride than others too. We got our dd an islabike for her fifth birthday and she just got on and cycled away. She had been using a balance bike beforehand but they are so light and easy to ride she found it easier than I'd expected.

Find the lightest bike you can. We had a cheap second hand bike for my first son but realised that it was just too heavy for him. Managed to find him a much better lighter bike which was much easier to control. We made the same mistake with a scooter, bought one which looked identical to the more expensive ones around but it was heavier, clunkier and more difficult to manage. The difference was incredible.

Does he also scoot, skateboard, trampoline, play sports that involve jumping and coordination? These other gross motor skills practice will help and will help overcome the fear of falling.

My child has queried dyspraxia with balance and spatial awareness issues. He was very uncomfortable on a bike and reluctant to learn. He was 9 before he learned to ride. I purchased a glyder bike which is a larger aluminium framed balance bike. We got him going in no time using it. It’s super light weight so ideal. It was worth every penny. I’m just coaxing my 6 year old with it now!!

Sorry it’s called a go glider!!

DS was about 12 before he finally mastered it, and once he had proved he could do it, he never rode one again
Some kids just arent interested and as its not a vital life skill we werent particularly bothered.

He does love cycling with stabilisers but he won't use a scooter or skateboard. He gross motor skills are not great, he is a bit clumsy but his fine motor skills are excellent.
He is not a sporty / run about kid. Prefers reading, drawing, puzzles etc
I want to encourage him at cycling as he does enjoy it and it's about the only physical activity he actually likes...