What age did your child learn to ride a bike?

[2022IamHavingYa]

Exactly that. Ride a 2 wheeled bike without any stabilisers? What bike did they have to learn on and what did they progress onto?

Thanks

Just before her 4th birthday, by which time she had been riding for a couple of months, but that was the first time she allowed me to let go of the hem of her dress. My repeated protestations that I was making no difference to the physics of bike riding fell on deaf ears.

Nearly 5. Had been on a balance bike for ages but had a big break when she was too big for it. She learned during the first lockdown, empty park and lots of time. She had a bike from decathlon if I remember correctly, it was not the lightest bike in the world but did the job.

DS age 3. DD age 4. Both started on balance bikes

I think they were all 4 or 5. I think I was 5 - my dad taught me by trial of gritty car park 😬

Totally different. One of them was pretty average, stabilisers then rode without age 6 ish I think. Another to bloody ages stubborn as a mule and didn't see the point. Was 9 or 10 before they could ride. Skipped stabilisers and just got a decent, well balanced bike. The next one we discovered balance bikes and they zoomed around from 2 then when they outgrew it peddled straight off on a proper bike, no stabilisers.

3.5

Age 3 but i think I was about 10

Both age 3. They had balance bikes then an islabike.

7, 8 and 6. They all learnt without stabilisers and it took the girls a couple of weeks. DS learnt during lockdown and was riding in about 4 days.

My friends DS has learned at 5 but my 5yo is no where near ready

Just turned 4, on a Woom 2 bike. She'd had the bike a few months and had used it like a balance bike first, then one pedal, then the other, then both together and was off, but it did take a bit of effort.

They're great little bikes. She can lift it to carry it out of our front door herself and loves riding it.

Both were 3, both had had a year or so on a balance bike and both graduated on to a Islabike. DS had had a 16” wheel one, but we fortunate enough to get a smaller one second hand for DD. It’s been iskabikes all the way since.

1. Absolutely loved his balance bike so was whizzing along on that. Had stabilisers a few weeks but husband (hardcore biker) took them off then. Had a blip for a year or so after a nasty accident. At 8 he goes for miles now and does mountain bike trails with us.

DD1 is 7 and a half and still has stabilisers. She has ASD and is very clumsy.

Ds1 was 6. He's dyspraxic and took a long time to learn with a lot of frustration. Ds2 and DD were 4 I think. All had balance bikes before.

3.5... Started with balance bike then added the pedals once he was quite confident with that!

Eldest 5 from bike with stabilisers, younger ones could all ride before they were 4 from balance bikes once we worked out these were better for learning. The lighter the bikes the easier it is for little people to ride them (although they tend to be more expensive)

First ds was 4. Didn't take long. A few goes, and I've no idea what kind of bike he had.
Second ds was also 4, went to his friends house one day, hoped on friends bike and off he went. Had never been on a 2 wheeled bike before.

Our first was just under 3.5, had been balance biking A LOT. She learned on the smallest Specialized bike as the did the lightest one we could find in that size- she was really dinky and I think it's a 12" bike. Disadvantage of being that young was that she needed a push start every time and struggled with braking for ages until her coordination caught up when she was closer to 4.

Second child was 5- she wasn't as confident and wasn't interested in properly trying. Took the pedals off the 12" bike so that extended her time on a balance bike and she finally learned on the next size up which is a halfords/Wiggins one. Took a bit of bribery to make her try but didn't need any help from us and just went for it.

Depends so much on the individual child in my experience. We've always factored weight in as a key consideration in out bike choices- a lot of small bikes are so heavy- it's be the equicale t of me pedalling an 80kg bike. We've gone for ones where components are designed for children, and the weight is low.

My son is was on 2 wheels 5 weeks before his 3rd birthday. Balance bike, don’t bother with stabilisers. Now a bmxer racer.

@CoastalWave

One was age 3, the other was age 4.

Although kids do seem to be doing it a lot lot later these days. Saw an 8/9yr old with stabilisers in the park the other day which my son thought was odd (his words)

The earlier the better surely?! Then they can go to skateparks and do BMX type fun stuff!

Isn't your son lovely - being rude about someone learning to ride a bike. Wonder where he gets these charming tendencies from?

My DS just got on a bike and rode on his 4th birthday, no probs. My DD tried hundreds of times and just couldn't get the balance right. She managed it eventually but now aged 10 she just hates riding bikes and won't do it. People are all different.

1. No stabilisers. For the first handful of times I ran next to him, holding the back of the bike, but I kept letting go earlier, without telling him, as he was balancing on his own.

Oldest got a islabike on 3rd birthday and pedalled off on it within 5 minutes his younger brother was even earlier as I had the bike and was 2 years old and 10 months but had been on islabike balance bike since 18 months old.

No stabilisers just balance bikes first.

Just over 4. Had ridden a balance bike really well (and fast!) from the age of around 2. Got a proper bike (with stabilisers) for 4th birthday. Couple of months later took the stabilisers off

DC1 - 5, DC2 - 6, DC3 is 4.5 and still has stabilisers.