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Original poster

When did your child ride their scooter/bike?

21 replies

Popppie · 07/02/2025 11:26

So DS got a bike for his 3rd birthday, he’s 3y1m he hasn’t really entertained it yet! He’s tall for his age and we followed age/measurements of the bike but still seems to just reach pedals unless I can adjust seat down etc

anyway, he prefers his electric ride on motorbike right now! Doesn’t care much for a scooter ?

is this all normal? I worry about his physical co ordination as it’s been noted by nursery he is weak on his top half (so we’re working on it) but yeah I seen a kid go to pre school who’s a month older on her scooter she kept scooting was fast

and my friends kid who is 2 months younger uses their scooter well

he hops on and off and is slow a little bless him

but he walks everywhere. We walk everyday and he walks far ! So does he just want to walk more or will his interest grow as he ages

OP posts:

Pascha · 07/02/2025 11:31

Ds1 loved scooting from about 2 but wouldn't entertain a bike til he was 4 and only if we got one with stabilisers. He was riding freely before he was 5 though.

With Ds2 we started him on a balance bike (no pedals) which he took to straight away.

Loads of kids get on really well with a balance bike. It's hard learning pedals when you're 3.

Take off his pedals and let him try the bike just as a balance bike for a while.

SquigglePigs · 07/02/2025 11:43

DD had a small foot-on-the-floor propelled trike from about 2 ish and a small scooter. She struggled with the co-ordinated on a scooter when she was little though and never moved more than a few feet but she was scooting confidently and riding a bike with stabilisers from about 3.5. They also had little trikes at nursery that she loved from a similar age.

Then when she outgrew the small bike she got one without stabilisers when she was about 5.3 (largely because it was spring then as she's a winter baby and the other bike broke in early autumn).

A neighbours just turned 4 year old learnt to ride his bike without stabilisers last summer just because he wanted to copy DD and his sister! He found it a lot harder than DD and her similarly aged friend to get the hang of it though.

3 is young for pedals and if you wait til he's interested he'll get the hang of it much quicker. The scooter or balance bike will likely be more fun for him for now. I still wouldn't push it if he's not interested though. Maybe hold it back til the weather improves in a few months and see if he's more interested then.

If nursery are concerned about arm strength I'd focus more on playgrounds and encourage him to climb, try monkey bars, swinging of bars etc. Or see if there's a gymnastics club he could go to.

Lemonademoney · 07/02/2025 11:46

Balance bikes are a great precursor to a bike. Toddler gymnastics are a fantastic all rounder for any child as they’ll learn balance, coordination and strength as well as how to take instruction - if you can find a group for him I would heartily recommend it.

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Cycling Families

TeenToTwenties · 07/02/2025 11:47

Is there any incentive to cycle when he has an electric motorbike already?

Honestly I'd remove the battery, oh dear it's broken. Then use the bicycle/scooter.

Needanewnameidea · 07/02/2025 11:47

One of mine was brilliant on a balance bike from 3, good on a pedal bike from 5 and never did get the hang of a scooter. The other was good on a scooter from 2, never got on with a balance bike and only started riding a pedal bike without stabilisers at 7. I did want my children to learn to cycle at some point (they’ll need to cycle to secondary school) but I don’t regard scooting as an important skill anyway, I didn’t care if they ever picked it up or not. There’s kids in their classes who still don’t ride a bike at 10 and there was a kid in their preschool class doing stunts on a two wheel scooter at 3. They’re all different.

Your DC sounds completely fine and normal - so long as he’s walking lots and getting exercise he’s fine. If he needs some upper body strength I’d prioritise climbing, monkey bars and general outdoor play over a scooter or bike anyway. He’ll take an interest when he’s ready.

Also, how heavy is the bike? My oldest made leaps of progress when they were given a small second hand aluminium one which was quite light and easy to use - they could barely lift the steel character theme one from Halfords, it was no wonder they didn’t ride it!

ColourlessGreenIdeasSleepFuriously · 07/02/2025 11:47

DS mastered riding a bike at 2 and 8 months but that was way younger than his peers (boast post). Now he is a pre-teen and won't shift his arse from the sofa without moaning 🙄

Hiccupsandteacups · 07/02/2025 11:49

Our son is very active and capable (not boasting just saying we didn’t make this happen! It’s his nature!!) we got him a balance bike at 2 and he loved it. Shortly after his third birthday he asked to go on his pedal bike (bday present) and I held the back of it helping him learn. He immediately turned around and said let go mummy and cycled off no stabilisers!! So I didn’t even get to teach my first child to ride a bike 🤣🤣
cant recommend balance bikes enough to friends.

has been happily scooting since 2

NannyR · 07/02/2025 11:55

Can you remove the pedals and let him use it as a balance bike? Getting the hang of balancing is the tricky part of learning to ride a bike, mastering pedalling is easier. I would find a park with some nice grassy slopes and visit with a friend who can already use a balance bike.

Original poster

Popppie · 07/02/2025 12:02

We do have a balance bike he had a 3 wheel bike a globber one? And we have a bigger balance bike

so may try him on this more than try the pedal one?

OP posts:

Girasoli · 07/02/2025 12:29

DS1 (age 8) can ride a bike and got the hang of it around age 5. DS2 (just turned 5) was a bit wary of the balance bike but liked his tricycle and loves scooting. They both got the hang of scooters straight away - age 2 or 3.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 07/02/2025 12:30

DTs were scooting from around 2.5. Couldn't ride a bike until 7.

Vettrianofan · 07/02/2025 12:32

DS1 aged 7, DS2 aged 8, DS3 aged 8 and DS4 aged 6.

Finchgold · 07/02/2025 12:43

Balance bike at 2, scooter at 3, pedal bike 3 1/2. Not a sporty child in any other way and this is the only thing in life that’s ever come easily to him!

I will say though that lockdowns helped. His life at that age revolved round scooting or cycling round empty car parks and parks.

InTheRainOnATrain · 07/02/2025 12:53

Scooting maybe 18 months in a park but I wouldn’t let them on it by the road until 3 as I needed to be sure they’d stop at every junction. Neither of mine got on with balance bikes but also didn’t crack pedals until 4, we didn’t do stabilisers and I booked them on a learn to cycle course that taught them to ride properly over 3 sessions. If they had the option of an electric motorbike they definitely would have preferred that though- sounds like great fun!

OnlyWhenILaugh · 07/02/2025 12:56

Balance bike at 2, pedal bike at 4.

Reugny · 07/02/2025 13:03

My DD had a balance bike at 20 months. She was so good on it within 6 months some old man said as she went pass "He needs a bike". Unfortunately it was another year before she fitted a bike.

She initially didn't want to ride it and kept putting her feet down saying she couldn't ride it even though one of her cousins took her out to check she could. (This cousin also learnt to ride a bike when he was 3.) I just turned around to her and said " fine then you will have to walk to your CMs" which was a 40 minute walk on her little legs.

She was very good very quickly. Some people were shocked to find when they asked us that she was 3 years old and since then lots of people have commented on her bike riding skills. She actually rides dangerously if she has a helmet on her head.

However DD has good balance and could roller skate from 2. She has also been ice skating. She had a scooter from 4 and is annoying on it but not dangerous as she doesn't use a helmet.

WorkMisery · 07/02/2025 13:03

Dd: quite slow start…not interested…
3 wheeled-scooter, age 3.
Bike with stabilisers, age 5.
no stabilisers, age 6.

Ds: crazily amazing… lots of practice…
balance bike, 18months
hurtling down hills giggling at a terrifying pace, age 3
full on cycling no stabilisers and using a 2-wheel scooter, age 4
cycling easy pump tracks, age 5

Wishboneswishes · 07/02/2025 13:05

DS mastered his pedal bike at almost 3 years and DD was nearly 9! 😅

FrauPaige · 07/02/2025 13:14

DD was riding a balance bike at 18 months, pedal bike at 3. They do what they perceive to be normal. We lived abroad in a city where everyone travelled by bicycle and children all rode at pre-school, so that's what was normal for her. She's 9 now and rides her cross bike faster than me, and almost as fast as my husband - she can beat him on hill climbs.

Your son sounds fine. Replace the electric bike and pedal bike with a balance bike - Striders are good. You want the lightest frame. Size down so it is manageable. He'll soon be looking for slopes to cruise down.

Once he's got the the hang of the balance bike, get the lightest, smallest, aluminum framed pedal bike you can find. Don't use stabilisers. Spend a sunny Saturday at a park running as you hold the seat of the bike while he pedals and he'll end that day able to ride a bicycle.

pelargoniums · 07/02/2025 13:16

Both of mine were Olympic-level scooters from 2. DD never got along with the balance bike and was frustrated with the bike-bike till one term of lessons in reception and then she was off! DS2 is desperate to try the bike but can’t actually get along with it or the balance bike. I think they were both so scooty, the slower progress with the bike frustrated them.

lostinchaos · 07/02/2025 13:17

One of mine was scooting and balance biking at 2, and pedal biking from 3 1/2. They would have peddled earlier but we waited for Christmas to give her a bike... it took her less than ten mins to get going on it on Xmas morning and she has love it ever since!

My other child was slower due to a lack of motivation I think! Scooting and balance bike at 3, pedalling around 4 1/2.

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