Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Teaching 4.5yo to ride no stabilisers

27 replies

foreverchangingnappies · 13/08/2025 17:49

As the title says, I’m trying to teach my child to ride with no stabilisers. He’s just over 4.5yo and has mastered pedalling/steering/braking with stabilisers.

Have been trying without for the past couple of days, and he’s absolutely fine pedalling (being held under armpits), but can’t seem to figure out the balancing and keeping upright bit! He leans too far left/right. Should I keep persevering or is he just not ready?

Hes keen to try and we’ve been out twice to a flat grassy area for 20-30 mins at a time to practice. So haven’t been trying for long, but don’t want to keep pushing if he’s just not quite ready!

I don’t really want to put the stabilisers back on unless I’m sure he’s not ready for without.
And I don’t have the option of removing his pedals. Any tips please?

OP posts:
Whatshesaid96 · 13/08/2025 17:52

Anyone with a balance bike that you can borrow from. Give him a couple of days on one of those and he'll crack it. Stablisers don't teach balance control hence why so many kids struggle when you take them off. Whereas balance bikes they lift their feet off the ground when wanting to go fast which teaches them balance without realising. Both of mine didn't bother with stabilisers and went straight from balance to pedals at 3 and there was literally no transition.

Silvertulips · 13/08/2025 17:52

Check if he is holding the handle bars too tight - he should not be gripping them - elbows relaxed - not straight!!

Relaxed shoulders

It’s usually the main cause of unbalanced

Whatshesaid96 · 13/08/2025 17:53

Also come off the grass and onto tarmac. Trying to push off and pedal on grass is hard when you aren't sure what you are doing.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

4 year olds Behaviour & development
Fintoo · 13/08/2025 17:53

Take the pedals off and get him to use it as balance bike for a bit.

yoshiblue · 13/08/2025 17:54

Agree with pp, borrow a balance bike or maybe buy a second hand one?

Zapx · 13/08/2025 17:54

Balance bike all the way. Or take the pedals (and stabilisers obv) off his current bike, and get him to run the bike along until he can push it and lift his feet off the floor for a while whilst “gliding”.

LoveMyLifeAlways · 13/08/2025 17:55

Balance bike

Original poster
foreverchangingnappies · 13/08/2025 17:56

Thanks @Whatshesaid96my youngest does have one so I could raise that one up a bit and try… if he lets me! Will give tarmac a go as I guess it will be smoother than grass

@Silvertulipsnever thought of this! I’ll have to check thank you

OP posts:
whoateallthecookies · 13/08/2025 18:04

Just to say we did something similar with DD at 4.5, started without the pedals (she was tall, so difficult to get balance bikes to fit) then added the pedals. It took about 3 months trying most days for her to get it, so don't give up yet! We really needed her to be able to ride, as our cargo bike was dying, and we cycle everywhere, so my motivation was high!

itsturtlesallthewaydown · 13/08/2025 18:09

Stabilisers are a bad way to learn to ride a bike I'm afraid!

Take the pedals off and treat it as a balance bike until he's got the hang of it.

(Be aware the left side pedal might unscrew clockwise!)

Original poster
foreverchangingnappies · 13/08/2025 19:35

Definitely going to keep trying! He’s great at pedaling he just leans too much to one side so I end up bearing a lot of his weight.

Unfortunately taking pedals off isn’t an option

OP posts:
whoateallthecookies · 13/08/2025 19:39

May I ask why you can't take the pedals off? That is unusual

3ormorecharacters · 13/08/2025 19:43

Definitely try balance bike for a bit, then try starting with pedals on a slight downhill. Did this accidentally with DD and she was just off straight away with no fuss!

LeedsZebra90 · 13/08/2025 19:44

I think stabilisers can be a hindrance sometimes, it's also much harder on the grass than tarmac. Just take the stabilisers off for a few weeks so he gets the balance on his current bike them pop them back on.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 13/08/2025 19:44

The leaning is a direct result of using stabilisers, balance bike 100% the way forward. You can take the pedals off his bike to turn it into a balance bike or get a cheap one off FB marketplace or something, he needs to learn to balance

How is he on a 2 wheeled scooter?

EasternSkies · 13/08/2025 19:48

Using stabilisers encourages leaning the wrong way.

Let him use his siblings balance bike for a week or so , especially cornering and freewheeling. Then introduce his bike with pedals again.

BertieBotts · 13/08/2025 19:51

Pedals can usually be taken off on most bikes - you have to sort of wind them the wrong way IIRC.

It's what we did for DS1 as he was very nervous.

If he's leaning a lot then he's learnt to rely a bit too much on the stabilisers. Don't hold him up as much.

The other thing to do (pedals off or on) is find a very slight slope with a long flat part at the bottom so he can get a bit of momentum easily and focus on balancing in a straight line.

kim204 · 13/08/2025 19:51

It's much easier on tarmac with a bit of a slope to give him momentum (obviously not a big hill!).

You don't need to get a balance bike, just start him off by getting him to hold his feet up and not worrying about putting them on the pedals.

Once he has his balance then he can try putting his feet on the pedals and then after a few goes at that he can try pedalling.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 13/08/2025 19:56

When you’re supporting him, don’t put your hands under his arm pits. He’ll be leaning on you. Hold onto the back of the seat instead and push and then let go.

We used stabilisers with DD1 and she only properly learned to ride a bike at 11. She was terrified and had a real mental block. Went from balance bike to regular bike with no stabilisers for DD2 and she taught herself in a few hours at 4.5yo. We will do the same for DS when he is a little bit older.

Gotalottawishwash · 13/08/2025 20:00

Why can't you remove the pedals?

Original poster
foreverchangingnappies · 14/08/2025 18:39

So just to update he flat out refused to use his brothers balance bike! 😂 Had another go today at a local park running behind him holding his seat, and he did about 5 seconds on his own after letting go before putting his feet down! Going to keep trying as it seems his balance is improving. His biggest challenge seems to be concentrating enough and not getting distracted!

OP posts:
Blessedbethefruitz · 14/08/2025 18:43

My son (6.5) has just learned 😅 Hes dramatic and clumsy, but he couldn't do it on grass, we had to move him onto tarmac or he would have given up. He picked it up on his second real try when out with his dad (who cant ride a bike so I assume just left him to it)! We skipped stabilisers due to his age, and he never had a balance bike, only a scooter. Let him pootle along treating it like a balance bike on flat pavement :)

sunshinemode · 15/08/2025 14:23

You can get a long handled bar (forget what they are called) that attach to the back of the bike, so there is not such a difference when you let go. My son learned within a few days using this.

SquigglePigs · 15/08/2025 14:34

Fintoo · 13/08/2025 17:53

Take the pedals off and get him to use it as balance bike for a bit.

This is what the guy in the bike shop told us to do with DD and it worked wonders. She got it in one session.

Original poster
foreverchangingnappies · 15/08/2025 20:13

He’s great at pedalling so not sure removing the pedals is the best idea. Plus he flat out refused to use his brothers balance bike so removing the pedals he won’t get on. He wants to pedal!

He can do a few seconds at a time after we let go running along with him, so I think he’s starting to get it, just will take a bit of work! The handle on the back could be useful.

OP posts: