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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to need help with my DD learning to ride a bike

32 replies

maGicGift · 02/05/2011 21:18

Ok, she is just 7yrs old and I bought her a lovely new bike for her 6th birthday, she wants to be able to ride it but HATES practising, I just dont know what to do to encourage her or help her learn to ride it, she seems genuinley scared when she has a go.

She can actually ride it, in a straight line, but wont go round corners, she just screams!

Has anyone had a similar problem? I dont want to put stabilisers on as she is passed that now - it would seem like regression as she can ride her bike, but how on earth can I help her be less scared?

OP posts:

Ineedacleaneriamalazyslattern · 02/05/2011 21:24

YANBU I have spent a nightmare week with dd and her new bike. A situation made worse by her and I falling out when she started screeching at me when it doesn't go her way.

TBH I have started just leaving her to it rather than go out and help her practice. SHe gets her bike out because the other dc beside us and her little brother are out on theirs and she has been really trying to give it go.
She has progressed massively in the past few days alone and can go round a shallow corner now and can steady herself a bit better when she wobbles instead of just jumping off.
She has spent a bit of time just freewheeling and using her feet to propel her which has improved her confidence in balance as well which brought on the turning corners.

Good luck I feel your pain right now,

Dancergirl · 02/05/2011 21:24

Do what we did - get her a couple of sessions with a private cycle instructor.

We did this for dd last summer - she was 8 and still not riding. Her got her to ride in 45 mins!

Foxy800 · 02/05/2011 21:28

Having the same problem, although dd is only 5, has a lovely bike, asks occasionally to go on it but rarely wants t ogo on it so not pushing it at the moment but when she is on it she uses her stomach to move it as she doesnt want to try with her feet!!!

Meglet · 02/05/2011 21:28

They have private cycle instructors?! I need one of those as I can't teach DS and supervise DD at the same time.

Original poster

maGicGift · 02/05/2011 21:29

If I left her too it she wouldnt even get the bike out the garage, she would happily not learn to ride it, but I know once she can, she will ove it! I have never hesrd of a private cycle instructor - off to google it now! Thanks

OP posts:

AgentZigzag · 02/05/2011 21:29

A private cycle instructor is a bit OTT for learning to ride round corners.

It's one of those difficult things to grasp that most people remember doing as a child with their parent isn't it?

oldraver · 02/05/2011 21:29

A big field so if she does fall off it wont hurt as much and she can practise her own corners IYSWIM.

DS had a new bigger bike at Christmas but it wasnt until we put him back on his smaller bike that he really got the hang of it. He has had about a month going to school, the shops the pub to get used to it and we are now getting him to practise on the field on the bigger one. I think he feels a little more 'out of control' on his new bike

There were four kids doing bike training today was quite funny to see them, DS was showing off his circling skills

PrettyCandles · 02/05/2011 21:30

My dd was like that about corners when she first learned. 2w after we took her stabilisers off, we went to Centre Parcs for a week. The first couple of days I wanted to scream at the way dd would brake sharply at any transition: corners, going from grass to tarmac and vice-versa, etc. And then she would struggle to get her bicycle moving again. What eventually got her confidence up was, oddly enough, cycling all the way around the site. Lots of straight cycling on very wide roads, with huge curves rather than corners. I think maybe the continuous cycling without having to negotiate transitions may have improved her confidence and allowed her to practice handling the bike and make turns when she felt ready, rather than when they were forced upon her.

Perhaps you could take your dd somewhere where she can ride without having to take corners? In a park?

ConnorTraceptive · 02/05/2011 21:31

take the pedals off and let her ride on a gentle slope, encourage her to lift her feet up when she's got some speed up so she cam practises her balance.

Original poster

maGicGift · 02/05/2011 21:31

Wow, Ive found one in my town - thanks so much, what a good idea, hopefully he can see her soon! MN is amazing!

OP posts:

Original poster

maGicGift · 02/05/2011 21:33

I have been trying to each her now for years - with and without stabilisers, i just end up getting cross now, so not making any happy memories!

OP posts:

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 02/05/2011 21:34

We had a specialist instructor privately for DD1. She has autism, which is why we did it. BUT she was great with someone who wasnt me and we had a balance bike to help deal with her blance first :)

squeakytoy · 02/05/2011 21:34

Teach her on short grass, so if she falls off she wont hurt herself.

My mum taught me, but I have no idea how, as she couldnt ride a bike herself!!!

RoseC · 02/05/2011 21:35

I was (still am - got hit by a bus, not badly!) terrified of cycling as a girl. First step for my parents was a cycling proficiency course. That really boosted my confidence (until the bus incident ) and nowadays I find it easier to ride on soft surfaces and off roads until I get the confidence (mid-journey) to use real roads. It's a silly thing for an adult to be scared off but it's like being scared of anything... just have to get back on and keep going. With enough practise (and you sound like you're being fantastic with patience and help) she should get the knack. They also bought me knee and arm protection. I never wore them in front of my friends but they also helped as I knew I wouldn't get too badly hurt if I fell.

Dancergirl · 02/05/2011 21:41

Don't know where you live OP, but we used www.letscycle.co.uk/

He was brilliant.

But there are loads - just google.

icooksocks · 02/05/2011 21:43

As wierd as it sounds are thier other kids around who can ride? My dd was taught by all her mates on the street! All I had to do was remove the stabilisers when one of said friends came running in and said "socks mum-'A' just rode a two-wheeler bike on her own!"

NotaMopsa · 02/05/2011 21:45

loving the instructer idea

2to3 · 02/05/2011 21:47

Take the pedals off (with a spanner, not difficult) and let her use her feet to balance until she can take her feet off the ground and balance for a while while riding. The seat needs to be low enough that she can reach the ground comfortably with her feet.

Practice on a gentle slope somewhere quiet, like a park. Once she feels confident in her ability to balance after a few sessions or so, pop the pedals back on and let her try again to ride on the slope. And then organise a short bike ride or get together if possible with other kids her age or a bit older who already know how to ride, and let them get on with it.

Balancing is the definite key to cycling, as is having fun, so if you can put the two together without too much pressure I'm sure she'll be off in no time.

Canella · 02/05/2011 21:49

Listen to ConnorTraceptive - thats the best advice rather than paying out money! Put the saddle down so that she can sit on it and her feet can reach the ground, take the pedals off and just let her whizz about on it for a few weeks. It might not even take that until she's used to the sensation and she'll feel safe as she can use her feet to stop herself. Once she's happy put the pedals back on.

Canella · 02/05/2011 21:50

X post 2to3!! Great minds think alike!

Vallhala · 02/05/2011 21:51

Good luck to your daughter. I can heartily recommend a private trainer - I learned to ride a bike within an hour thanks to one. :)

I was 37 years old at the time... so you tell your DD that if a really, really ancient Mum can learn to ride a bike in an hour, she sure as heck can!

Original poster

maGicGift · 02/05/2011 21:53

Thanks, I will take the pedals off and get her to have a go like that, but definatley look at getting an instructor, just for an hour or two, I have found one very local...

OP posts:

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 02/05/2011 21:54

only took DD1 less than an hour!

ComeAlongPond · 02/05/2011 22:03

My dad taught me to ride a bike in our back garden, which sloped down to a lake. He let me go speeding off down the hill then turned around to stroke the dog, without pointing out to me that I had to (a) use breaks or (b) turn the corner.

I ended up in the lake. Fortunately my swimming skills were better than my cycling skills! But I was very good at corners are that

My mother still hasn't forgiven him.

(Not that I'm encouraging you to fling her into a river, you understand. But if all else fails... )

foreverondiet · 02/05/2011 22:08

My DD is 7.5 and still can't ride. Loves her bike when the stabilisers are on, screams in fear when we take them off. DS1 is 5 and also can't ride.

Today I took the pedals of DS1's bike bought DS1 a balance bike (DD using DS1's bike as a balance bike)... going to work on the balance bike thing for the next few weeks.

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