Riding a bike - What age?

[2wheeler2025]

What age did your child learn to ride a bike?

Noticed a trend of kids not being able to ride a bike until 6/7+. Just wondered how old your child was?

AIBU - It's not an important life skill, my DC will do it when they're ready
YANBU - It is an important life skill and I actively tried to help them learn to ride a bike as soon as I could

I think mine were 4.

I think the 'trend' is that fewer people have bikes for their kids. Or that kids aren't allowed out on their own on their bikes. When I was a kid we were all out in the street on our bikes all day. I don't really remember being taught how to ride it. Nowadays kids are entirely reliant on being taught by the parents and having the time and space to practice.

Ds was about 7, dd maybe 4? Ds is autistic and dyspraxic and it was a big deal getting him to ride! He is a teenager now and heading off next week with his school and they will be renting bikes, literally just today he said thank god you forced me to learn how to ride a bike! I think we both hated every second of it at the time though.

I'd say 4 or 5 if you have not had a balance bike, a bit younger if you have.

Eldest was 4 having had a balance bike from 2. Youngest started using the balance bike just before 2 and got a bike with pedals for his 3rd birthday. We had to put stablisers on as they mastered pedalling but they were off within a week. Both love being on their bikes still.

Balance bike went with us everywhere and would recommend them to anyone. Think they really make a difference

Absolutely no idea with my children ,genuinely can’t remember,but granddaughter was freewheeling aged about 5 .

4 I think. The balance bikes really work! They had those and really got the hang of them when we went to a special balance bike track that had tiny little ramps so they could coast down them. When they moved to pedal bikes they were cycling within about 10 minutes, it was such an easy transition.

Absolutely agree about balance bike thing

Wish we had them when I was young!

Shockingly few in my DC last year of primary school class could cycle well this year at their cycling proficiency lessons. Half the class didn’t have a bike.
A shame. It takes a bit of input from parents to get them started, I did feel myself judging the parents a bit who hadn’t bothered. Second hand bikes cost hardly anything, the council even hire bikes out for free. Yes it takes some time and patience but it is a life skill, the same with swimming.

3 for both kids

She already has one, her legs are still slightly too short for the first Frog pedal bike her sister rode. Only two centimetres to go so I don't expect it will be long.

Perhaps not, although it's probably indicative of other things

3 and 5 (DC has severe learning so took a while). Both on balance bikes from 2 onwards. never did support wheels.

DD is 5 and has just learned, only a day or two after really getting the hang of the balance bike. I expect 3yo DS to pick it up a bit younger through watching/wanting to join in with her.

I think being able to ride a bike is important (and pretty much essential in my town because school children in upper school need to travel between various locations by bike during the school day and PE can be 'go for a bike ride to x place and back' and in primary school class trips are often done by bike) but I don't think 6 or 7 is late really, some children are just later to learn. My oldest was riding without stabilisers at 4 after 10 minutes of trying whereas my youngest took weeks of attempts before he could ride without wobbling over at around 6.

To be fair, cheap kids bikes are bloody awful and good ones aren’t cheap nor very easy to source second hand. It’s a lot easier for kids to learn and enjoy cycling if they’ve got a light, well-fitting bike, which even for kids are very expensive.

Exactly lol

DS was 3. He's very good with things like that and loves bikes. We bought second hand bikes so had balance bikes, training wheeled bikes and pedal bikes all available at the same time so he taught himself.

Honestly anything from 3-8 is normal. We would have liked DS1 to learn sooner because we’re an active family. He’s 3. We live on a very steep hill and nowhere flat-ish to practice so it’s not an easy “oh let’s go out on your bike for 10 minutes”. It would be a car job. Nearest park is 2 miles away across fields. I can’t expect him to carry his bike over that kind of terrain and it’s easier for me to strap a scooter to my back than a bike! Particularly if I’m carrying his almost 2yo brother. That said he’s a good hiker.

We did all the right things- balance bikes , no training wheels etc.
Oldest cycled independently age 4.
Youngest utterly refused a bike but loved his balance bike. Age 7 he changed his mind, literally jumped on a bike and cycled away….

DS1 learnt at 4, had lots of time to practise in lockdown.

DS2 (5) hasn't learnt yet, though uses his scooter lots. Am planning to teach him this summer.

I think kids tend to scoot more than cycle these days, especially as houses are smaller and people drive more to places (we keep our scooters in the car boot).

Ds1 6
Ds2 never
Ds3 11
Ds4 9
Dd 8
this is without stabilizers

At our primary school the kids do 1st level bikeability in Y3 and then next level in Y6. There were quite a few in DDs class (Y3, so 7-8 years old) last year that didn’t have a bike, never mind be able to ride one. Then others that ride to school every day.
Pandemic was well timed for us in that way, DS learned on an empty car park nearby at just turned 6 and DD was 3 and zooming on a balance bike (she learned properly at 5)

4 or 5

Both ours had balance bikes and then moved to pedal bikes very easily (an hour in the park from trying it out to riding along alone and using breaks to stop) at 3.5 and just turned 4

second hand bikes are great although for a younger age i imagine they must be pretty inexpensive