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

My DS had just turned 3. He used a balance bike from his second birthday, so I imagine it really helped.

Balance bikes from 2 and up on pedals by 3. The key was getting very light bikes made for children (islabikes).

Basically the same as this

Son, aged 3. He’s autistic. He picked up a bike our little neighbour was learning on and just rode off. I was shocked. No stabilisers or anything else. He did have a long time using a balance bike and I think they are a game changer. My eldest was 10 before she lost the stabilisers. They’re all different.

13 and still unable to do so but she has no interest in riding a bike now.

I dont ride so it wasnt a priority. Scooters are the bigger thing here.
DD1 was 9, DD2 was 10, DD3 was 8 and is the most into it, so much so I've got myself a bike so we can go on rides together.

We used to live abroad where bikes are everywhere and DS learned there on a balance bike at about 3, transferring to pedals at 4. We had moved back when DD learned. She didn't start until about 5/6.

DD was 6/7 and DS has only just got confident on his at age 9. It's taken a year of encouragement to master it properly. He completed his level 1 bikeability though 😊 I think he would still prefer to be on a scooter but I plan to get him a new(to him) bike this year to gee him up a bit.

Edited to add- DS has extra support needs and quite uncoordinated

Neither of mine could get the hang of a balance bike though at all. And neither of them could get on with stabilisers either!

Da was 3. His dad taught him, as I ride one! I was stunned.

Autistic 6.5 year old can barely manage a balance bike. We’re looking into getting him a decent trike so he can still have the same experiences as his friends.

4.5 year old isn’t bothered because her brother isn’t into cycling. She could probably crack it if she had more opportunities and the motivation to do so.

FWIW DH is a bike mechanic. My kids are around bicycles all the time 😂

A normal bike without stabilisers;
2x sporty kids age 4
1x very unsporty age 5

4/5

Dc1 was 4. Dc2 (who used a balance bike) got onto the pedal bike at 3. I told ds1 ds2 was too little to learn but he said he'd teach him and he did!

Balance bike makes a huge difference.

Peddle bike without stabilisers? Eldest was 5, middle child 3, youngest was 2 and desperate to be like his siblings.

2.5 on the balance bike and then straight on to a normal bike - teen now and biking is life and we go all over the country watching him race. It’s not something we’re in to ourselves but love seeing him as happy on his bike now as he was when he was tiny. I have videos of him in the park trying to find the highest “hill” to wheel down ☺️

DD1 was 4yo. She got a new bike for her birthday, and we had stabilisers to put on, but she was too impatient. She just got on and rode off, and that was it.
She'd scooted before but never ridden any bike.

Dd2 was 5yo, but she's missing her hand so it was harder.

Ds was 7yo, very unkeen and hardly ridden since about that age. It took a lot of effort and picking him out of nettle patches (normally the only patch of nettles on the route too).

Interestingly normally dd1 is the slowest physically and the least likely to just jump on and go.

DD about 6. Me - 43. DD taught me during COVID, streets were empty.

Love that! 😄

'Bikeability' is done in Year 5 here.

My DTs learnt to ride without stabilisers at just over 3 during a midweek holiday at Centre Parcs. They were awarded with a bicycle bell for their efforts. We then cycled to school most days.

My daughter loved her balance bike when she was little - made no difference though, still can’t ride a bike!