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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

okay so dd now 4 and a half - old enough to ride a bike without stabilisers? How did you teach yours?!

15 replies

girliefriend · 21/10/2010 20:05

Would love to get dd riding her bike, a friend kindly donated one that is perfect for her except that it doesn't have stabilisers! I think at 4.8yrs she should be able to ride without. Took her out last wend on the bike but ended up with dd throwing a strop because 'can't do it!' and me slightly frustrated at how best to teach her!! Any tips?!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

weepootle · 21/10/2010 20:15

Dd1 was riding her bike at 3 but had been riding a balance bike since her 2nd birthday so it was easy.

Good tips are: never hold her handlebars, just grab her clothing on her back and run along with her - keeping her balanced. Gradually release your grip/control until you're barely holding her. When you feel she's got the hang of balancing just let her go but don't tell her- just keep running behind saying 'I've still got you!'.

kikibo · 21/10/2010 20:27

Haha, my grandmother tried to teach me too and got so wound up that there was another woman her age who was sitting in the park and who said, 'Leave it, she on't unless you leave her alone.' By the end of the afternoon, I could.

She has mastered the concept 'cycling', hasn't she? She knows that peddling = moving forward.

Anyway, take her to a safe place, where she can't hurt herself when she falls and make her understand that the bike has to move before her second foot is on the second pedal. That was namely my problem. I wanted to put my two feet on first and then peddle. Needless to say that that doesn't work.I was frustrated . Let her figure it out, or does she give up easily? If she is ready, she'll do it. Take her also to a place where there are other bike-riding children. Will make her more determined (she won't want to look silly ) AND there might be one which will teach her.

Hlding her bike is also a solution, but it is kind of hard, running in a bent manner .

Furball · 21/10/2010 20:30

we found taking the pedals off worked best.
Ds got his balance just scooting along after a few days and when the pedals were put back on literally cycled off straight away.

readinginsteadnowisundeadnow · 21/10/2010 20:33

When I was about 4 I taught myself by 'taking off' on the bit of the pavement that slopes down in front of the driveway, iyswim.
Ds1... practice practice and more.
Ds2...taught himself before he was 3

mousymouse · 21/10/2010 20:35

ds (3.9) just learned, but was using a balance bike before.

Original poster

girliefriend · 21/10/2010 20:43

Thanks guys, like the idea of taking the pedals off so she can get used to pushing herself along, getting the balance sorted. Think that is the issue along with confidence. She was pretty speedy on bikes with stabilisers at nursery etc. Would love for her to be able to ride her bike to school. Was trying to teach her on grass the theory being that it would be a softer landing if she came off but am wondering if that just makes the balence etc more tricky?!

OP posts:

lovingthesun · 21/10/2010 23:50

3rd the taking off the pedals. We did this with DD1 & had her on one of those 2 wheel scooters, which also helps with balance. She learned to ride her bike in a couple of hours, mind you, she was just turned 6..

DD2 can't even seem to push the pedals, so her pedals are coming off at the weekend, she is 4 1/4.

Mercedes · 21/10/2010 23:57

My dd was very nervous about cycling without stabilisers. As people suggested we took the pedals off and allowed her to get the feel of how to balance the bike. we took her out every day for a week including going down hills on grass and using the brakes.

The other technique we used was to hold her shoulders. We stopped her falling but she stopped the bike falling over. This worked really well.

After a week we stuck the pedals back on and she cycled straightaway. When she stopped she just said to me Mummy I'm a cyclist. She was so proud,

Tortington · 21/10/2010 23:58

took em to a park and gave em a push

Blu · 22/10/2010 00:08

Take the pedals off and let her learn to balance first
or
Take her somewhee with a gently slope and let her go downhill.

I suspect that grass makes it harder because it's harder to pedal over - freewheeling is the easiest way to balance, isn;t it?

Boys2mam · 22/10/2010 20:41

Stabilisers off and round and round and up and down til they get their balance.

I think you're being mean though cos my DS was 5 before I forced the issue n dedicated one Sunday afternoon to teaching him.....

orangina · 22/10/2010 20:47

Keep the seat low enough that she can put her feet on the ground while keeping the bike upright. This was he SINGLE most important thing that meant our dd (4.5) was able to ride her bike with confidence.

Plus all the other stuff that has been said about not holding handle bars, not forcing her, etc. Dd just needed confidence, and having the seat too low and being able to put her feet on the ground gave her that confidence.

(We put the seat up again to a normal height once she was ready for it.....)

GoingLoopy · 22/10/2010 20:54

We have run bikes, ds1 could ride a pedal bike at 3.5 as can he dts. Can you take the pedals off so she can use it like a run bike and learn balance first? I don't belive in stablilisers.

mumeeee · 22/10/2010 23:29

It depends on the child. None of mine mamged to ride a bike without stabilisers until they were 7. DD1 in fact was almost nine. I bought her a bike without stabilisers when she was 6 but she just couldn't get the hang of it. My sister has 5 children her eldest was about eight when she manged to ride a bike without stabilisers while one of her other children manged to do it before he was 4.

Bingtata · 23/10/2010 19:23

I'm 30 and I can't really ride a bike. I can wobble and it wasn't for a lack of dedication and attention on the part of my parents, it is just not my thing and I never enjoyed it. I can seriously say that it has never held me back, so what is the rush?

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