Good age to learn to ride a bike?

[firsttimemama]

My dd about to be 5 needs a new bike. She currently has a small barbie bike with stabilizers and I was thinking of getting another with stabilizers but then it occurred to me that really she should be trying without the stabilizers now. Also what the best way to help her learn to ride? BTW a boy in her nursery class -so aged 3/4 was a super rider with no stabilizers.

My DD took to her bike (without ANY aid) on 2nd attempt. First attempt, she wailed the park down and insisted on us returning her stabilisers. Home we went! 2nd attempt a few months later, she just got on the thing and peddaled. No help from me or dh. Just did it. She is 5 btw.

Different case for my son. He was 6.5 when he lost his stabilisers. I saw kids riding around younger than him, and thought Mmmm... if they can do it. Plus, I think it was my own insecurities and cautiousness that prevented me from letting him try. Once removed, and once round the park with dh helping and that was it.

Perhaps we fear and are nervous on their behalf. Try it, let your daughter try. She will surprise you

Thanks wolfgirl. I am inclined to get her riding without stabilizers but she took a tiny tumble of the bike and it took her months to get back on and riding in the street - although she rode round the small patio. So she can be a bit of a drama queen - Anyone else with any experience or thoughts on a good age?

See if you can borrow a balance bike. Or alternatively take the pedals off her bike. She needs to learn how to balance in the middle. When they can do a slope over 10m with feet up she is probably balanced enough to get pedalling.
My 3 year old son started riding a bike after spending time on a balance bike and will be using it with my 2nd son as they are so good at teaching them how to balance in the middle/centre.

We took the stabilisers off DS1's bike when he was 5.5, and DS2 said "ME TOO!" DS1 got it more quickly, but at the age of 3.5, DS2 was soon cycling confidently. Now at 4.5 he is a bit obsessed. Will easily cycle 4 miles. We started him off in the garden on a slight slope.

At 5yo DD had outgrown her first bike and was starting to find it hard to pedal (because her legs were too long). However, the right size bike would have been a lot bigger and heavier and hard for DD to handle.

So...we bought a cheap bike off ebay with (removeable) stabilisers that was only a bit bigger than her first bike. We promised to buy her a new, big bike when she could ride without stabilisers.

She got the hang of it fairly quickly (about 2 months with loads of practicing). We then bought her a long-term bike and sold the stop-gap on ebay for about the amount we paid.

Could you bend up the stabilizers on the barbie bike so they only touch the ground when leaning over or cornering - just a little initially, and then higher and higher, so its a gradual raising, then take them off, and then when she 'gets it' on the barbie bike get the new one?

When ds was 5yrs 2 mths we decided to go for it. He had never been great on his bike and stabilisers. He got it within 10 minutes. It was obv the right time for him.

My boys (9) and (7) had never cycled and got it in one day at Centreparcs where it is impossible not to want to learn to cycle !!

DS was riding at 4 and he has one leg weaker and shorter than the other.
Do try the balance bike way of learning - if you can take the pedals off her current bike, let her learn to scoot along and then freewheel. Once she can do that (it will take about 2 or 3 goes, honestly!) she will then be ready to try pedalling at the same time. A bike slightly on the small side is good for the balance-bike technique as they need to be able to put their feet down easily.
This method takes all the angst and fear out of learning, and saves your back!

She's the right age, she needs a bike with too small wheels (probably 12" wheels). Get the seat right down so that she can scoot around with her feet flat on the ground and bottom on seat at same time (obviously no stabs on the bike at this point) Then she'll always know she can get her feet to the ground quickly enough, and she'll be brave enough to take both feet off at once. Soon (within a week or 2, if not just days) after she's got the hang of pedalling on too-small bike she will be brave enough to ride a bigger/correct size bike.

Great advice all , thanks. Perfect advice lljkk her bike has got too small wheels so your plan could be perfect - I'll try that with obviously the prize of the new bike when she gets the hang of riding.

That's why I like my approach, too, no borrowing or buying required, just a minute or two with a spanner .

i agree. you've not gone down the balance bike route (best way imo) so what you should do now is take the stabilisers off this too small bike and learn to ride it before getting a bigger one. it's much easier for them with a small bike which they feel safe on.

we tried at 4, but DD was too wobbly. tried again at 4 1/2 on a bigger bike and she was away!! I was really surprised that she was the only girl in her class that could do this ,and that only 2 of the boys could; she is the youngest in her class and I assumed she'd be the last for things like this