How to teach 4yr old to ride a bike

[Zeeky]

DS1 is 4 and still can't ride a bike even with stabilisers on. Whenever we try to practise with him, he gets fedup after 5mins and gives up. It's the same with his scooter. It would be great if he could ride to/from school like the other children as he hates walking.

Any tips? Are the balance-type bikes any better?

yes balance bikes are MUCH better, get one!! or a micro scooter, at 4 you could get the bigger size one if you wanted, very expensive but you can sell it and get all your money back on ebay later on as they have great re-sale value, ditto balance bikes. i got a metal (lightweight) balance bike with a brake from amazon for £50 :) my younger 2 boys have both loved them and ds3 learnt to ride wihtout stablisers before his 4th bday having had a balance bike from 2yrs old :)

I'd go balance bike or Micro-scooter.

And don't worry - 4 is still really young to ride a bike.

Neither of my boys used stabilisers. DS1 rode a balance bike from about 4 until he learned to ride a bike at 6. DS2 learned at 7, having only ridden a scooter (Micro, or Maxi -scooters are good for balance). He's still not that bothered about the bike and prefers his scooter.

4 is still very very young to be riding a bike. DC3(4) is the only one of his peers without stablisers. He used a balance bike and a little bike with stabilisers, and then DD decided one day shortly after his 4th birthday that she would take his stabilisers off, unbeknownst to me - off he shot and has never looked back! DC1 was almost 6 when he came off his, and I've known children to be later than that.

Once they are off the stabilisers they like to go fast - for the sake of your blood pressure and mental health, don't wish for it!

If you feel he should riding a bike (and he 's still young) and are maybe a bit anxious about it or putting pressure on, then he's likely to feel that and refuse to persevere, for fear of failure.

DH was much more patient with the whole teaching-to-ride thing than me.

ds was 3 when he learnt to ride his bike without stabilizers. he was just very natuaral and confident on it/however other ds was 9 so dont stress. they will do it when they are ready!

My 2 eldest both used a balance bike. My first child used the balance bike and another small bike with stabilisers, but the second didn't, he just had the balance bike. The second child had alot of problems with peddling when it came to it.....so I would recommend using both, or using a balance bike + trike (dependant on age).

Ds2 is 4.6
He has had a bike with stabilisers for a long time. He pedals well and flies down hills on it at super top speed.
He has had a micto scoorter, for a long time.
He has never had a balance bike. So the balance thing has now become an issue.
A few of his friends have recenrtly learnt to ride a bike. Is this because they had balance bikes and we have not? Maybe I made a mistake not getting him a balance bike aswell as his normal bike?
So we took his stabilisers off at the weekend. And he was most un-nerved. Dh said, 'he is a long way off ready'.
I had heard about taking the pedals off a normal bike, but this one, is not so easy to do it on, so dh said.

So what do I do now?
Finding a big balance bike, for a large 4.6 yr old is not easy or cheap.
Am not sure what to do for the best.

By the way, his stabilisers are at the highest and lowest settings, so they are as different as dh can make them. Dh has moved them many times over the last few months and ds2 has been fine with this at every stage.So he must have some balance, right?

Take off stabilisers AND pedals. DD was 8 when I did this and she learnt to ride her bike within an hour and pedals on and confident within 2 hours.

Oh, just read its not easy - I thought all bikes had pedals you just screw off? Do t have to take the whole arm bit off, just the plastic bit they put their foot on...