Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

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

Flip

Original poster

Ride a bike, how old was yours?

20 replies

breeze · 21/02/2003 15:17

My DS is 3.25 and still can not ride a bike. I have tried on several occasions, but we both end up in fits of giggles because he can't do it, trys to grab hold of me while I am pushing him along. I know all children develope at their own pace, i was just wondering about other parents experience and any tips to help. I have tried bribary, getting someone else to try, he seems to rock forward a bit, then stop.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

janh · 21/02/2003 15:19

Do you mean he doesn't know what to do with his legs, breeze? All of mine were hopeless - I used to be bent double shoving their feet round and round and they just didn't get it until they got it (IYSWIM).

Is he any better on a trike (with the pedals nearer the front?)

I am assuming you don't mean without stabilisers!!!

Original poster

breeze · 21/02/2003 15:27

No sorry I meant a trike, thats what he was. He gets on it, puts his feet on the pedal and pushes down hard on both, no matter how many times I have tried, he says he can't do it, laughs and throws himself towards my direction.

OP posts:

Jaybee · 21/02/2003 16:57

I can't really remember when either of mine pedalled, I know it was a similar exercise as you describe - ds rode without stabilisers at just 4 and dd was almost 6. I have spent ages bent over the bike, holding onto feet, I also used to put them in odd shoes and shout pink/black/pink/black or welly/trainer/welly/trainer my neighbours must thought I was batty!!

KMG · 21/02/2003 18:20

DS2 is 3.5 and he can pedal quite well, but still not powerfully enough to go uphill. They have bikes/trikes at nursery, and I think watching others does help.

Is the trike easy to pedal? Some have pedals way way forward, which are VERY difficult for them to manage. A bike with stabilisers might be easier. My two both learned to pedal on a tractor which had fixed wheels - so you could pedal it forwards or backwards.

IME this is something that varies widely. DS2 couldn't pedal at 3.5 - he could only do it with one foot, then back-pedal to push again with that foot! A friend of ds2 (same age) can motor on up quite steep hills. Some pals of ds1 could ride without stabilisers when just 4 - ds1 is now 5.5 and hasn't got the trick yet - though is getting close.

jac34 · 21/02/2003 18:40

My boys 4yo are hopeless !!!
They can't pedal a trike, they put their feet on the ground and push themselves along.
DH and I nearly choked laughing last weekend, when we took them round the park on their scooters. The angle of their body, when they stand on it, and the way they sort of, wave their legs about behind, is so funny. My one DS is really bad and every 5 minutes or so, drops the scooter and falls over it.
I've never seen children like it. We have not tried them with a proper bike yet, I dred to think of the injuries !!!

helenmc · 21/02/2003 19:19

I'm going to be smug as my dd rode a 2 wheel bike at 3.25 ,before her 6yr old sister. But she was just very very determined, so I guess it could be something they have to want to do. Breeze - do you think he hasn't got the balance so when you try the pedals as well , its just too many things to concentrate on. We had lots of sit on rides that you have to push with your feet, which I think gave my dd the balance.

grommit · 21/02/2003 19:21

Breeze - you might find he does better on a 2 wheeler. My dd never really took to a trike - we bought her a small 2 wheeler (with stabilizers!) at 2.5 and she really took to it - now there is no stopping her! You could take him to Halfords or John Lewis and get him to try a few out - we found a few had the peddles to far back.. HTH

janh · 21/02/2003 19:32

grommit, I agree about the pedals being a bit behind sometimes - hard to press on when your legs are bent! (That's why I wondered about a trike.)

It's just another knack, like tying laces and doing up buttons, I think. My DS2 was absolutely hopeless on a 2-wheeler, with stabilisers, at 5, so we gave up but when he was 6 he just took off without them the first time he tried.

Don't worry, breeze - he will get it when he's ready!

Clarinet60 · 21/02/2003 22:01

I was worried about this (DS1 is 3.5) but my HV came today and said they're not supposed to be able to pedal properly at this age.

threeangels · 22/02/2003 00:44

My 10 yr old learned at around age 7. My son age 13 still hasnt. Well he actually hasnt tried. He tried a couple times when he was small but fell and never wanted to again. We have even offered to buy him a bike in the not so long ago past and he wanted nothing to do with it. Now its more of an embarassment rather then a fear of getting hurt. He knows we will buy him a bike anytime he wants if he would like to ride but he has absolutly no desire. Who knows maybe one day.

Ghosty · 22/02/2003 01:11

I found that DS learned to pedal because we had a trike (when he was 2.5) that had a push stick at the back. We would go for a walk and his feet would go on the pedals and after a few weeks he 'got it' was able to pedal a bit on his own along a flat surface ... any little gradient and he couldn't manage. I also found that some trikes are easier than others ... those where the pedals are far forward are very hard whereas those with the pedals more 'under' the child are easier ... He also found actual bikes (with stabilisers) much easier.
I would keep trying ... he will get it eventually although apparently there are people who never manage to learn (I have a friend who has never been able to ride a bike ... not for the want of trying though).
Good luck and have fun!

robinw · 22/02/2003 07:51

message withdrawn

RagDoll · 22/02/2003 08:35

My dd learnt at 2 years 2 months, with stabilisers of course! We took her to Center Parcs and it took a couple of hours and then she was off. She use to ride her bike, without stabilisers, which came off when she was 3, to school when she was in reception class and everyone was astonished when she could do it!

One little girl in her class turned up at school the other week, aged 7, riding a bike with stabilisers which looked very odd!

suedonim · 22/02/2003 14:52

My mum can't ride a bike, I can only ride in straight lines (I have to get off and push round corners!) and neither dd's, age 15 and 6, can ride a bike, although ds's can. I think it's genetic!

janh · 22/02/2003 15:24

LOL, suedonim! Brave of you to ride one at all!

lorne · 22/02/2003 23:27

Breeze,

My ds who is 3.6 never took to a trike,but when we got him a bike with stabilisers(he was about 3 when he got the bike) he took to it no bother. Don't know why he didn't like a trike but he just didn't. He goes his bike no bother, I find it hard to keep up with him!! Your ds will take to it when he is ready, they are all different. I have a friend who has a little boy of nearly 4 and he still doesn't want to ride his bike, they are all different.

lorne · 22/02/2003 23:29

Sorry,

I have 'they are all different' twice.

I am not on the wine, honest!!

Lorna

Carla · 22/02/2003 23:37

Breeze,

It's going to be one of those things that you really miss when he can do it.

Enjoy it and have fun.

Original poster

breeze · 14/03/2003 08:44

Update, DS still couldn't ride his trike, so we have bought him a lovely new bike, its his pride and joy, and he sat on it in the shop and pedals away (well half pedaling, if you know what I mean). He loves it and finds it easy now.

OP posts:

Original poster

breeze · 14/03/2003 08:45

Forgot to add the only annoying thing, the lady in the shop thought DS was so cute, she put a bell on it for free (wish she hadn't it is driving me nuts)

OP posts:

Flip