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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

How do you know when to take off the stabilisers on their bike?

18 replies

pepsi · 06/03/2005 21:32

My ds is almost 5 and loves riding his bike, still has stabilisers. He seems able on his bike to me, perhaps puts the brakes on a bit sudden sometimes though. But steers ok. Do you just take them off and see?

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Cod · 06/03/2005 21:34

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paolosgirl · 06/03/2005 21:40

I just took them off and let them get on with it.
Actually, that's not true...our next door neighbour was off work one day, and asked me if he could take ds's stabilisers off (he was 5!)...I told him to go ahead, but didn't think ds would manage, went in to make a cup of tea, and came back up to ds cycling up and down, quite happily, minus the stabilisers

Cod · 06/03/2005 21:41

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albosmum · 06/03/2005 21:41

we just took them off at about 5 and he never fell off - we did it on grass good luck

macwoozy · 06/03/2005 21:43

I@ve been wondering the same thing, my ds is 5 next month and should I take his stabilizers off, But he's a bit nervous riding is bike anyway.

Original poster

pepsi · 06/03/2005 21:43

thanks. Will try and convince DH to take them off. I think that will be the hardest bit! He wants to keep them on.

OP posts:

Cod · 07/03/2005 07:08

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roisin · 07/03/2005 07:31

We have 4 little boys in the street the same age, and they all learned around the age of 5 ... except ds2 But he isn't bothered at all about the fact that everyone else can do it.

DS1 was 6 before he could do it, so I'm hoping ds2 will get it this summer!

KarenThirl · 07/03/2005 08:31

We're trying that right now with ds age 6. Would have tried it earlier but we don't have anywhere safe to practice (busy street, no other kids etc). So far we've raised the stabilisers to the highest notch so that he can get used to balancing himself and he's managing OK. Keeping it to short spurts so that he doesn't get too frustrated. I reckon a little bit every day is better than a full daysworth then nothing for another week.

Stilltrue · 07/03/2005 08:53

Try it! My dd learned in a day last summer aged 5. Her bike (with stabilisers) was in the repair shop, so I told her to just scoot about,using feet on the ground, on another bike we had (slightly bigger-both were inherited from her older brothers). A short time later she was haring about quite confidently with ds1 and ds2 in the back garden ! She was so proud!

Cod · 07/03/2005 09:25

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Cod · 07/03/2005 09:27

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figleaf · 08/03/2005 15:54

My son is 7 and cant ride with out stabilisers! We took them off at Christmas but he just doesnt get it. He just never askes to go on his bike now. What have other folk tried or are we the only ones in the history of the world to have such an old non-bike rider?

Posey · 08/03/2005 20:27

Not 7 but 6. We attempted it the summer she was 5 and it was hopeless. She didn't go back on her bike for ages. The next year we tried a slightly different tactic. We found a really smooth path (actually it was the "prom" in front of the beach huts at Tankerton - really even)
Also I taught her instead of dh (he tends to be somewhat impatient!)
I know a lot of parents hold onto the saddle but this seemed to make her worse. So we made sure she had her foot firmly on the pedal almost at the top and gave it an almighty push to get her going. Reminding her to keep pedalling was essential and we kept having to tell her it is easier if you go fast rather than slow. We cracked it in one afternoon.
Good luck!

wordsmith · 08/03/2005 20:43

My DS1 learned about 10 months ago (aged 4). One of his friends had just come back from holiday and had learned which gave DS1 a challenge. DH took him to the park and he just did it.

A friend of mine's little boy (age 5) woke up the other day and said "Mummy, I can ride my bike without my stabilisers! I had a dream I could do it!" He insisted on taking his bike to the park and sure enough.... the dream was enough to convince him.

I think they have to believe in their head that they can do it.

roisin · 08/03/2005 20:49

I love the story about the dream wordsmith - and it is so true. Bike riding (and early swimming) are both about confidence, taking the risk, self-belief and just going for it really.

DS1 learned to swim and ride his bike (quite late) in the same week when he was 6-and-a-few-months. The swimming in particular we knew he could do - he had all the skills, he just wouldn't take his feet off the bottom.

wordsmith · 09/03/2005 08:46

DS1 was like that about swimming - loved being in the water, but just wouldn't let go of me - would jump in off the side as long as I was there to catch him. Then one day he just let go (with armbands on) and since then he's been like a little fish!

Maudy · 10/03/2005 17:31

DS1 is 7 and still can't ride his bike. He now really wants to learn but we can't get the stabilisers off!!! DP is really unenthusiastic and everytime I mention it he grumbles but I'm hoping that with better weather comes better moods.

It probably deoesn't help DS that I can't ride a bike and I'm 31 I'm planning to have lessons this summer - although I have been saying that for the past 3 years.

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