Learning to ride without stabilisers..

[jasperc163]

Am I right in thinking that its best to take pedals off bike as well as stabilisers?

DD1 is 4.5 and outgrowing her bike but dont want to buy her a new one with stabilisers. Would be be best to take pedals off until she gets the balance thing? (will be getting a balance bike for DD2 when the time comes as i think it makes more sense)

thanks

We did exactly this for both of ours - took the pedals off DD's bike for first 6 months she had it and she asked for them back on just after her 4th birthday - we popped them on expecting nothing but a few bruises but she picked up riding with pedals within a half hour - she is happily whizzing round without ever having to use stabilisers!

DS is younger and has had a balance bike since he was 2 - he is 3.5 now and has just moved to a pedal bike with no stabilisers (he was just way too big for the balance bike!) - he has taken about a week to pick it up but is now pedalling about very pleased with himself!

Balance bikes are just great!

thanks beagle. Have just had to give in and put stabilisers back on as she was in tears over them. Cant decide if we should just leave it for a while or if we should try and turn it into a balance bike - which she probably wont be very happy about?

Put the seat on the too-small bike down as far as it will go. Pedals back on. She has to confidently know she can get her feet to the ground easily and quickly. When she knows that, she'll learn to balance and next learn to pedal and balance.

Doesn't matter if her knees are up by her elbows when she pedals, once she's very confident pedalling like that she can move to the right size bike.