Cycling Proficiency test at school- learning to ride advice etc needed!

[miljee]

My DSs school has just started the above which I think is a great idea, except DS, 7.5, is just getting the hang of stabilisers, let alone proficiency! Anyone with any advice or useful experiences? His bike is OK as in it fits him but it's quite heavy (second hand from the local 'recycling centre')- Are all 'budget' kids bikes heavy? Or do you have to pay a lot of cash for lighter ones? ARE stabilisers a good idea? Do they lull kids into a false sense of security? (we never had them BUT I grew up where it was safe to cycle the roads in a gang at 4 years old! Big motivator to learn!). Did anyone go away on holiday to a suitable place where the kids were going to 'nail' bike riding once and for all? We're using the carpark of a local childcare centre at weekends. I'm keen to get DS on the course when he's ready but I need to get him to make the Great Leap Forwards by the summer! Any and all advice gratefully received!

IN my area cycling proficiency is done at end of Y5 or Y6 - by that time most children are going on to small sized adult bikes and are a litle more aware of the dangers of cycling on roads. 7.5 seems rather young. With both DSs we started by getting DS to cycle from one of us to the other in our garden, gradually increasing the distance. Later on we went to a large park (where cycling was allowed). Get him to practise little and often and he should soon get the hang of it.

Same as Lilymaid - cycling profiency was done in Y6 where I used to work. Are you sure they're doing it in Y3 (if I've worked your son's year group out correctly!)

We do proficiency test at our school, but it is only open to years 5 & 6, so basically age 9 and over. TBH, I would have thought 7.5 was a bit young to understand the law of the road and remember it all anyway. I'm sure my dd was about 7 when she first went without stablizers and we were on a campsite and she just kept going round and round the caravan for about 3 days til she got it. Have you got a field nearby, where you can spend a long time practicing maybe?

i think 7.5 is too young ss well. our school does it in year 6 by which time ll th e kids have moved on from stabilisers. i lso think that unless a child is used to walking along pavements and crossing roads, with aaan adult, then they are unlikely to be aware of the dangers of the road.

There's a small but vital point I didn't mention - the actual CP test IS taken in year 5 or 6, but the 'training' is open to all the junior school (in their (closed) carpark) BUT a child has to be able to ride along without stabilisers and be able to stop etc before they can join in the training. I'm trying to get DS to that level! Some kids, like with swimming, are naturals and are keen but sadly, mine isn't! We've found cycling on grass esp if a tad damp slows progress considerably (or more to the point, DS reacts like you've suggested he cycle across broken glass if it's put to him!) so we're sticking to level tarmac atm. Do you think the weight of the bike is an issue? Should I whip off the stabilisers as soon as he can (like now) cycle with minimal stabiliser wheel contact on flat, level ground or might I destroy the bit of confidence he's got? OR am I lulling him into a false sense of security- that if he decides to just stop pedalling, at present, there's no 'consequence'!? When do you introduce the concept of pushing down on the upper pedal to start off? Teaching a child to ride is all a bit of a mystery to me- I can't remember a time when I couldn't!

Kids' bikes - most are heavy as they are steel framed and therefore comparatively cheap. If you want DS to cycle, you will have to remove stabilisers and not put them back on again. As he is 7.5, you will find that virtually all kids of his age who cycle will be cycling w/o stabilisers (stabilisers are generally abandoned between the ages of 4 and 6 depending on the skill and daring of the child!). He won't want to be seen out with stabilisers because it may be thought "babyish" by his peers, so it is important for him tbat he gets cycling on 2 wheels asap. Sorry if this seems a bit hard on him, but like many things it is a rite of passage for children and requires a bit of effort and confidence.

If you can't afford to replace the bike with something lighter, then remove the stabilisers, lower the saddle and let him 'scoot' himself along on it. Once he gets the hang of balancing/leaning into corners, he will start picking his feet up for longer periods and will eventually put them on the pedals.

We did this with DS when he was quite young, and it worked very quickly. Now he's in Y5, we've spent the money on a decent (ie pricey!) bike and he really uses it well.

Hope this helps.

DH and I nearly pulled our hair out with DD last Summer on exactly this issue! Take the stabilisers off and get him scooting along with feet in the air. The balance is the issue. We eventually did it at Grandma's where there is a slight downhill incline. DD could free wheel down it, and feel as though she was mastering it. Plain sailing from there! I think its a business opportunity for some patient soul - teaching other people's kids to ride. I'd defintely pay someone to do it!!

we taught our DS aged 4 on the grass, no stabilisers, small bike too, and dd a bit older one of her stabilisers fell off! which helped a bit but i think the grass is the best idea

ok. have to share this...

ds (3 years 5 months) can officially ride his bike from today.

we bought it from islabikes.co.uk and it should last him til he is 7 or so. they do all sizes, really good well made bikes.

it is heavy but he has gotten used to that very quickly and wheels it around when not riding it no problem.

we started him without pedals, he was just touching the ground, and then he started putting his feet up where the little brackets for the pedals go, whilst we held onto him by his coat.

then pedals, withus holding on to his coat. he needed less and less re-balancing and now is doing it himself.

we found the most amazing place for him to practise today: an athletics track which they leave open during sundays for the public....so much space and the ground isn't rock hard.

the only thing he hasn't got the hang of yet is starting himself off (this bike has a back pedal brake, as well as a hand brake so he can't spin it round to the right place easily).

I would say don't worry about the heaviness, stablisers are a terrible idea and loads of practise, just go everywhere holding him on his bike.

I CAN'T RIDE A BIKE AND I'M 34.

that is why I was so determined that ds would ride and enjoy one as soon as possible.

seeing him going round the athletics track today was vertiginous, I've never been that far away from him in his life before....but he was soooo excited and happy!

hth

When my children were at primary school this was done in year 5 or 6. Around here they won't train a child under 9.

i think tha tgrass is tremendously more difficult to practise on....really he needs compacted earth like a cycle path in a park for eg. or concrete or paving....if you are holding on to him, he won't fall too much (tbh, ds, and I have had a couple of tumbles, but nothing major)

dd1 (7.3)is driving me mad ith this atm, she doesn't want to do it , no confidence in herself and wouldn't care if her friends saw her with stabilisers BUT she wants a new bike so have said only if she actually tries to ride this one!
dd2 was riding hers before she was 4 so thats no incentive either.
I can't take them out to practice as dd1 needs 1:1 and I don't trust dd2 enough to blink never mind look away while i sort dd1.

I would employ someone

Do you have/can you borrow a microscooter? - a weeks going to school on that and my DD (5) got on her bike last weekend (which she could nearly do in Sept) and was heard to say "this is easy" as she sped off!

Thanks, everyone! I, too was keen very young and could ride a 2 wheeler by 4. I never had stabilisers, but like Nikkie, this inability, verging on disinterest is beginning to annoy me. Thing is, my 2 DSs (the other's 5.5 and also not keen!) have 2 good mates whom they see 2 or 3 times a year. Their mum INSISTED they learn to ride (school run, etc AND Cambridge thus a strong cycling culture) so took them to a quiet carpark every Sunday til they could do it. I've 'warned' my 2 it's only a question of time before when we visit, their boys will want to head off on bikes, and my 2 will be left standing! IS that what you WANT?! I cry! But suddenly, we're seeing some progress and I was keen to know how you MNetters would advise me to proceed. SO I shall whip the stabilisers off and keep at it. As an aside, it must be said, I'm not sure where exactly the boys will get to actually ride in that they live too far from school and there are just about no cycle paths off road where we live BUT I think the balance and co-ordination thing is important.

DS was being taught cycling proficiency in a council-run scheme in year 6, when he fell off and broke his adult front tooth.

We were not best pleased....

We have the scooters and dd1 is fine on that its the fact she doesn't care about riding a bike and doesn't see th epoint!

well after me ranting 2 did 3 metres tonight on her own
We were cheering in the backstreet

Have they got friends that will teach them. All the children in our street (a lovely little cul de sac where kids play out) learnt from the other children.