4 year old - move on to pedal bike from balance bike?

[Sootgremlin]

My ds turns 4 in a month or so.

For his 3rd birthday we got him a balance bike which he loves and whizzes about on fine, though he doesn't go exceptionally quickly and has only really just started confidently freewheeling and stopping at speed recently. He has started to find it a little hard going though and has mentioned pedals.

The thing holding me back is he struggles to pedal a tricycle, or one of those pedal tractor things. We were out with a group of around 10 3-4 year olds and ds was the only one who couldn't get himself around on one and needed pushing. He is tall though and always seems bunched up on them.

What I'm wondering is, would he learn to pedal more easily straight on a bike? Should I take the plunge now and give him the spring/summer to learn, or wait until Christmas? And stabilisers or no stabilisers?

He will have started school by then and I'm conscious that I could ride without stabilisers before I went at just over 4 so don't want to hold him back.

Your son sounds like mine. He is tall, struggled to pedal a tricycle and had mastered a balance bike. We bought him a pedal bike because we wanted to miss the stabiliser stage, and also he was too tall for one with stabilisers by the time we got round to it.

At just over 4 he taught himself to ride it, in an empty playground that had that rubber-type floor covering, so he wasn't nervous about falling off. I watched from a short distance and shouted 'Pedal! PEDAL!!!' at the appropriate time and he was off

That's interesting - perhaps I need to just go for it and shout PEDAL!!

I had older siblings to copy and don't really remember learning to ride, was out daily on a quiet street in front of the house though. I suppose there's nothing to lose, but didn't want to pressure him too early when he's enjoying the balance bike, when he might be excited about it 6 months later.

And, of course, thanks - sorry

DS2 is tall and was cycling without stabilisers before he was 4. I think trikes etc have the pedals in the wrong place, so they have to put their legs forwards, not down. I'd go for it now, when he's got the nice weather coming to use it!

I found it was easier on the back if you hold their shoulder, rather than the bike.

Trikes are much harder to pedal. DS had a balance bike from 2.5 to 3.5 years, then we moved him to a pedal bike. He was so good on the balance bike we skipped stabilisers and just got a long parent handle for the back if his pedal bike- initially he cycled along as we held the parent handle, and gradually we stopped holding the handle. A few trips round the park grabbing the handle when he wobbled, and then he was off. It took about 5 trips to the park and then he was off!

That's reassuring that maybe trikes are a different ball game when it comes to pedalling, thanks bluechampagne and stoopstofolly (lovely woman )

Hadn't seen parent handles, will look into those, might just give him that bit of confidence at first.

The more I think about it the more it seems it's the right time, especially will the long light evenings coming when can take him out for practise when DH is home for dc2, and holidays and camping are coming up. Quite excited now!

Thanks all for input