Stabilisers or straight to 'towel method'?

[Whaleadthesnail]

DD is getting a bike for her 4th birthday this summer.

I'm wondering if I should get stabilisers, or if that draws out the process of learning and we should just try the 'towel method' straight off. Has anyone done this and they've picked it up quickly?

She's very confident on her scooter but we never had a balance bike.

I'd like to get her riding before she starts school in Sept if possible hence the ask :)

Take the pedals off the new bike so it functions as a balance bike for a bit to get her used to steering and balancing. Learning to balance is much harder than learning to pedal so focus on that first and avoid stabilisers if possible because they learn to rely on them rather than learn to balance themselves. Once she's zipping about without pedals, pop them back on and use the towel method if needed.

Can I suggest a scarf instead of a towel. Much easier

@SpecduckularlyQuackers brilliant idea thank you :)

We had balance bikes and took 5 minutes to show them how to pedal a bike. I suggest taking the pedals off and teaching her to scoot it round as a balance bike. At four this might only take a day. Then put the pedals back on and get her started holding her under the armpits (is that what the towl method does?) then let go for a tiny bit say wow your doing it yourself grab on again if she starts to fall and soon they be pedalling off. It takes a bit longer for them to start themselves but basically they scoot along behind the pedal then pick their feet up onto the pedals when they feel stable enough, downhill is easier. I wouldn't get stabilisers, they don't teach balance at all.

Stabilisers really hold them back-balance bikes weren’t a thing when my kids were small so we took the pedals off and they mastered it in a morning

My kids had stabilisers and were fine learning when they were taken off. Balance bikes are all the rage now but kids learned to ride bikes in the past too.

Neither of my kids had stabilisers as they had a balance bike and just didn’t need the extra phase when learning to ride. My youngest learnt to ride at 3 just by seeing her older sister do it. It’s such a great skill, either way I’m sure they will enjoy it!