Tips for learning to ride a bike?

[JHKE]

I just wondered whether anyone had any tips on teaching children to ride their bikes without stabilisers.

I am trying to teach My dd who is 4 in Oct. The thing is she can do it, when I've let go and she hasn't realised she rides it fine but then she realises that I am not holding her stops peddaling and promptly falls.

Its getting incredibly frustrating because she doesn't want to do it, spends the whole time crying even though I've told her she has just done it. I am also getting angry with her.

I don't want to give up but I also don't want to get angry each time. I want her to enjoy it as well and for me to enjoy it with her.

[ottersRus]

When my DD learnt to ride a bike we had to run alongside her lightly holding onto her clothing at the back of the neck. We had to do this for ages, it wasn't for balance it was purely she had to know we were there and had hold of her, for confidence. As she got more confident she would say "let go" as long as DH or I were still there running right by her and if she felt scared she could shout "hold me".

As you can imagine this was quite knackering for me as, lets say, I am unaccustommed to running , and she could go quite fast so I was running full pelt (for me). Dh and I would take over from each other when the other reached the point of collapse.

We may well have looked ridiculous to everyone else in the park, demonstrating our unfitness, but after a few weeks of this she was riding on her own no prob. And I was a few pounds lighter .

Btw On the subject of balance bikes this was at age 4 going straight from a balance bike to her big bike missing out the stabiliser stage.

[alana39]

Like others balance bike first meant DS1 moved up to normal bike without stabilisers at 4 1/2. Next door neighbour laughed at us for buying a balance bike - he said 12 years ago he took the pedals off a normal bike and taught all 3 children to ride balancing on that. Cheaper but perhaps need to be mechanically minded

[LollipopViolet]

I was nearly 10 before I learnt, and then I had a heart-breaking problem. My mum hadn't seen me ride on my own (due to working etc) and every time I tried showing her I fell off and got really upset

I'm 19 now and haven't been on a bike in years! Bad eyesight and not being allowed to ride on the pavements have put me off going on the roads!

[mellifluouscauliflower]

My advice is: time for a strategic retreat..

We tried to teach our son at 4 and he had a fair go at it. He could go for a short while on his own with his Dad holding onto the back and then letting go. But then we found he just wasn't interested in the bike any more. Like your daughter he couldn't / wouldn't keep pedalling all the time.

So we thought - what's the point? A bike is supposed to be fun and it is shame to have spent all this money on it for it to rot in the garage. And we were sick of walking round the park at a snail's pace. So we put the stabilisers back on - and sure enough his interest revived.

Six months later, he borrowed another boy's bike without stabilisers and off he went first time.

The size of the bike also seemed to make a difference - back on his 12 inch frame it seemed much more difficult for him without stabilisers than his friend's 14 inch frame.

Hope this helps.

[2to3]

Hi - haven't quite made it all the way through this thread (sorry, long day) but just wanted to say in case someone else hasn't already: Our two learned to cycle on two small second-hand bikes. DH googled 'the best way to teach kids to cycle', then took the pedals off both bikes and took our twins to the park about three or four times so they could learn to balance on a very slight incline. There were some tears and initial frustrations, but they got used to it. Once they could balance OK we put the pedals back on and went for a bike ride with some older boys. Seeing the big boys do it really helped get our two motivated. They are now 4 1/2 and able to go on quite long rides. Another child we know used the same technique and he did it at 3 1/2. Obviously kids are different and if it's become an issue then definitely best to back off for a while. There's no hurry - maybe just go for family bike rides with your LO in a seat for a while to make it something enjoyable again. But in conclusion there is no need for a separate balance bike, and IMHO stabilisers are pointless - they just make the bike into a trike and doesn't teach them the key skill of balancing.

[2to3]

PS - taking the pedals off really isn't difficult - you just need a spanner. And make sure their feet can easily reach the ground.

[Homebird8]

I don't think the memory of tears as she learns to ride is going to help her or you as she grows up. Look on freecycle for new stabilisers and leave it a bit.

[TracyK]

I saw on tv once a guy with a wooden pole down through the back of the bike iykwim and could run along easier with the kid than holding onto the saddle.

or someone suggested to me - keep the stabilisers on - just raise them so they are there - but not really 'there'.

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Both mine learned on balance bikes and were off immediately without stabilisers on normal bikes.

Take the pedals off her bike and she'll get used to balancing first (make sure her feet can touch the ground). Once she's mastered that the pedalling will come naturally. This is how adults are taught if they cannot ride a bike.

Also,FWIW, some balance bikes do have breaks as well but since you've got a normal bike, just take the pedals off and save some money.

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Ooops, hadn't read all the threads and couldn't agree with 2to3 more. Stabilisers are the invention of Satan!

[2to3]

Voluptua - your nickname rocks.

[fabhead]

have to agree about stabilisers - more hassle than they are worth as they never work properly - always loose, rickety, etc.

My son got a balance bike just after 3 at Easter time and was riding his normal bike by that August with no help from us really - we took the stabilisers off as they were rubbish and left it in the garage for "later" and he picked it up one day and was pretty much riding by the end of the day - we did lower the seat as far as it would go to more like balance bike height the next day and from then he was off with no help at all. I was astounded.

I think the balance bike really does make it likely they will learn by themeselves very quickly and won't need stabilisers. But if they have not had a balance bike at 3/4 it is maybe a bit unrealistic to push them into early bike riding and they are maybe more likely to do it at 6/7 like we did?

[deaddei]

Don't pressure her...it's no big deal if she can't ride a bike! She will learn when she wants to. I've just learned this summer and I'm 49- don't feel my life has been missing anything by not going on one sooner!!!

[canella]

another vote for removing the stabilisers and pedals and letting her use it as a walking bike! she'll get some speed on it then she'll get used to balancing it so to add the pedals will be a natural progression.

we live in mainland europe and i've never seen a bike used with stabilisers but millions of walking bikes - and kids here are so much younger at learning to ride! ds2 was 3 on monday and he's a whizz on his walking bike and got a bike with pedals for his birthday! not pushing the proper bike yet though - he'd be far too kamikaze!!!

[bigbluewhale]

We took the stabilizers off our 5yo dd1s bike earlier this year and her first outing on it was diasterous and she lost all her confidence, so we decided to take a step back but didn't put the stabilizers back on.
we got her using a 2 wheel scooter every time we went to the park until she was really confident at balancing on that, then we took the pedals off her bike and used it like one of those training bikes.
After a few days of doing that she went out to the park with pedals on, and eventually it just seemed to click.
Shortly after that we had a holiday with friends whose 5yo dd was at the same stage and by the end of the hols they were both flying round the caravan site and loving it. Now she can't wait to get on her bike.
So my advice is to get her confident at balance in a fun way, then give it another go - she will get there

[littlebellsmum]

We were just lucky - both my two ( 4 and 5 ) sccot a lot and so have pretty good balance from this. One Saturday, we took off the sabilizers ( for the 4 yr old, we tried to take pedals out but no joy), and gave them a go. Two circuits up and down the road and we were able to let go and we haven't looked back since! They love their bikes and like nothing better than showing people how well they can ride.
I thought it was going to be a long slog but actually easy. But as I said, we were obviously really lucky.

[lilyjen]

Who's idea was it to take off the stabalisers? How long has she had a bike and how often does she ride it? You said she doesn't want to learn..why is it an issue? Most kids will want the stabalisers off at some time or another, My daughter had her first bike at 4 and rode it with stabilisers for nearly 2 years before I suggested she try without..she was excited about the idea, in the 2 years she spent whizzing about she was ready and after just 3 attempts and 2 days she was off! I don't think it was late it just seemed the right time for her before then she seemed happy enough playing around. This reminds me of all the potty training talk when my daughter was a baby. Everyone stressed about it. I waited untill all the right signs were there, introduced knickers at home when she was 2 and at 2 years 4 months we left them on when we went out by mistake and that was it! I can count on one hand how many accidents she had as I watched friends chase their non ready kids around holding out potty's..lol

[lilyjen]

P.s nothing wrong with stabilisers-it does kinda make it a trike but so what? Ever found a good enough trike for a big 4 or 5 year old?

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

2to3 I thenk you

Lilyjen - I think the thing with stabilisers is that it's just what everyone knows and is used to. I had never even seen a balance bike until a wee lad at my DS's nursery whizzed past on one. I just thought they were a great idea to build confidence and actually get from one place to another. IMO stabilisers just teach them to ride a bike at an angle and give them false confidence.

I would be happy to bet that 10 years from now balance bikes are more common than stabilisers.

[Blu]

DS was another success story for the balance-bike method. We didn't buy a balance bike, but his was a Puky bike and the pedals unscrewed easily. After a couple of weeks balancing down mild slopes, and round corners, I put the pedals back on and he was off with no hesitation or help.

There is something technical like stabilisers actually cause you to use your weight in the opposite way you balance when riding without, so they actually impede learning to balance.

[JHKE]

I took dd out this morning on small bike, she wanted to.. she was happy peddaling with me holding. I feel that for some reason the pedals are harder to pedal than her own bike but she said not.

I think I may take the pedals off, just got to find a spanner big enough.

I deffinately don't think putting stabilisers back on is the way to go even if we had them.

lilyjen - it was my dds idea to take the stabilisers off.. my ds had his off and she wanted to be like him. TBH I thought she would pick it up easier than him, she usually has more confidence and spunk but it turns out she has the balance and can do it but not the confidence to go alone.

She has asked to go out again today a few times so I am taking it as a good sign.

[thehairybabysmum]

Sounds like she is doing really well witht he smaller bike JHKE from your earlier post. Glad the brake tip helped too.

[mathanxiety]

First get a 2-wheel scooter -- don't know if Razor brand scooter is available in the UK, but they have smooth running wheels. This will teach balance. Then introduce the bike after a while once the balancing skill is going well. Should be easy.