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Original poster

When do children usually ride bikes without stabilisers?

38 replies

edodgy · 21/03/2006 10:37

I'm just wondering because we're buying our dd a bike for her 3rd bday next month. She wants a pink one, with a seat for her doll and a bell and obviously stabilisers (not that she's fussy or anything!) I've just been looking at the 12 inch wheel bikes (for her age group) and most of them have stabilisers on that don't come off. The one that does have those that come off doesn't have the seat for her doll. Am I going to need one with removable stabilisers or not?

OP posts:

Katherine · 22/03/2006 16:48

Well I reckon the answer to this is until you have time to teach them to ride without.... to a point of course.

I've got 3: 2.5yrs, 6yrs and 7.5yrs. My neighbours kids are 8yrs and 4.5yrs.

Last Autumn we decided that it was time the older ones learned to go it along because they were outgrowing their 12inch bikes and the stabilisers kept coming off.

We are lucky enough to live next door to a disused railway line and they were kind enough to resurface it with a perfect biking surface so we spent 2 weeks of going out for an hour every night. At the end of this period all 4 of the older children could ride without stabilisers. Even the youngest who was 3.5 at the time. So I honestly think its just a matter of investing the time and your back into it. I wonder if we'd tried it a few years before if the older ones would have sussed it then. Once they got it there was no stopping them.

I would say go for a bike with ones that DON'T come off though. We got ours from decathlon and although they were fab bikes with stabilisers that unscrewed, by the end the threads had worn and they kept coming off. The ones which DON'T come off with come off with tools but are less likely to come off of their own accord. :)

amynnixmum · 22/03/2006 16:55

DS has only recently learned at 5 and his motivation was getting a new 'big boys bike'. We told him that once he could ride his old little bike with no stabilisers (and no stropping) he could choose a new big bike so he could keep up with his sister without his legs going like Dash from the Incredibles. It took a while (and LOADS of stropping) but we finally got him his new bike 3 weeks ago.

elliott · 22/03/2006 17:00

AT 3 I woudl get a trainer bike without pedals rather than a bike with stabilisers. They learn the balance bit and then the idea is taht they go straight to a pedal bike without stabilisers (or use the stabilisers very briefly to learn about peddling). If they use stabilisers for a long time they just get used to leaning on them and aren't actually learning the balance at all.
Ds1 is 4.3 and has just started 'getting' riding his pedal bike. He can't start it off though!
But I agree with whoever said 'until you have time to teach them to ride'!

Milliways · 22/03/2006 19:00

DS could ride happily with no stabilizers at 3. The buggy broke & he used to cycle everywhere with me.

DD was nearer 6.

iota · 25/03/2006 17:20

Had a bit of a result this morning - ds1, who last year completely refused to go near his bike, rode without stabilisers.

We got him to ride his old bike which is too small for him, so his feet can reach the floor easily, and dh and I took it in turns to run along with him and stop him falling when he lost his balance.

It went really well, obviously he's still got a way to go, but at least he's trying and he's enthusiastic.

iota · 02/04/2006 14:14

Third outing for ds1 without stabilisers and he's managed to ride about 50 yards completely solo. He is a bit wobbly but he's doing really well.

I'm sooooooo happy for him

ds2 not so happy as his bike has been 'borrowed'

GDG · 02/04/2006 14:21

Ds1 is just 5 - I'm going to tackle it this summer. This summer he'd only just got a bike with stabilisers so I just let him get used to that first. Don't think it's a big deal.

Ds2 is 3.4 and i can't get him on a bike at all - stabilisers or not!

Katherine · 02/04/2006 14:21

What actually did the trick with mine in the end was running along holding the back of the saddle (bloomin' hard work) and getting them to say when they were ready for me to let go. Up till that point we'd get them going but as soon as they realised we'd let go they'd panic and wobble. Being in control gave them more confidence and although I was worried they'd never say it they did - really quickly. Sure I managed to loose a few pounds too! :)

iota · 02/04/2006 14:26

dh has been running up and down the path beside ds1

Katherine -I did read on the net that it's better to hold the child not the bike, so that they can get more of a feel for their balance, but hey, whatever works

Hulababy · 02/04/2006 14:34

DD has a 14" Rayleigh mini miss bike which she got for her 3rd birthday. It doesn't have a doll's seat but you can fit one after by replacing the back mudguard with it. It has stabilisers which are removable.

DD rides with stabilisers (she is 4 next week) well, but nowhere near trying without.

Ledodgy · 02/04/2006 14:35

TY I've gone for the 14 inch daisy chain bike from halfords dp is picking it up tonight so it will be there for her when she wakes up on her Birthday tommorrow

kid · 02/04/2006 20:55

I'm looking for a new bike for DS. He learned to ride his sisters bike today without the stabalisers on. He will be 4 tomorrow.

Somehow, I don't think he will be very impressed with riding the pink barbie bike for much longer. DD is 7 and she sat on the bike without stabilisers but decided she didn't like it (before it even moved!)

iota · 04/04/2006 14:53

Ds1 and I have just been for a nice little ride by the lake (not too close) on our bikes.

And to think that 2 weeks ago I posted that he wouldn't go near his bike

think this is turning into my "learn to ride a bike" blog

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