4 yr old cycling question - can I have your opinion/experience please?

[merlin]

OK - DS2 is riding small bike with stabilisers but we want to be able to go on cycle trails together as a family.

So until he is a little bigger (and more competent) do we go for the attached bar thingy on DH's bike (which brings the front wheel off the ground) or a seat on the back of DH's bike?

Am slightly worried that he won't hold on with the attached thing.

ANyone experienced this?

(Oh and if you are reading this - hello Bunny

bump

We've just got a tag-along for our just 4yo - on its lowest setting its just small enough, although he is very unstable when we're not going as he can't touch the ground.

We're using this method to get the pedalling going as ds has a balance bike with no pedals - so has the balance, steering and brakes sorted, just needs to be able to get the pedalling sorted.

Attached bar.
DS & DD hold on, they can pedal although they don't actually help out.
Disadvantage is does make it heavier to tow.
Advantage you can go for longer rides and tow them when their legs get tired, this is more of an advantage when they begin to go without stabilisers. You can always carry the stabilisers & spanner and let them cycle either part of the way, at the picnic site or wherever you are planning a break.
When you are not using the tow bar it just clips onto the side of the back wheel.

Not sure about the attachment thingy - I think it looks dangerous for small kids. May be better for taking older kids on mammoth bike rides?

I'd say concentrate on teaching your DS to ride a bike. I have 4 year old twins who learned around the time of their birthday two months ago and are now really competent and able to cycle a long way, including uphill and on different kinds of terrain.

The trick was to not bother with stabilisers - IMHO they don't do anything apart from turn a two wheeler into a big trike.

To ride a bike kids obviously need to learn balance, but there's no need to waste £50 on an expensive 'balance bike' - all you have to do is take his pedals off and let him practise on a slight incline until he can pull his feet up and balance for a bit. For us it took about 3 1-hour trips to the park for hem to get the hang of it. Then just pop the pedals back on and let him practise until he's got it.

I did involve a lot of falling over, tears and frustration - especially when we took their beloved stabilisers off - but it only lasted for a very short time. Now they adore family bike rides and it's done so much for their confidence.

BTW I should say that our normal family bike ride is a couple of hundred yards along a quiet road, then nearly 3 miles along a cycle path (old railway line so pretty flat)to the pub where we stop for a drink & packet of crisps, then back home again. So we do not have to worry about traffic.

I have no qualms about buying ds a balance bike. He started out on it at 2.5 - and was whizzing around the park very quickly. And its got pedals that we can attach - I just want to get ds happy with the concept of pedalling before he gets going with that. Which is why I've got the tag-along - and we intend to go further than I can expect a 4yo to go at the moment.

i would go for the bar thingy,rather than a seat,
my lo didnt learn to pedal until just before his 4th b'day,he just would not do it lol,we are just getting to the stage now (he's nearly 5) where we have took the stabilisers off,but he will not go on it now,lol
good luck x

We live in a busy London area and always cycle on the pavement if we're not in the park or similar. People don't seem to mind as DTs are so little still and are being taught to make space for others, stop and say excuse me, etc.

We have super strict rules - stopping as soon as told and before every driveway and crossing. DTs had a lot of practice on scooters before getting bikes and know their wheels will be confiscated if they don't listen to us when out. Luckily they have yet to realise exactly how impractical it is for us to carry their bikes as well as our own if they are naughty . I often go out with them for bike rides by myself and it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be before I tried it.

A friend of mine has a child seat on the cross bar of their adult bike. Child sits on seat (looks like normal bicycle seat) it has foot rests and he holds on to the adult handle bars. Works very well for off road cycling.

Should add that it looks like a normal adult bicycle seat not one of those big child seats.

Thanks all! Think we are going to go for the tag along.

Happy cycling all!!