Teaching a child to cycle ...

[Canrider]

Cruel to be kind, just take off up the trail and let her keep up*, and when the little boy cruises past go 'Yeah, he's smaller and younger than you, so what's the problem?!'

I think ditch the stabilisers, let her see you put them in the metaphorical bin, go full-on psych warfare and just say 'you're big now, Mummy says you don't need them, now let's go ride the Red trail at the MTB centre'.


*Aren't I a horrible daddy?

 

[summerdays]

Some bits of this are reminding me of my youngest.

We went to the Forest of Dean intending to hire a tag along for him, and took the older two's bikes. It was a bank holiday and there were no hire bikes left. So we walked, older two cycled. Then he was getting a bit tired so I ended up putting him on the smaller bike for a rest, and I was pushing him. (He was had never tried to ride a bike before). I could feel he hand a good balance and he was pedalling just for fun, but the saddle was too high as it was for a child several years older.

When we got home I decided to boot the sibling off that bike, lower the saddle and try properly. I held on and I could feel he could do it. I'd let go, and yes he could up till the moment he realised I wasn't holding on, so he would slam the brakes on. Very frustrating, but that's why when he started school shortly afterwards he cycled to school every day, each day same procedure, I'd pretend to hold on, he'd ask for reassurance, I'd lie and he would ride until he would realise, slam the brakes on and I'd hold on again for a short while before letting go again. I think it took about a month for him to realise he could cycle, but as a result he was in the habit of cycling to school so he did throughout primary school. And that was about the time I started cycling too.

 

[subaqua]

eldest daughter I used stabilisers , took till she was 6 from about 4. tried the pedals off and zip ty the crankarms for my youngest took about 4 weeks from age 4 . he is nearly 7 now and rides confidently on the road with me.

 

[KneesUp]

There is a bike park at school, but (and this might sound like I'm making excuses) the route there isn't exactly 'learning to cycle' friendly. Specifically I don' think holding on to her whilst she tries to race downhill / refuses to go downhill because it's too steep will be much fun for my back!

But there is relatively flat park not far away so that is where we shall go. Is it best if they can get their feet flat on the floor whilst on the saddle for using the bike as a balance bike? I suppose she has to be able to - she can reach the floor with both feet but not with her feet flat at the moment, so I might have to do the old 'seat-bracket upside down' trick.

 

[Broadside]

I wouldn't try and rush her, she will take to it when she is ready. Both my daughters were riding their bikes just after their 5th birthdays, they just weren't ready before that, when I felt it was time I then spent about 90 mins running behind them with a hand on the saddle and eventually you just have to let go, that is the real hard bit. My son on the other hand was riding shortly after his 3rd birthday, the difference I think is partly because he is an active boy, but also because he was actively zooming around on a balance bike since he was 2.

I am quite against stabilisers as they just defer the problem of going solo so I agree with others about removing pedals, in fact for my first daughter I did remove the bottom bracket completely. You can also pick up balance bikes pretty cheap especially on ebay and then you just sell it on. I always bought the kids first proper bike and put it in the garage, then told them they could only ride it without stabilisers.

As far as saddle height is concerned for a balance bike, yes they need to be able to get their feet flat on the floor as they need to brake with their feet easily - the balance bike is a big confidence booster so don't ruin that by putting the saddle too high.

 

[KneesUp]

Update - removed the stabilisers entirely and she can now (as of today) ride 10 yards downhill on grass on her own (if I help her start). I call that progress - thanks for all your advice.

 

[summerdays]

Well done! Keep going on the slope or flat, she will find it difficult to go uphill to start with, but it will soon come with a bit more practice.

 

[macbikes]

Well done!