teaching kids to ride

[cyclenic]

I know it's not a grown up subject, but how do you teach a kid to ride.

she's almost 6, and has just mastered stabilizers. But now what?

any ideas?

 

[johnnyh]

take the stabilisers and pedals off, lower the seat down and get her to scoot... after a short period she will have her balance and be wooshing along like a natural. (took my daughter about 1 hour)

Then pedals on, a bit of encouragement and away they go... no need for running alongside and getting a bad back.

I think she had pretty much taught herself within 2 sessions.

 

[summerdays]

Get rid of the stabilizers... what johnnyh said... I did my children the hard way as I hadn't heard of the other method. I have now used the other method on other peoples children (including one with special needs) and its definitely the way to go.

 

[Globalti]

That's why Islabikes have this:

 

[AdamBlade]

I took my sons stabilizers off when he was about 4 and half. I held him up right and he pedalled off straight away. He's never looked back since....well he has and nearly fell off!!! To busy trying to nosey at what others are doing

 

[alecstilleyedye]

what the others have said, but they'll only want to learn when they feel ready and confident, not when you think they should.

 

[cyclenic]

pic didn't work, not heard of this method, but i will persuede protective daddy and see what he thinks?

 

[Globalti]

Working now.

 

[tyred]

Like most things cycling related, Sheldon wrote a guide outlining the various methods

http://sheldonbrown.com/teachride.html

 

[Twenty Inch]

Plus one for getting rid of stabilisers and pedals. Balancing is the more difficult skill to learn. Persuade daddy by telling him daughter will be safer, quicker. For god's sake, don't kit her out in knee pads, elbow pads, and full-face helmet, as I saw one pair of proud but deluded parents do to their 6 year old in the park.

 

[cyclenic]

i thought the mitchelin man look was cool!!!!!

how bout a pillow strapped to ber bottom

or extra bright like this kid, do you reckon he got picked on at school for this!

 

[magnatom]

That's why Islabikes have this:

Exactly. It works wonders. My 3.5 year old learned to ride a bike starting off on this!

Stabilisers are evil!

 

[summerdays]

In countries like Denmark etc do they have stabilizers... I mean is it the traditional way to learn to ride a bike across the world? Never thought about it before!

 

[User169]

In countries like Denmark etc do they have stabilizers... I mean is it the traditional way to learn to ride a bike across the world? Never thought about it before!

Stabilizers are fairly standard in the Netherlands.

 

[Arch]

I think the no pedals method is something that some people just know about, and some don't. I taught a middle aged man to ride that way, once, he mastered it in less than an hour. One of the things I'm proudest of doing, although I just told him what to do really, and off he went.

I'm certainly getting my nephew some sort of scooter bike for his 2nd birthday.