Teaching my kid how to ride a bike

[walter]

Hi. My kiddo is 3.5+ years old and already eager to learn how to balance and pedal on two wheels without any support. Are there fathers here who have done the teaching process? And know tricks on speeding up the process?

All in all, how do you teach your child to ride a bicycle?

[Painkiller]

Make sure the bike fits. go to big open parking lot log behind them tapping his shoulders for corrections to force him to steer on his own. Keep speed up. his balance should come in a short while. Then when you are not correcting him with the taps on the shoulder he is good to. now the hard part is stopping and a smooth dismount. Stay next to him as he slows using the brake, have come to stop and dismount and only grab him if he is going to fall. The key is to make him do most of the work as possible and he will be riding in less that 2hrs in most cases.

[Joe_W]

Thanks - we will also give this a try soon. We still need the bike (well, pick it up from a friend's place)...

[walter]

(08-04-2019, 01:34 PM)Painkiller Wrote:  Make sure the bike fits. go to big open parking lot log behind them tapping his shoulders for corrections to force him to steer on his own. Keep speed up. his balance should come in a short while. Then when you are not correcting him with the taps on the shoulder he is good to. now the hard part is stopping and a smooth dismount. Stay next to him as he slows using the brake, have come to stop and dismount and only grab him if he is going to fall. The key is to make him do most of the work as possible and he will be riding in less that 2hrs in most cases.

Oh hi.
Completely forgot to thank you for the tips & tricks! We'll be ready for this very soon.

[Painkiller]

Please post back with your results, even a short video would be great!

[Joe_W]

My son(3.5 year old) learned biking in 2 minutes. He had a... balance bike? One of them without pedals already, so his balance is really good. Got on the bike, had to help him start off, let him go, worked well. Explaining how to start off with one pedal up took a moment, but that's it. Oh, and the breaks as well.

So: this is a long term process. Get a balance bike first, and when the kid can roll on it while lifting up the feet get a real bike.

[walter]

(09-22-2019, 03:59 PM)Joe_W Wrote:  My son(3.5 year old) learned biking in 2 minutes. He had a... balance bike? One of them without pedals already, so his balance is really good. Got on the bike, had to help him start off, let him go, worked well. Explaining how to start off with one pedal up took a moment, but that's it. Oh, and the breaks as well.

So: this is a long term process. Get a balance bike first, and when the kid can roll on it while lifting up the feet get a real bike.

I love this approach! grow that confidence and the sense of balance.
What brand balance bike (yeas that is correct word) do you have? Friends of ours bought this cool looking Early rider wooden balance a while ago. But I don't want to splash $ on such. Might try to borrow for a testing before getting the real bicycle with pedals.

edit - Early rider's balance bikes fit (recommended) kids up to 4.5 years. Depending on the model they all fit in 2-4.5 year interval

[Joe_W]

We have one by Puky, actually the smallest one. He was by now way too tall for it (98cm, 3'1" I guess). Should fit his sister perfectly well now (1.75 years old) . Since these things are used only a few years and basically indestructible get a used one. My guess is you can sell it on for about the same price again.

[walter]

(08-04-2019, 01:34 PM)Painkiller Wrote:  Make sure the bike fits. go to big open parking lot log behind them tapping his shoulders for corrections to force him to steer on his own. Keep speed up. his balance should come in a short while. Then when you are not correcting him with the taps on the shoulder he is good to. now the hard part is stopping and a smooth dismount. Stay next to him as he slows using the brake, have come to stop and dismount and only grab him if he is going to fall. The key is to make him do most of the work as possible and he will be riding in less that 2hrs in most cases.

Mission accomplished! As you expected, It took 2 to 3 hours. We had a short break in order to clean up a tiny elbow bruise. I did not manage to catch him once, have to admit that. It calls for the dad of the year award hahah. Now the kiddo is glued to his Woom bike. Looking forward to having the family rides this summer.

Stay safe out there, guys. And thanks for the advice!

[Painkiller]

yep, good deal! glad it worked out. Much better than training wheels in my opinion, just takes a short time. teaches them how to crash and burn and keep on going! ha. Have fun!

[walter]

Will do! Cheers!

[Joe_W]

Our girl is now on the balance bike, the boy bikes to kindergarten (or would, if it was open) every day. Let's see when we can do our first century together ;-)

Stay healthy everybody, body and mind, especially you homeschooling and home office working moms and dads!

[J_R_Schultz]

I'm not a father, but my dad teaching me to ride a bike is one of my fondest memories. I remember it well. We were at a family gathering. I was young - 5ish. I begged and begged my dad to get me a bike. He either got tired of me pestering him, or he was planning it all along... I'm not sure. Right then and there we went down to the local bike shop. My dad bought me a bike, and we went back to the gathering. My dad and a few of my uncles helped me along for those first few wobbly pedal strokes and occasional falls. By afternoon I was riding that thing all over the place. I don't think I stopped until dark. I loved how my dad didn't even bother with training wheels. Right to the real deal. I was hooked for life. My dad died when I was 15. He had his faults, and he battled with alcohol addiction. Regardless of all of that I know he loved me. He did his best when he was able to do his best. My dad teaching me to ride a bike is a positive memory that I will have with me for life. Long comment... Here's the point - Your kid will always remember that first taste of freedom as the transition happens from needing your help to doing it all on their own. Enjoy the ride!

[Joe_W]

Thanks for sharing!

I have fond memories of bike tours with my dad - mom didn't like biking, she learned it only as an adult (bad eyesight). While we did a few tours as a family as well, but mostly only with our dad.