Any 7 year old can't ride a bike without training wheel?

[ChristusG]

DH is trying to teach DD7 now. He spent about an hour with her on Monday night and he's going to spend another hour tonight. He said that her balance is just so-so, but that it got a bit better as they went on. She's just not the most graceful child LOL. Any other late bike riders? Anything that really worked for your late rider?

 

I looked on Amazon and I think I'm going to purchase one of those Strider balance bikes for DD4 to ride, and we'll be able to pass it down to our new baby one day as well. I think that if they could start out balancing, then learning to ride would be a breeze.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I didn't teach dd until she was about 8.5yo. The timing was perfect; we went to field and she was off.

 

Ds will be 7 next month and is no where near ready. Pedaling is one of his OT and PT goals.

[extendedforecast]

My first learned to ride without training wheels at 6. My next was 4-she literally took off the first time I let go. My third DD just learned this summer at 8.5 years.

[JudoMom]

I've found that my boys that had the benefit of using a razor scooter before they tried learning to ride a bike were able to learn how to ride a bike much more quickly.

[Momof3littles]

We love our balance bike. I purchased it for DS1 when he was 3. He rode it until he was 5 and was big enough for the 16 inch bike we had on hand. He was likely ready far before that time, but we didn't feel like buying a 14 inch bike, and he wasn't complaining.

 

We handed it down to DD. She started using it around 2.5 I'd say. By 3.5 she was able to ride a 2 wheeler without training wheels independently. We got a hand me down 2 wheeler (w/ pedals) from my niece, and that day DD rode off on it.

 

Sometimes bike shops can remove the pedals for you and "make" a balance bike out of a regular bike. THere are also bikes like the Trek float that can convert from a balance bike to a pedal bike.

 

Our last few houses have all been in cul de sacs and/or have had a large paved driveway, so my kids get a chance to ride pretty much every day.

[JenneinCA]

My ds7 isn't ready yet. His balance is alright, but he is scared of going fast. I expect he will figure it out someday.

[RebeccaS]

My oldest dd was a late rider. She was just too cautious to let go. We took her pedals off the bike and let her scoot around to get the feel of the bike and get some balance. When we put the pedals back on later in the summer, she was ready to ride. We've done that for both girls and the boys are now in the process of scooting around without pedals.

 

Just thought I'd suggest it if you wanted to try that, rather than buying a special balance bike. :001_smile:

[Momto3indians]

Our middle son rode first at a young age which motivated the oldest to conquer it days later! But for all the kids they started out on a small grassy hill where falling wasn't a big deal. I recall telling them not to peddle, but just to stick their legs out and glide down the hill! What a fun time it was to see each 'get it'! Have fun!!!

[SKL]

My niece was 8 or 9 when she learned. Just didn't care about it, I guess. I have another friend whose kid just turned 8, and he's just getting it now. His issue is that he's afraid of getting hurt.

 

My older 4yo recently mastered it, though she's using a 13" bike, so it's not scary for her. She's also pretty athletic. Her 4yo sister is still working on it. She will probably get it soon. It helps to be close to the ground and/or too young to really fear "what could happen."

[swellmomma]

DS13 didn't learn to ride with no training wheels until he was 10. His balance just wasn't there.

[LND1218]

Those balance bikes are great.

 

We just used training wheels with our kids until we could see that they didn't need them.

 

If training wheels are put on so that they don't both touch the ground at the same time, they are forced to learn to balance the bike in order to ride it. The training wheels just catch them if they lean too far. You can keep moving them as they get better. It worked great for all of ours who are old enough to ride.

[Dmmetler]

My DD is almost 7 and can't ride without training wheels yet, although I think it's more a self-confidence thing at this point. I'm not taking them off until she tells me she's ready-and, in fact, when she moved to a bigger bike, we got training wheels for it as well.

[pooh bear]

Well I'm 34 and still can't ride a bike. Balance is not what you call my forte. Even my dad at the age of 61 can't ride a bike.

 

Ds is very much like me. It also doesn't help that is he 11 and 5' 8".

 

Balance, timing, rhythm, these are just not strengths that we have.

[Jen500]

Is her bike on the small side for her? My boys found it easier to learn on bikes w/larger wheels (I can't remember the sizes now). They didn't have to pedal as fast to get up enough speed to balance more easily. It's harder to balance if you're not moving very fast.

[Tap]

Find a lightly sloped grassy hill.

 

Remove training wheels and pedals.

 

Let the child practice coasting down the hill. The grass will add friction/slow them down but also offer a cushion for them to fall on.

 

Once they have learned to balance, put back on pedals. Not training wheels.

 

Let them cycle on the hill until they get the confidence to try concrete.

[jennsmile]

My oldest was 8 when he learned to ride. He would not try and try. So I offered $10 (price of lego bionicle) if he could learn in a day.....worked like a charm.

 

My second, was riding at 5 but he is way more athletic.

[Chris in VA]

There's a great video about teaching late riders to get comfy on a bike. It has them start coasting down a small hill on grass. I'm sorry, I can't find it on youtube.

I have two kids who don't ride --they both have mixed modality and that can hinder learning. (right handed, left footed)

[scrapbookbuzz]

My daughter tried a few times when she was younger to learn to ride a bike but she just could not get STEERING.

 

So, we took a break from it. This past spring, at the age of 12, is when she finally learned to ride a bike.

With her Aspie brain, I had to explain the WHY of it: this is a precursor to driving. You need to be able to learn to STEER and be aware of what's around you.

 

So, yes, we had a late bloomer too.

[Tutor]

I'm >37yo and I can't ride a bike. I have a great sense of balance but a terrible fear of falling (and getting hurt). Dh has declared me a lost cause. That said, I have helped teach 3 of my 4 children ride. 7yo has no interest in riding. He'd rather walk with Mom, and I'm fine with that.

[piraterose]

Not only can't my 7 year old ride a bike, she absolutely flat out refuses to go out and learn. Now she is even refusing to ride on her bike WITH training wheels.

[Laura Corin]

Calvin didn't ride until he was nine. We tried when he was about seven, then gave up. He wanted to learn when he was nine and it happened very fast.

 

Good luck!

 

Laura

[Bug's Mom]

I just searched my blog to see when dd finally "got it". It was 2 months after she turned 7. Before that, she had a small (16" I think) bike and a Razor scooter. When we got her the 18" bike (two months before she rode without training wheels) I took the pedals/crank/sprocket/chain off of the little bike. She would push herself around on that, practicing balance. It all clicked a couple of months later. She's only had a couple of crashes, and they've been very minor.

[lailasmum]

My dd has horrendous balance so we worked on her balance for a month with a wobble board and a beam and she had a balance bike. It was a converted big bike because I couldn't find a balance bike for big kids. She got the hang of it last summer when she was 6. She struggles on bikes that are slightly too big though. We were sold a 20inch by a bike shop as being perfect for her but she struggled so went and got a smaller size which worked much better. I don't think she would be riding a bike now without the intensive balance work we did.

 

My 3 yr old got the hang straight away but he is really co-ordinated and had a tiny balance bike from 20 months.

[melissel]

My DD9 won't even go near her bike. She wants to learn but is too afraid :( I even bought one of those long handlebar things that attaches to the rear axle *sigh* Still no luck--she panics the second her balance shifts ever so slightly. I've given up stressing about it (ok, mostly given up!), but if your DD is still willing to learn and your DH is willing to work with her, I think you're all in good shape. Give her some time and she'll get it!

 

ETA: By the way, now that you posted about it here, she'll have it down pat by the end of the next session. I'd put money on it!

[Joker]

My oldest learned at 9 in a day. My youngest is 9 now and still can't do it but she is seriously clumsy and tiny. She may be 10 before she can handle it. I don't think its that big a deal. She loves her scooter.

[Crimson Wife]

My DD9 won't even go near her bike. She wants to learn but is too afraid :( I even bought one of those long handlebar things that attaches to the rear axle *sigh* Still no luck--she panics the second her balance shifts ever so slightly.

 

This is my DD as well. I don't have the patience to deal with trying to teach her any more and DH refuses to do it as well. My parents are coming out to visit next month and my dad is wonderfully patient. I'm hoping that he can get her riding her bike.

[Guest lahmeh]

Nothing but tears and frustration until we bought a go glider. I got a red one so both my dd and ds could learn. My dd was 9 and my ds was 8. Those things are AWESOME!! If I didn't get one of those I bet neither of my dc would be riding a 2 wheeler. Took no time AT ALL! Good luck. :D

 

http://www.glidebikes.com/category/goglider.html

[melissel]

This is my DD as well. I don't have the patience to deal with trying to teach her any more and DH refuses to do it as well. My parents are coming out to visit next month and my dad is wonderfully patient. I'm hoping that he can get her riding her bike.

 

See, I still have the patience and the upbeat attitude. She just won't even try. It's a bummer, but I guess there's no real reason she NEEDS to ride a bike. She can get exercise in plenty of other ways. I do still talk about it though (about how it feels like flying, and how freeing it is to be able to bike around, and how I'd get a bike and ride with her), and there's a standing offer of a small, furry pet if she'll put in the time and effort to conquer her fear. Considering how badly this girl wants a pet, she must REALLY be afraid of that bike :tongue_smilie:

[Orthodox6]

My dc with the strongest case of NVLD never learned to ride a bicycle for that reason. He now is seventeen, and wishes for bikes have yielded to wishes for automobiles. :D

[twoxcell]

My ds learned a few weeks before he turned 5. dd1 is 5 and says she wants to but dh has tried a few times and she is too scared. We should try again though. For what it's worth I do not think 7 is late at all after seeing my friends talk about their kids learning. I just think my ds was super early. 7 seems to be about average with a few learning earlier and many learning later.

[melissel]

Nothing but tears and frustration until we bought a go glider. I got a red one so both my dd and ds could learn. My dd was 9 and my ds was 8. Those things are AWESOME!! If I didn't get one of those I bet neither of my dc would be riding a 2 wheeler. Took no time AT ALL! Good luck. :D

 

http://www.glidebikes.com/category/goglider.html

 

Actually, one of the pieces of advice that was given to me by several people was to take the wheels off her bike, find a gentle slope somewhere, and just let her coast around. I wish I'd known that before she became adamant about not getting on her current bike.

[ondreeuh]

My dd learned at 11 and my ds at 10. Both of them learned quickly without training wheels or other helps.

 

I broke it down into chunks. The first skill was coasting with their feet just off the ground. Since they knew how to ride Razor scooters, it was pretty easy. If your child has trouble balancing, I would use a scooter first. After coasting in a straight line, we worked on gentle steering.

 

After they were comfortable coasting, I taught them how to push off on the pedal and coast with their feet on the pedals.

 

Pedaling was the last step. This was the hardest but too bad. We set up an obstacle course and made it a game.

 

Neither kid WANTED to learn to ride a bike. I told my daughter that we were going to take a bike ride with friends on a certain date and she had to learn before then. With my son, I told him he had to learn because I said so. :) Once they learned, they were glad I'd made them.

[Starr]

We were on the late end here too. We had a great driveway for the neighbor kids to learn. Skipping was another problem. They can do both now. lol :)

[Lawana]

Find a lightly sloped grassy hill.

 

Remove training wheels and pedals.

 

Let the child practice coasting down the hill. The grass will add friction/slow them down but also offer a cushion for them to fall on.

 

Once they have learned to balance, put back on pedals. Not training wheels.

 

Let them cycle on the hill until they get the confidence to try concrete.

:iagree:This is how dd finally learned at age 9, except she used a bike small enough that she could put her feet flat on the ground, and just left the pedals on.

[Terabith]

I think my daughter was seven before she learned. My six year old does not know how yet. The issue with my kids is that they are so scared of falling that they don't want to try. Catherine certainly COULD. She has no trouble with a two wheeled scooter, and she's fairly coordinated, but she is a wuss and terrified of falling. And any tiny scrape is cause for much MUCH drama.

[historically accurate]

None of my children know how yet. Oldest is 9, and she has no desire to learn. Middle is 6, and she has balance issues. Youngest is 4 and will probably be riding before the other 2. She's a terror on her trike!

[twoforjoy]

My son recently got interested, but hasn't learned yet.

 

Our next door neighbor has a 7 yo DD and she still has training wheels, too.

[AngieW in Texas]

8yo was the magic age for all three of my girls. I was 8yo as well. My middle dd even taught the neighbor to ride without training wheels when she turned 8yo. Her mom was floored when she saw her dd riding my dd's bike because she'd never been able to ride without training wheels before.

[the4Rs]

Yes. My daughter is 7 and still has training wheels on her new bike. She is slowly gaining confidence in it but she is so dependent on the training wheels that I'm not sure when she'll ever be ready for riding a two-wheeler. She is scared of falling, has bad balance...all around a mess on a bike. It is embarrassing (mostly for me) that she isn't riding a two wheeler while all the other kids 5 and up in our neighborhood are riding two-wheelers already.

[twoforjoy]

I'm not sure if anybody mentioned this (yes, this is one of those "I didn't read the whole thread..." posts), but one of my friends had really good luck teaching her kids to ride their bikes by taking the pedals entirely off. The kids just used the bike kind of scooter-style, and then, once they found their balance, they put the pedals back on, and the kids were able to start riding without much difficulty at all.

[mom2att]

I've found that my boys that had the benefit of using a razor scooter before they tried learning to ride a bike were able to learn how to ride a bike much more quickly.

 

This was my experience as well. It took my oldest three weeks of practice in the yard before she got the hang of a bike w/o training wheels. She never had a scooter. Both of my boys had scooters before bikes and never had bikes with training wheels--once they moved up to bikes they needed minimal practice and were off. I think the scooter gave them a good sense of balancing on two wheels.

[Mommy22alyns]

Becca was a late rider. She has really good balance, she's been doing gymnastics since age 3. But she only had limited opportunities to ride her bike, so it took her longer to ditch the training wheels. Sylvia's nowhere near ready because she hates riding her bike. :glare:

[ChristusG]

Well I'm 34 and still can't ride a bike. Balance is not what you call my forte. Even my dad at the age of 61 can't ride a bike.

 

Ds is very much like me. It also doesn't help that is he 11 and 5' 8".

 

Balance, timing, rhythm, these are just not strengths that we have.

 

Yes, DD7 is not very good at timing and rhythm either. She can't clap in tune to save her life. Her visual processing therapist said she needed motor therapy. We declined....I mean, some people are *just* not coordinated. She takes after her daddy!

 

Nothing but tears and frustration until we bought a go glider. I got a red one so both my dd and ds could learn. My dd was 9 and my ds was 8. Those things are AWESOME!! If I didn't get one of those I bet neither of my dc would be riding a 2 wheeler. Took no time AT ALL! Good luck. :D

 

http://www.glidebikes.com/category/goglider.html

 

Those are neat! And for big kids and adults too!! I just ordered a balance bike for 3-6 year olds. My 4 year old will use that. I think it will be too small for my 7 year old to practice on. But if she really cannot get the hang of balancing, I'm going to go to a thrift store and get a really cheap bike and take the pedals off. DH is not too handy so I don't want him to have to worry about ruining the pedals/chain of her current bike LOL.

 

Actually, one of the pieces of advice that was given to me by several people was to take the wheels off her bike, find a gentle slope somewhere, and just let her coast around. I wish I'd known that before she became adamant about not getting on her current bike.

 

We're in flat, flat Florida LOL. There's not many hills around here that's safe for her to practice on....especially none that are grassy. We live in a cul-de-sac so that's probably the safest place for her right now.

 

My oldest was 8 when he learned to ride. He would not try and try. So I offered $10 (price of lego bionicle) if he could learn in a day.....worked like a charm.

 

My second, was riding at 5 but he is way more athletic.

 

LOL, this is what prompted DD to begin learning....$10! She's very motivated by money.

 

She *does* want to learn....she's just very afraid of falling. I wrote on my blog (and have photos) of her learning on Monday. Just scroll down to Tuesday's post and anyone can check them out if they want. Her face is half fear/half amusement LOL.

[Mom in High Heels]

Indy learned to ride a bike this past June, the month before he turned 9. He wouldn't even get on a bike, training wheels or no, until then. I had to take him to Paris and spend a fortune renting bikes at Versailles to get him to ride one. :glare: I had mentioned to him that my mom and I rented bikes when we were there several years ago, and when he saw the size of the gardens decided a bike was the way to get around. The people at the rental place let him practice for a few minutes before I actually shelled out the money to rent them. Thirty minutes after we left the rental place he looked like he's been riding all his life.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

have an 8 yr old who can't/won't.....loved the tricycle and rode it until we gave to someone else LOL rode it till he couldn't fit anymore and has a brand new bike from 2 yrs ago xmas but he doesn't show any interest in it......

[Chris in VA]

Actually, one of the pieces of advice that was given to me by several people was to take the wheels off her bike, find a gentle slope somewhere, and just let her coast around. I wish I'd known that before she became adamant about not getting on her current bike.

bolded mine

 

I know you mean pedals, but this just cracked me up! Picturing a bike w/o wheels--really MIGHT be easier! :lol:

[Georgiana Daniels]

LOL, my kids are basically still in training wheels (though last summer my 7 year old sort of got the hang of it.) And my kids are total athletes! That makes it kind of funny AND sad. Well, I guess it comes down to the fact we don't have a safe place for them to ride, so they only get a rare chance when they are with grandparents and the weather is good.

 

SOOO, yeah, we're late bikers.

[melissel]

bolded mine

 

I know you mean pedals, but this just cracked me up! Picturing a bike w/o wheels--really MIGHT be easier! :lol:

 

Oh no!!! :lol::lol::lol: I'm so sick right now, I feel like Eeyore. I suppose I shouldn't be giving anyone advice until my head is no longer stuffed with cotton! It's such a funny mistake, I think I'll leave it :tongue_smilie:

 

And yes, I think my DD might very well be willing to get back on the thing if I took the wheels off :lol:

[Whereneverever]

My DD just learned this summer, at 7. I posted here in glee, actually.

 

What worked for us was taking the pedals off and having her coast down a hill to work on balance and steering.

[IsabelC]

I think it has more to do with motivation than coordination or general athletic ability. My son couldn't play sports to save his life, but he learnt to ride a bike at age 3 and never had training wheels. My elder daught also learnt at 3 because she was desperate to do everything her brother did. Second daughter is 3 now but she's nowhere near riding, she can barely pedal a tricycle. She's just not that interested in bikes and may well end up being one of those kids who don't learn until 7 or 8.

 

For anyone with very little kids, I'd highly recommend just never giving them training wheels in the first place. Training wheels encourage them not to balance properly. If they need something for in between a three wheeler and a two wheeler, go for a balancing bike with no pedals and let them cruise down a hill with soft ground as suggested previously.