Does anyone know how to teach a child how to ride a bike w/o training wheels

[Blessedfamily]

This is my first time trying, and it's not going well.

 

DD's knees are in her chest on her bike, (she's a tall 5) and she needs a new one. The next size up doesn't come with training wheels, and would be embarassing to her if it did.

 

I took the training wheels off, and spent 20 minutes holding her up while she wobbled over my foot or just fell over. She was frustrated.

 

Are we doing something wrong? How long does it take to learn, generally? Days? Weeks?

[Laura Corin]

My boys didn't learn that early. Hobbes was seven and Calvin (motor skills delay) was nine. At those ages they learned almost instantly. They practised scooting with their feet on the ground and gliding. Then I ran alongside holding the back while they pedalled.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[joannqn]

We waited until our kids were riding their bikes almost upright with their training wheels slightly too high so they weren't always on the ground. By the time we took the training wheels off, they were ready to just go. We made sure the seat was low enough for them to touch the ground easily. They were quite wobbly for a week or two but they didn't need us to hold them up. My daughter was 7 and my son was 6 when they made the switch.

 

Is she riding a bike with 15" wheels? I know they come with training wheels. Even my 9 year old, who is 4'5" is still riding her 15 inch bike, although she does need a larger one.

[BikeBookBread]

We just got a bike for our 3 year at a real bike shop, and they suggested (and offered) to take the pedals/cranks off, lower the seat all the way down, and treat it like a Skuut-type bike.

 

We didn't do that for our 3 year old (I wish we had), but when it came time to teach our 4 yo to ride w/o training wheels, we just lowered the seat all the way down and she figured it out herself, in about 3 days. Now she rides her bike without fear! (Although she is afraid of her NEW bigger bike.) BTW, she was asking US to learn to ride -- her daddy is a cycle-commuter, so cycling is just a part of our life, which probably accounts for her learning quite young (while still 4).

Edited April 22, 2009 by BikeBookBread
more info/clarification

[Stacia]

They practised scooting with their feet on the ground and gliding.

 

:iagree: Keep the too-small bike & remove the training wheels. It's good if you can find a very slightly sloped place where your dd can 'ride' by barely lifting her feet off the ground while coasting at a very slow speed. If she starts to tip, she can just put her foot on the ground (since it's probably only lifted off the ground an inch or two anyway). Let her practice a lot like this to get her balance, then she can practice lifting her feet higher until she feels comfortable putting her feet on the pedals.

 

I think 5 is a bit young too. Both of my dc became pretty proficient riders around age 7.

[Blessedfamily]

Lower the seat and raise the training wheels? OK, I can do that.

What am I supposed to tell her to do while she trying. I just told her to try to find her balance.

 

My mother told me to put one of the training wheels back on, and let her ride with one. I tried that today, but she was just leaning to one side the whole time.

 

I wouldn't try to do it now, but she's so tall, she looks uncomfortable on her 16". If you saw her, you would think she's 7. Most people do. When we took her to the store, the 20" was a much better fit.

 

Plus the fact that the little girl across the street, who is 2 yrs younger, got the same bike. Now she's really embarassed. I told her not to worry about it, but you know how that goes..

[LaxMom]

:iagree: Keep the too-small bike & remove the training wheels. It's good if you can find a very slightly sloped place where your dd can 'ride' by barely lifting her feet off the ground while coasting at a very slow speed. If she starts to tip, she can just put her foot on the ground (since it's probably only lifted off the ground an inch or two anyway). Let her practice a lot like this to get her balance, then she can practice lifting her feet higher until she feels comfortable putting her feet on the pedals.

 

I think 5 is a bit young too. Both of my dc became pretty proficient riders around age 7.

 

Yep, that's how I learned, despite countless hours of my dad running while holding my bike up.

 

By the way, though, you can put training wheels on the bigger bike. My eight year old's bike, which is only slightly too small for me, has training wheels on it (because she asked for them; we're not too bike experienced here at Chez Crazy). We just bought them separately at a bike shop for around $20.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

My dd learned right before she turned 5. One day she decided she wanted to learn and asked her dad to take the training wheels off. We have a patio out back, and she just kept at it until she figured it out. She got a little scraped up in the process, but she learned in an afternoon. I think it's like anything else, you can try to teach a kid that isn't ready on his own and you can do it- but it will take longer. Or, you can wait until it's the kid's idea and it will happen more naturally.

 

A new bike would be a HUGE incentive to most kids I know to get out there and work. ;)

[Blessedfamily]

:iagree: Keep the too-small bike & remove the training wheels. It's good if you can find a very slightly sloped place where your dd can 'ride' by barely lifting her feet off the ground while coasting at a very slow speed. If she starts to tip, she can just put her foot on the ground (since it's probably only lifted off the ground an inch or two anyway). Let her practice a lot like this to get her balance, then she can practice lifting her feet higher until she feels comfortable putting her feet on the pedals.

 

I think 5 is a bit young too. Both of my dc became pretty proficient riders around age 7.

 

After reading the replies, I think we must have the seat too high on the bike. Even though she looks big on it, her feet can't touch the ground while she's on the seat.

[Ria]

Take her onto the grass and let her try to pedal. Run behind her for a bit and then let her go. It's much less scary to tip over in the grass. This is how all my children learned to ride. Lawns are very useful, lol.

 

Ria

[The Girls' Mom]

All three of my girls had trouble learning on bikes that were slightly too small. Once they moved up to bigger bikes, it helped. (They were older too....one of them was almost TEN...but she has co-oridination issues) I really think that it has a lot to do with how physically ready they are.

[In The Great White North]

My dad always insisted that the child should be able to sit on the seat and have both feet flat on the ground (not just toes). Very uncomfortable for commuting but great for learning how to balance on the bike.

[Blessedfamily]

My dd learned right before she turned 5. One day she decided she wanted to learn and asked her dad to take the training wheels off. We have a patio out back, and she just kept at it until she figured it out. She got a little scraped up in the process, but she learned in an afternoon. I think it's like anything else, you can try to teach a kid that isn't ready on his own and you can do it- but it will take longer. Or, you can wait until it's the kid's idea and it will happen more naturally.

 

A new bike would be a HUGE incentive to most kids I know to get out there and work. ;)

 

The scraping up is the part that scares me most. I went out to find a mouth guard, but didn't know what I was looking for.

 

It would be nice if we lived on a flat street. It's so hilly- hard peddling up and break-neck going down, even with training wheels.

[Desert Rat]

We used a rubbery walking path at the park for our boys. It grips the tires well and helps keep them up, I think. Both had no problems-Huck was 5, Tom was 4.

I here grass works as well.

It may be scary to try on the sidewalk or street because she may fear that she will get hurt when she falls.

HTH

[Maplinmum]

My daughter struggled with this, then we got a tag-a-long to do several long cycle rides which helped her to find her balance point so when she got on her own two wheeler she just took off with no problem. Previously to the tag-a-long she had spent months trying to ride with out training wheels.

[Stacia]

My dad always insisted that the child should be able to sit on the seat and have both feet flat on the ground (not just toes). Very uncomfortable for commuting but great for learning how to balance on the bike.

 

Yep, since the OP said the bike was way too small, this is the seat height I was thinking about in my other post. Let her be comfortable knowing her feet touch the ground w/ no problems....

[PiCO]

Take off the training wheels, and don't hold her. Have her learn to ride a 2-wheeled scooter first, so she understands the concept of balancing on two wheels. Next, have her ride the bike that's too small, balancing with her feet and scooting along. (Go to an unused parking lot on a week-end for this. Find one with a gentle slope.)

 

When she feels comfortable, she can put her feet on the pedals and go.

 

Both my kids learned to ride this way pain-free. My oldest had just turned 5. We had tried other ways to learn- pushing her, using training wheels, etc- but nothing worked. This worked in about an hour.

 

My younger dd could ride a 2-wheel scooter when she was 3. I'm sure she could have ridden a bike when she was 3 also, but I didn't have a small enough bike. She learned to ride when she was 4, in about an hour of messing around on a bike in a parking lot.

 

Here's a link to all the different ways to teach someone to ride a bike.

[JudoMom]

I've heard that kids who can ride scooters well pick up bike riding quickly. This was true in our case with ds6. He spent the summer zooming around on his scooter, and while dh was doing something to ds6's new bike (with training wheels), he eyed ds9's bike, hopped on it, and has been riding training wheel free ever since.

 

Now ds5 is learning to ride without training wheels and I encourage him to practice on the scooter.

[Shannon C]

Our son is doing great with this, I don't think he'll need training wheels at all-he's already riding our dd's bike even though it's a bit big. We're getting a real bike that fits him next week so we'll see if it works!

[Blessedfamily]

Yep, since the OP said the bike was way too small, this is the seat height I was thinking about in my other post. Let her be comfortable knowing her feet touch the ground w/ no problems....

 

Back from trying again. The seat was indeed too high. DH said he raised it up because her knees were in her chest. She was definately more secure knowing her feet could touch the ground.

 

She's still leaning like crazy, so tomorrow I'll try the scooting/coasting and other ideas. Thanks all!

[~Puddins~]

Our oldest did not learn until he was well past 6, the coordination was just not there for him, and he tried so hard for a long time. It just clicked one day. Our second oldest is 5 and one day he got on the bike and he took off. No training required. It's definitely a skill!!

 

We did try the Balance Buddy bar (bought it for $15 at the same store we got the bike from) for our oldest and it helped a lot (we did not have to lean over and hold on to his seat, easy to let go without him knowing) and our neighbors' are borrowing it now for their 6 year old and loving it. It was worth the cheap price to us, especially knowing we might use it again down the road.

[Miss Peregrine]

Didn't read other responses.

 

All four of mine hopped on a bike when they were ready and just rode away... I don't think it is something to be taught.

[Mom-ninja.]

As others have said...remove the training wheels and the pedals and turn it into a balance bike. Both my boys learned to ride on a balance bike. So much better than training wheels. My 5 yr old learned in less than a week.

[julesmama3]

I second (or third) the idea of teaching them on grass. I've taught 3 kids how to ride on grass within an hour by running behind them and gradually letting go earlier and earlier(without them noticing of course). There were never any scrapes either!

[Dobela]

You can occassionally find 20 inch bikes with training wheels. If not, you can usually find them to attach to the bike at a bike shop. Then she would have the best of both. When my nephew wanted to learn to ride and was having difficulty, his mom just brought his bike in the house for a time. He felt much more secure riding across the living room and down the hall (and less visible to the other kids in the neighborhood).

[Kathy in MD]

This is my first time trying, and it's not going well.

 

DD's knees are in her chest on her bike, (she's a tall 5) and she needs a new one. The next size up doesn't come with training wheels, and would be embarassing to her if it did.

 

I took the training wheels off, and spent 20 minutes holding her up while she wobbled over my foot or just fell over. She was frustrated.

 

Are we doing something wrong? How long does it take to learn, generally? Days? Weeks?

 

I haven't read the other posts, so I may be repeating:

 

It's easier to balance on 1)larger diameter tires and 2)a bike that fits. On her current bike your dd has both strikes against her. But she's still going to struggle for a bit and fall. Do in a private area for her ego and go for it.

 

One other thing I've seen suggested is that a child start on a scouter like a Razer. They work on their balance without the embarassing, painful falls form a bike.

[JustGin]

This is my first time trying, and it's not going well.

 

DD's knees are in her chest on her bike, (she's a tall 5) and she needs a new one. The next size up doesn't come with training wheels, and would be embarassing to her if it did.

 

I took the training wheels off, and spent 20 minutes holding her up while she wobbled over my foot or just fell over. She was frustrated.

 

Are we doing something wrong? How long does it take to learn, generally? Days? Weeks?

 

Couple of suggestions:

1) if her feet aren't already flat on the ground, lower the seat until they are and have her spend as much time as she wants "riding" that way. This gives her the training wheel effect but allows her to pick up her feet and pedal as she feels comfortable.

 

2) Find some place to practice that is long, straight and smooth, preferably with grass on both sides. Have a helper to spell you because this will be a workout. Grab the back of her seat, just enough to keep her from falling and start walking with her as she pedals, gradually pick up speed with her until you are running and she is really going. In order for her to get practice at pedaling and balancing, the bike needs momentum. Warn her that you are going to let go and do so, but encourage her to keep pedaling. Even if she only gets a few feet before pitching over, congratulate her and do it again. She will get it!

 

3) Realize that, staying upright as she pedals is only the first skill. Next comes stopping without falling over, starting by herself, turning without stopping and last but not least, coasting to a stop.

 

Be of good cheer, she can do it! I have three bike riders and although two of them picked it all up within a week, my middle dd took almost a whole summer and I had to show her a video tape of her small successes when she wanted to give up before she would keep trying.

 

:)

 

Edited to add - my dc were all just shy of 5 when they learned to ride w/out training wheels.

Edited April 23, 2009 by JustGin

[Kathy in MD]

The scraping up is the part that scares me most. I went out to find a mouth guard, but didn't know what I was looking for.

 

It would be nice if we lived on a flat street. It's so hilly- hard peddling up and break-neck going down, even with training wheels.

 

You might look for a flat parking lot when it's not busy, such as a church or school lotfor learning.

 

Of course my ds was taught by his new friends at the age of six without training wheels. It reached the point where I banned his riding until I got more band-aids. It seemed that part of the training included riding down 4-7 concrete steps. :w00t: :svengo:

 

His friends will NOT be teaching him to drive! :driving:

[Kathy in MD]

My daughter struggled with this, then we got a tag-a-long to do several long cycle rides which helped her to find her balance point so when she got on her own two wheeler she just took off with no problem. Previously to the tag-a-long she had spent months trying to ride with out training wheels.

 

Are there tag-a-longs that carry more than 80 pounds? I don't know her dd's weight, but if she's built like I was at that height, she'd be too heavy (think linebacker). If not, I have a tag-a-long for sale and I'll be at Wmsburg for the conference! :D:D:D