Any tips on teaching a child to ride a bike w/o training wheels

[marshallandcartersmo]

DS6 just hasn't got riding his bike w/o training wheels downpat. DS9 and all the other boys in the neighborhood ride circles around him, and he just feels so bad about it.

His bike is small, and I was hoping that would help him with confidence. That way if he felt he was going to fall all he'd have to do is put his feet down. He still just doesn't get it. I'm almost sure it's a fear issue w/him, he's afraid of falling and getting hurt. But the pride in him doesn't want his training wheels back on.

Any suggestions?

 

[clarabelle]

His feet can touch the ground?
If they can't lower the seat
Maybe he just needs practice.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I have two DD 17 months apart. When the oldest was 7 or so, the younger one was just about to turn 6. My youngest DD is a dare devil. She will try anything anytime. My oldest is a bit reserved. She wouldnt ride without the knee and elbow pads, while the other went with just her helmet for protection.

They both had different learning styles.My youngest learned to ride without training wheels before my oldest. With her ,we would run down the driveway holding onto the bike and let it go. She fell a few times ( she is not a crier), scraped her knees, and she picked it up quickly.

With my oldest, I never thought she would learn. We would run down the driveway and she would ride up the neighbors grass and jump off to stop or drag her feet on the ground. It took her such a long time to learn to use her brakes.

Eventually they all learn to ride when they are ready. Good luck

 

[cybrkitn]

I'd like to know as well. DS will be 8 in June and he is still on training wheels add to that the fact that he is now a little too tall to ride his bike compared to last year. Our street is a divided road so he can't ride in the road like on a back street where there is less traffic.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

In the grass, on a bit of a slope. A little speed helps with balance, and they can practice with their toes out to save them to begin with. Then add pedaling. It has worked over and over here, including my son with downs.

 

[mjkacmom]

Have him practice gliding - you can even try a slight hill. Once he can balance, have him glide and start petalling. My kids picked it up between 3 - 5, depending on the kid, and this worked really quickly.

 

[Miller1412]

I second the downward grassy slope (just slight). My DD was the queen of the bike chickens and that is what worked for her! I thought she'd never get it, but she did.

 

[mrsbert]

Have him practice gliding - you can even try a slight hill. Once he can balance, have him glide and start petalling. My kids picked it up between 3 - 5, depending on the kid, and this worked really quickly.

I second mjkacmom. We live on the end of a street and our driveway has a little slope. I would stand in the street to make sure cars weren't coming and they would glide down our driveway and turn past our mailbox and down the street aways. They would then tip toe the bike back and start all over. Once they get the feeling of how to use their weight, it's easier.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Speed is the key, as the spinning wheels have a gyroscopic effect and keep the bike from wobbling. Once the child gets it, your work is done. It took me about 3 hours of encouraging to get my oldest to trust himself. It took only minutes for my younger son.

 

[Nette]

We just taught DD7 to ride her bike last weekend!! After weeks of frustration we saw this video:

http://www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm

Worked like a charm... She was riding w/in a half hour.

 

[pweyl36]

Well with my son,all it took was a bunch of boys asking my 7yr why he still had training wheels on. That did my ds asked my husband to remove the training wheels and in 1 hr he was riding a 2 wheeler.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

My brother took my training wheels off when I was really young and said, well, now ride it. I cried for like an hour and finally I just realized I wasn't going to win and I wanted to ride my bike. I fell a few times (few scrapes and bruises), but within a day or so I was golden.

 

[marcyinPA]

My youngest learned at a playground....he just took off! My oldest...he's almost 15 and still refuses to ride a bike. Believe me, we've tried. He has a beautiful bike, never ridden, in our shed.

Someone told me to take them to a baseball field and let them ride around the bases. If you have one near you that isn't "policed", you might want to give it a try!

 

[RunningGirl]

Have him practice gliding - you can even try a slight hill. Once he can balance, have him glide and start petalling. My kids picked it up between 3 - 5, depending on the kid, and this worked really quickly.

This worked great for DD who was afraid to try; we did it on the grass. Not having to pedal and being less fearful about falling onto pavement was key for her. DS just took his own training wheels off and started riding. Every kid is different!

 

[Mommee]

didn't watch the video, so don't know if it's the same, but we removed the training wheels and pedals. had the kids (two taught this way easily) use their feet to push and glide. Once they mastered the balancing while gliding, put the pedals back on.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Parking lot, with plenty of room-hard to steer at first.

Don't even try the pedals at first-just foot power and every once in a while, pick his feet up for a second, then two....Before you know it, he'll have the hang of balancing and will be able to try the pedals. Don't rush the pedals though-the hard part is balancing, not pedaling.

 

[cybrkitn]

My youngest learned at a playground....he just took off!

Someone told me to take them to a baseball field and let them ride around the bases. If you have one near you that isn't "policed", you might want to give it a try!

We have a grade school within 2 minutes from our house that has a playground (DS goes to a private school). There are several small baseball fields there that we can try with DS7. I was thinking of taking him down to the school during Spring break anyway, that is if the school district little league isn't using it .

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Another vote for the coasting-down-the-hill method. Both my kids learned this way. I credit my son for coming up with the idea. He referred to it as "summer sledding" out in our back yard.

 

[clh2]

didn't watch the video, so don't know if it's the same, but we removed the training wheels and pedals. had the kids (two taught this way easily) use their feet to push and glide. Once they mastered the balancing while gliding, put the pedals back on.

I know several families who recommend the 'remove the pedals' technique.

We, on the other hand sent out DD to "Uncle Jim's school of bike riding". THIS WAS GREAT!!! We were visiting my BIL and his family. DD's favorite cousin is 1.5 years older than her, and my niece wanted to go bike riding with my DD. So - Uncle Jim taught her to ride. A motivated 5 yo DD and a fabulous uncle. Took about 15 minutes.

 

[java]

Go to the BEACH! really it was the only way my daughter could learn. She was so afraid of falling - and falling into the sand didn't hurt. She had it down in about 20 minutes! And we had been trying for years before the beach success!