What Age did Bike Training Wheel Come off?

[JamesMom]

My son, 7, is in cub scouts (Tiger) and they are planning a pack meeting with a bike ride later this month. My husband expressed a concern and is tempted to not have our son participate. The reason? He is still riding with training wheels. Hubby thinks he will be embarrased by still needing them. I don't think it is a big deal, but then again, I didn't get my first bike until age 10 sans training wheels. My son's best friend who is 6 in Kindergarten doesn't even have a bike yet.
Will my son be the odd ball with training wheels at this event? Tigers are the youngest scouts on up to fourth graders will be at the event.
What's your take? Will he be embarraseed? Is my hubby paranoid? Am I delusional? LOL.
TIA

 

[mjkacmom]

Your DH is not being paranoid - he probably will be made fun of. My kids learned between 3 - 5, and all entered kindy with them off. Start with a really small bike, so his feet are flat on the ground, and have him coast. This way he'll learn to balance. The older they get, the harder it is to learn.

 

[holden]

We took our DD's off when she was 6 1/2. I thought that was waiting too long (I wanted to do it when she was 5 1/2), but DH kept saying, "She's not ready." He was right. As soon as the training wheels came off, she took off like she had been riding without them forever. She never wobbled once!

We did the first ride on a baseball diamond at a local park. She rode around the bases (on dirt) so that if she fell, it would be less painful. DH didn't even need to hold onto the bike. He ran along side her. She didn't realize he wasn't holding on and was so proud of herself when we told her that she did it on her own.

In our neighborhood, the kids ride bikes all of the time. DD was one of the last ones to get her wheels off. Most kids around here take them off between 5 and 6.

 

[indimom]

you never know. It depends on the kids he'll be with. You could try taking the training wheels off and practicing before then. At his age, he probably would learn pretty quick to ride without them, if you have a nice level place to practice. We used a funeral home parking lot since it was frequently empty and was huge.
Sidewalks are NOT a good place to practice, the kids spend too much time trying to keep it on the sidewalk and lose their balance. Short driveways do not work either since they have to keep turning.
Go ahead, ask me how I know this...

Good Luck either way!

 

[abcboys]

My oldest was riding without training wheels at age 4. My middle son was/is a big chicken and finally last year at age 7 I got to take his training wheels off and it took FOREVER to teach him because he was so scared he was gonna fall he wouldn't relax. He is getting ready to turn 8 and still doesn't even ride that well. I will take them off my youngest this summer when he turns 5. Even though 7 is old, it's not THAT old and you can see he isn't the only one that rides with them. However, it is possible the other kids may laugh.

Is there any way to go ahead and take them off and practice with him?

 

[wrighter]

DS is going to be 7 next month, and he still uses training wheels. That is, he uses them when we can even get him anywhere near his bike. Meanwhile, our DD4 probably could have taken her training wheels off by the end of last summer, but we figured we'd wait until this spring to see if we couldn't use her as "bait" to get DS to ditch his, too.

We have tried our best, but DS is just one of those kids who just ISN'T going to do something until he is good and ready, and no amount of encouragment, embarrasment, gentle pushing or bribery is going to make a difference. He's been like that since he was in utero! Two weeks late, that kid was. But once he decided to come out he was quick. Potty training?! Don't even get me started. Bike is the same thing. Even the more thrilling rides at WDW!!! Our conversation went like this:

Me: Are you going to ride Space Mountain with us this year?
Him: No
Me: Why not?
Him: Because I have a mind of my own, I make my own decisions, and I don't want to.

He wasn't impertinent or rude, just matter of fact. I guess we should be pleased that he won't cave to peer pressure. Same thing with the bike. DH and I keep saying that he's going to have to be shamed into riding his bike. Big sigh.

Good luck deciding on whether to let him go. I would say that if you think he can handle any ribbing that he'll get then send him. If he'll be more sensitive to ribbing then maybe keep him home.

 

[badblackpug]

Your DH is not being paranoid - he probably will be made fun of. My kids learned between 3 - 5, and all entered kindy with them off. Start with a really small bike, so his feet are flat on the ground, and have him coast. This way he'll learn to balance. The older they get, the harder it is to learn.

I kind of have to agree here. My kids were all off training wheels by kindergarten. I don't know of any 7 year olds that were still using training wheels.

 

[woodkins]

Most boys here have learned prior to the girls and it was usually around age 5 or 6...about Kindergarten age. He would be made fun of here for sure.

 

[Kit'smommy]

None of the children in our neighborhood were kind in this respect. They did make fun of DS, but peer pressure didn't seem to upset him that much.

We had been promising DS a big boy bike, but told him he wasn't getting one until we got the training wheels off. We went to a race with DH, and he saw the kids riding in the children's race and he told us he was ready to ride without the wheels and get a big bike. The next day, we took the training wheels off and that was the end of those. He just had to make up his own mind that he was going to do it.

This was last September and DS was 5.5.

 

[tmarquez]

Ask your son how he feels. It's been my experience with DD(7) and her friends/classmates that kids don't really make fun of other kids about stuff like we did when we were that age!

I taught my little brother (many years ago) and my DD how to ride a bike. In my experience it totally depends on the kid. My brother was 5 when he took his off. DD was almost 7. She tried multiple times before then, but just wasn't ready. This last time we took them off and off she went like she'd been riding forever.

With both kids there wasn't any practice involoved...it's like something just clicked and they could do it.

Good luck!

 

[mjkacmom]

Ask your son how he feels. It's been my experience with DD(7) and her friends/classmates that kids don't really make fun of other kids about stuff like we did when we were that age!
!

My dd7 wouldn't bat an eye if someone had training wheels on, however, ds7 would probably say something (little boys can be big jerks about these things).

 

[Britgirlus]

My son will be 7 in June, and still has his training wheels on. He very rarely gets his bike out, it's just not one of his favorite things to do - so he just hasn't had the practice. Hopefully, if the snow ever melts, we'll get the bike out and have the trainers off before he turns 7 !

 

[Hannathy]

Your DH is right. 7 is old for a boy especially. Mine were 4 and 4 1/2 depending on where birthdays were in relation to summer.
You have time it really only takes an afternoon, if that. put old long pants on him and run behind him holding onto the seat till he gets going then let go. It will take several tries of this and he will fall, it is a fact of life but he'll be riding in no time and then that will give him a week or so to practice.
Soon he'll be going too fast and riding with no hands and going over jumps and off ramps and you'll wish you never even thought of getting him a bike!!

 

[Kit'smommy]

My dd7 wouldn't bat an eye if someone had training wheels on, however, ds7 would probably say something (little boys can be big jerks about these things).

It is the opposite with the the children around us. The boys are cool with whatever and the girls are catty little things.

I agree with the poster who said it just clicked. That was how it was with me and DS was the same.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

My DD is 6 and still has training wheels. The snow is finally gone here so our goal is to get them off before summer. I think she's too dependent on them

 

[momsully]

Both my boys took their training wheels off before kindergarten. I second the PP that says find a nice smooth/flat place to learn. We took the boys to the high school and they learned to ride on the track. It was flat, smooth and a little squishy when they fell. There were also marks on the track so we could have them set goals of where they would ride to. If you have time to practice with DS go ahead and do it.

One other thing to think about is make sure his pedals are easy enough to turn. DS10 had a similar event in cub scouts when he was 7 and one of the boys was still in training wheels. This boy had tried several times and could not ride. He got on another kids bike at the event and took off. He never was able to ride his bike and I know he ended up getting a new one shortly after our ride.

 

[mamaLori05]

Around here 4 is the average age to get rid of the training wheels. My dd had hers taken off on her 4th birthday. I'd say 90% of the neighbor kids had them taken off by age 5 at the latest. (and we only have about 5 months the kids can ride their bikes before the snow starts again)

So Yes, I have to agree with your DH. I do think there is a high likely hood that the kids will make fun of him.

 

[Hannathy]

I'm wondering whose idea it is to still have training wheels? If it is his then I would ask him, he may not care. Or this activity coming up could be the thing that is needed to get him riding without. I would hate to have him miss it, they usually get a patch for participating in things like this and the little guys really like getting the patches.
So take him out on Saturday and by Sunday he'll be a real pro if he is like most kids.

(if it is yours, he is old enough )

 

[badblackpug]

I have found that kids this age (girls and boys) pick on each other a lot about being a "baby." You know, because 7 is the ultimate level of maturity! I think you should find out what the norm is for the other boys in your area (here, 7 is definitely beyond the norm) and find out how he would feel about attending with/without the wheels.

 

[amybethchristiansen]

I have to agree with everyone else. My kid's both (boy and girl) lost the training wheels when they were 4. Many of the kids in the neighborhood were later, but no one later than 6. While your son is still a Tiger, he is an old Tiger (probably about to go up to the next level right).

Maybe your son can kick the training wheels before the event?