Learning how to ride a bike

[Anonymous]

Just went through this with my 6 yr old DC. Once DC got going on the bike, it was fine. Balancing at the start was the hardest.

My dH's back and mine were killing us. So I got this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GSQLUI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Life changer. My DC is now done. We took the bar off. I'll sell it to you if you want. It's in really good condition. Only used a handful of times till DC got used to balancing at the start.

[Anonymous]

I believe there is some truth to the theory/theories that kids these days do not have as much core strength and vestibular balance as in the olden days of climbing trees, jungle gyms, doing cartwheels, hanging upside down, etc. They're sitting at school all day, sitting in the car, maybe running a bit at soccer but in a very controlled way. So they're behind in figuring out how their bodies work and it's a bit scary for some of them.

The good thing about late learners is that they get it right away....my 9 yo learned in a day when the previous summer he had taken fall after fall.

[Anonymous]

My 7 & 5 YO just learned to ride at the classes run by thte National Park service. it was awesome. I actually think a class is great for this reason - parents teaching kids to ride a bike and drive a car causes so much tension. My kids responded so much better to Ranger Jan and Ranger Eric telling them they could do it.

It sounds like it's mostly about confidence.

Here's the link to the National Park Service class with a description of the techniques they tought and a few you tube videos that show the technique.
http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/learntoride.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRk1xZbahf0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqgCxgd3l2g

Remove pedals, lower seat so feet are flat on the ground.

The three gliding techniques were as follows:
Lizard – sit on bicycle, walking with feet on the ground
Bunny hop – use both feet at the same time to propel the bike forward
Eagle - three bunny hops, then lift feet and coast

Once child is confident in balancing, add pedals, raise seat a little higher so only the balls of the feet are touching the ground, teach “power pedal” position (pedal positioned just over the top of the arch for maximum benefit when starting off), teach braking technique and let them try.

[Anonymous]

Teaching your children how to ride a bike is one of the milestones of being a parent and by all means don't contract this out. Kids pick it up at different times but bike riding is not as enticing to kids today as it once was because they have parents who will drive them everywhere. Anyway, take the training wheels off, go into a parking lot and give it a go. It may take some time but when he succeeds, it will be a wonderful moment for both of you, despite the tense times that might lead up to that success.

[Anonymous]

Its not him it's you. For some reason you are freaking him out. Ask a neighborhood 12 yo to teach him. Pay the kid 20 bucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Training wheels, one of the worse inventions ever[u].

I agree, gliding is the first big step. You don't even need to take the pedals off. Just simply don't use/pedal them. Only issue with them is you can get hit in the back of the leg/foot by them when you panic and put your feet down fall and wipe out.

Practicing on a grassy slope can minimize scrapes and bruises when the eventual wipe out occurs.

Agree completely that training wheels are the worst! If you leave them on too long, they become a crutch. Here's the deal, plan to spend the week of Xmas break or Spring Break and do a crash course on learning to ride a bike. I did this with my two kids when they were in K and 1st. I took off the pedals and kept the kids on an even surface at a local park. 15 minute sessions every day, calm and determined are you as you walk along side them. Riding a bike is all about balance.

There is a youtube video about learning to ride a bike in an hour (took place in Central Park in NYC). Anyway, it can be done!

[Anonymous]

At your kid's age they will have the strength and coordination to ride. I suspect they do not want to ride now, because they do not want to look like a little kid since they have training wheels on their bike.

Pick a decent weather day. Tell them honestly they are going to fall a lot. But, also tell them they must fall 50 times before they can give up for the day. We have done this now with 3 kids -- depending on age, prior balancing experience on scooters, and prior experience riding with training wheels -- the number of falls ranged from about 15 to about 25.

Because they will fall have them wear jeans you do not care about getting scoffed up, high athletic socks, well tied tennis shoes, sweat shirt (long sleeves), and some appropriately sized gloves -- we used kid batting gloves. They will still get some scraps so some first aid stuff in the car for later may come in handy.

Go to a flat parking lot for practice -- church or school is good. You want lots of space, maybe a few things to steer around and zero cars coming and going. Spend some time on the proper starting position for the pedals. Explain that they need to keep pedaling, because it makes it easier to balance -- simple to demonstrate by having them try and balance with the bike standing still, and then with you holding the seat providing very little forward momentum. Demonstrate with your own bike how difficult it is to balance when stopped and when going very slow. Also demonstrate how to stop -- specifically how and when to put down their feet when they stop so they do not tip over. Finally make sure they know how the brakes really work -- if hand brakes make sure they know not to use just the front brake. Maybe just go with rear brake until they get the hang of it.

Getting started: Just go with the classic approach -- get them on the bike with plenty of space in front so they do not have to turn too quickly. Tell them where you want them to pedal and then give them directions, in advance, so they know they will eventually be making a very wide turn to come back. Get the pedals in the proper starting position with you holding on to the seat for balance. Then slowly walk/jog to get them started pushing on the seat as necessary to maintain enough speed for easy balance. Once going fast enough give them a light push for momentum and encourage them to keep pedaling. Make sure it is a light push so you do not throw them off. They will fall. Repeat. For about the first 10 times you may be needed to help with the restart -- keep emphasizing the proper pedal position. After that make them restart themselves. Keep track of the Falls -- call them out and remind them they still have X number to go before they hit 50.

Once they get it basically down -- ice cream is in order. Then another session right away so they do not forget and so you can start to go over some basic riding stuff, i.e. things to watch for such as holes, curbs, stones, and car doors. Basic riding stuff like proper use of brakes -- maybe watch some youtube vids on what happens if you hit the front brake only when you are going fast.

Once they are reasonably confident on the bike spend some time on basic bike maintenance such as how to put their chain back on. I was surprised to find this summer that my 12 year old had no clue. I would also go with tire inflation. and checking brakes each time they start off -- don't want to find out your brake cable slipped when you are approaching a stop at the bottom of a hill.

Good luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just went through this with my 6 yr old DC. Once DC got going on the bike, it was fine. Balancing at the start was the hardest.

My dH's back and mine were killing us. So I got this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GSQLUI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Life changer. My DC is now done. We took the bar off. I'll sell it to you if you want. It's in really good condition. Only used a handful of times till DC got used to balancing at the start.

Came to recommend this. (I got a cheaper version: http://www.amazon.com/Bike-Trainer-GEEal96089-Handle/dp/B002WBWBQQ/ref=pd_sim_sg_1)

The learning curve will vary. My 6 year old is quite uncoordinated. He's riding now, but it probably took about 15-20 sessions, mostly short (like 5-10 minutes) because he got frustrated easily. Peer pressure also helped, because he wanted to ride like many of his friends are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teaching your children how to ride a bike is one of the milestones of being a parent and by all means don't contract this out. Kids pick it up at different times but bike riding is not as enticing to kids today as it once was because they have parents who will drive them everywhere. Anyway, take the training wheels off, go into a parking lot and give it a go. It may take some time but when he succeeds, it will be a wonderful moment for both of you, despite the tense times that might lead up to that success.

I'm the poster whose kids learned at the NPS session. The ranger asked me if I knew how to ride a bike. Why yes I do know how to ride a bike, and I remember that traumatic day when I was 7 years old when I learned from my dad. It was not his finest parenting moment and I still remember it 25+ years later, but not with fondness or pride in my accomplishment.

While it might be a milestone for the parent, it might be a bad idea for your kid. My kids had a wonderful experience learning and there was no tension leading up to that moment of success. I told my dad about the class and his reaction was along the lines of - that's a great idea, teaching a kid to ride a bike is so frustrating for parent and kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I must be mean. I wouldn't even consider leaving the training wheels on past 5. I think the problem is the same one that happens in most of these situations: the parents are acting nervous. Of course your seven year old can ride a bike. Internalize it. Tell him you know he can do it. Build him up. Take the training wheels off and then let him try it when he's ready, giving him lots of confidence and opportunities.

Not mean, just judgmental or naive. My kids are very risk averse. My 2 yr. old wouldn't walk on grass -- she was used to the sidewalk. I never had to worry about her falling down the steps b/c she understood heights and danger. Just b/c it's your experience that a kid would like to learn without training wheels does not mean that every 5 year old has that desire. If I had taken the training wheels off the bike at 5, she would never have ridden the bike at all. So, I actually think it is much better for her to get exercise, learn to steer, get practice using the bike on bumpy roads, and get to enjoy the freedom of moving on a bike (even with training wheels) than it is for her to just dismiss it altogehter. And, I spend way more than 2 hrs. a day with my kids, so I know their limits emotionally.

Thanks for the judgment!

[Anonymous]

Why are people so mean on DCUM? Seriously. Why do people feel the need to judge other kids or their parents? It's just bike riding. It's not like pottytraining or bottle feeding! I can only imagine the judgment on those topics.

[Anonymous]

I am a physical therapist . Training wheels teach your child how NOT to balance. Any time before the training wheels are off is not really teaching a hold how to ride a bicycle . It is the same as them riding a tricycle, other riding you with wheels, etc. not that training wheels are bad, but they are basically to allow parents buy a bike for a child who is too young to be able to balance. Not to help them learn to ride

[Anonymous]

^^^ please excuse typos , iPhone and bandaged finger

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I must be mean. I wouldn't even consider leaving the training wheels on past 5. I think the problem is the same one that happens in most of these situations: the parents are acting nervous. Of course your seven year old can ride a bike. Internalize it. Tell him you know he can do it. Build him up. Take the training wheels off and then let him try it when he's ready, giving him lots of confidence and opportunities.

I hate when parents say "I must be mean" or "I must be a bad parent" because I let my kid do this awesome thing earlier than everyone else and they totally got it because everyone else can do it at the exact same time!

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/418529.page#5865139

I posted the long answer to the question on the special needs forum. I have noticed that bikes have gotten so heavy with special stuff. It is possible that the bike might be the first problem. But these suggestions should help any kid. I have a kid with low muscle tone, problem with balancing and he learned to bike his 2 wheel bike at age 7 with a lot of practice. I always make things fun and short.