Learning how to ride a bike

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

I'm not a PT. But there are positives of buying a bike with training wheels. My child got really good at steering and braking, going up and down small hills on a bike. Then we moved the training wheels up so that he never had more than one on the ground at a time. Then is is a little harder to ride the bike. Then after he learned all the skills, besides balancing, we took the training wheels off and worked on balancing on he bike.

First I took of the pedals, and lowered the seat. Then he glided down a grass hill (not at all steep, barely a hill). Then when he was comfortable, I put the pedals back on. and then I put the seat up a little bit. We stayed on grass for awhile, learning to bike. Then we went to our neighborhood court, with knee pads and wrist pads (my kid wanted them) and started learning for short periods of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

I'm not a PT. But there are positives of buying a bike with training wheels. My child got really good at steering and braking, going up and down small hills on a bike. Then we moved the training wheels up so that he never had more than one on the ground at a time. Then is is a little harder to ride the bike. Then after he learned all the skills, besides balancing, we took the training wheels off and worked on balancing on he bike.

First I took of the pedals, and lowered the seat. Then he glided down a grass hill (not at all steep, barely a hill). Then when he was comfortable, I put the pedals back on. and then I put the seat up a little bit. We stayed on grass for awhile, learning to bike. Then we went to our neighborhood court, with knee pads and wrist pads (my kid wanted them) and started learning for short periods of time.

Yes, there is nothing "wrong" with training wheel for learning the skills you mentioned in the first paragraph; my point is that those same skills (steering, turning ) used to be taught on tricycles, big wheels, etc.
It is not until you took the wheels off, second paragraph, when your child actually learned to balance on 2 wheels.
I make this distinction only to guide parents into really taking the time to teach bike riding when the training wheels are off. It is the same as going from a tricycle to a 2 wheeler , motor skill wise, and requires time and repetition

[Anonymous]

You do not need a class. I would take off the training wheels, lower the seat and then teach him yourself. I would skip the balance bike modification all together. He's 7. Just lower the seat so he can comfortably put his feet flat on the ground. Walk behind him holding the bike on the back of the seat, walk with him as he tries. Once he sort of gets it, walk with him, then let go a bit, ready to hold on again if needed. Repeat until you feel he's secure enough with his balance to let go. He will pick it up with practice...the more he practices, the more secure his balance gets. That's how balance works. Once he's secure leave the seat low for a while and then gradually put it higher and higher. The seat is at the right height when he can still comfortably put the tips of his feet on the ground while sitting on the saddle. Like when he walks on tippy toes - so not just the very end of his toes but the entire front. This way he never has to worry about actually just falling over as he can always put his toes on the ground when the bike gets too slow to properly balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I did the same thing with my son. Both of us got so stressed when I was trying to teach him how to ride. But the cool 13 year-old up the street (who my son idolized) got him riding his bike in one afternoon. I don't know if it he was able to relate to him better, or make it more fun, but whatever it was, it worked. My daughter also learned from older friends when she was 5, before I even had a chance to teach her. There's something to be said for kids learning from other kids.