How proud am I?

johnboy183

Just wanted to share how chuffed I am now that I've finally managed to get my 3 yr old to ride his "proper" bike. For the last 12 months he's zoomed around on his balance bike like an old pro. We bought an islabike cnoc 14 about 3 mths ago which has sat around the house gathering dust. Tonight at 7 of the clock I suggested bed or his pedal bike. He chose the latter and 15 mins later he'd ridden 400 yards plus by himself without falling off. He now doesn't want to use his balance bike at all.

Next stop the giro, tour wherever as long as he enjoys it

NormanPrice

Well done that man! You must be well chuffed. I don't know what the norm is but getting a kid to ride alone at 3 must be a decent achievement.

I only just managed to get my 7 year old daughter to ride unaided two weeks ago! Partly due to me being an impatient gobsh*** and partly due to my daughter's amazing ability to blame anyone or anything other than herself. Now she's riding though I can't get her off her bike. We went for a ride yesterday. I'd planned on taking her down the Millenium Route from Mickle Trafford to Chester and back. All in all about 8 or 9 miles. We actually ended up going the full length of the route into Connah's Quay and back. A total of about 24 miles! Nice and easy for me as it's mainly flat and I was riding at her pace but for her it must have been a little testing.

Sadly she's got a rubbish "princess" type bike. Next stop is Islabikes in a month or two so she can ride a proper bike.

I'll be on the lookout for a decent balance bike in the next couple of months. If you decide to sell yours then let me know - I may very well be interested.

johnboy183

Not sure what's going on Norman but I thought I'd posted a reply. Problem is I don't know where it's gone. If it does turn up then I must apologise to you and your daughter as I inadvertantly called her a gobthingy. I'm afraid I have the memory of a goldfish and got your comments mixed up. My excuse is that it's late now and I'm in the dark trying to do this on my iPhone. I'll post a proper reply tomorrow.
Thanks for your post and apologies again if I upset you and your daughter.

johnboy183

Would love to take all the credit for his getting him to ride a 'proper' bike but sadly I can't.. Truth is he as always reached his milestones in his own time ... except for talking where he's had verbal diarrhoea since before his 2nd b'day!!! All we did was encourage him to do what he wanted when he was ready to do it.

Can highly recommend Islabikes for whatever you choose. You probably know already that they have their own balance bike with a brake and that almost everyone on the forum sings their praises. My boy learnt on a wooden Early Rider Lite bike which we bought from Wiggle. Its not cheap, but looks the biz and naturally I think its the best thing since sliced bread.. very unlikely that we'll be selling sorry just yet.

Congrats on getting your daughter riding and for her mammoth ride. RAAM next as a father/daughter team?

bartimaeus

Good news... that's a significant achievement for anyone, especially when you are only 3.

My younger son Alec( now 8 ) learned to ride at nursery at age 3 - one day he just came home and said he wanted the stabilisers off as he could already ride and did not need them! My older son learned to ride only a few weeks ago - and he's already 10! I wish I'd tried him 'pedals off' a long time ago, as I think that was the one thing that got him balanced on the bike.

NormanPrice

LOL, don't worry jonboy - I doubt I would've been offended anyway.

I've seen those early rider wooden thingies. They look like a quality piece of kit but for the money I'm tempted to go for an Islabikes one. They also have a brake so it gets them used to braking too I guess before they graduate to a proper "pedals an all" bike.

I'm certainly not waiting so long to get my youngest cycling so a balance bike is being budgeted into my spending this summer.

Funny enough - my daughter has asked if we can do a charity bike ride. I'm tempted to take her on the Liverpool to Chester event in July. I'd take the trail gator though because a 30 mile trip with hills might be a bit much for her and I'd also like to have her attached on roads where there are other vehicles about.

Bartimaeus - that's the approach I took in the end. Well, not exactly but almost. My daughter's a nosey little thing and listens to conversations she sometimes shouldn't. She overheard me talking to the wife saying I was going to take her pedals off and get her to run on the bike. Next thing I knew she said she was going out into the garden to play and when I looked out a minute later she was running round the garden on her bike. That was the start of her new found love.

LOL at your son. You must've been like "yeah right, whatever" when he told you he didn't need stabilisers. I bet your jaw hit the floor when you realised that he could indeed ride. It never ceases to amaze me what they learn in nursery. They teach them things I'd never even think of teaching at home and I think it gives them a cracking head start in life IMHO.

EKE_38BPM

My brother has two daughters and he's just started teaching his eldest (4 and a half years old) to ride with stabilisers. I've suggested he goes the balance bike/pedals off route and I hope he does.

The results look amazing!

johnboy183

Norman - glad you so understanding. The great thing about Isla balance bike to my mind is that it is very similar in appearance to subsequent bikes. I don't think the brake is especially important, it's perhaps even a distraction that your kiddie doesn't need. My boy has picked up the skill of using the brake with no worries. Go for Early Rider. The hardest skill I reckon is actually starting to move off and pedal IMO.
Have to agree that kids do learn more away from home environment and do so despite our wishes/urges/expectations. We have been extremely lucky to have an excellent Childminder who has been instrumental in his development. Not going to tell her that though cos she has an evil influence over him in brainwashing him into supporting a real dodgy football team and defo not the one I keep an eye on!!!!

baudman

Awesome work JohnBoy. I'm always chuffed to hear a balance/runbike to pedaled bike transition story.

And yeah... they'll do it in their own time. It just takes some patience. But sometimes, it's soooooooo hard! Especially when you see other ones out there eh?

johnboy183

I HATE ISLA BIKES!!!!

No I don't. I just have to get my bike out now so that I can keep up with him. We've just returned from a 30 min 'session' and I'm ready for a lie down. My back is aching, my legs are shot, my head is ready fall off cos I had to keep running after him!!

Again baudman I agree. But the results are fantastic. I just need to teach him to start pedalling and there will literally be no stopping him. May have to write to Isla Bikes and complain! On the bright side I guess it will get me fitter and the father/son bond is further cemented, which is the most important aspect of teaching him to ride.....

baudman

Meh. I never run to keep up with her!



Oh, and for what it's worth, she still rides her RunBike a lot. She uses it for commuting. (ie: when we are walking)

juggling mum

Not quite on topic - message for Norman - there is a great go ride club for kids in Chester - 12pm on a Sat behind Upton Library - your 7 year old would be great age - kids on all sorts of bikes ISLA bikes and others - my 5 year old goes but quite a few girls around the 7 age and kids up to 13 or so.

Also check out these routes that are mainly quiet roads

http://www.chestercyclecity.org/?cat=103

Both mine were riding before they turned 4 although we used second hand bikes with stabilisers and then went on to Isla bikes with pedals. Not fully convinced by run bikes - but did have stabilisers lifted so never a 'trike' at back and slowly raised them further

johnboy183

quick update...

Feeling scared now...he going way too fast for my liking. He can and does ride slowly when I tell him too, however he is way too independent and likes speed. Just waiting for big crash now. How he's not fallen off yet is beyond me. Gonna have lots of medicinal drinks to calm my shattered nerves

selena

children now a days are easily trained, as parents we just have to be there by their sides to help them for anything they need..

ince

I got my son on the balance Islabike from about 18 months, really took off on it just before his second birthday.

He has had access to a little ped bike at the grandparents for a while to and once he fathomed the idea of turning the cranks all the way around my wife suggested getting the next bike up in the Isla range.

At two years and nine months old he is zipping around with out much help (can still struggle to get started). I can't recommend the balance bike to start enough, this along with a positive influence has really motivated him to ride as soon as poss. We have just ordered a second bike from Isla for his cousin as he has seen what Dylan can do and wants in.

Johnboy, don't worry too much about the speed, kids are made to bounce . Dylan comes off now and then and it tends to be a slow speed, stopping/starting rather than when he is flying along. Bikes become more stable with a little momentum. It can be hard but I find staying calm and not fussing is always best. I have one rule with Dylan, if he falls off he must get straight back on.

Juggling mum, that Go Ride Club sounds good, I live just out side of Chester so my check that out one Saturday.