Trying to teach my 10 year old step-daughter how to ride a

PrettyOrchid

My husband and I bought his daughter and bike last year. We tried many times to teach her how to ride. She just can't seem to learn. So we had to put training wheels on it. She can't ride where her friend can see her because she says she feels stupid with training wheels. Are there any suggestions to give her some confidence? I feel bad for her but I'm not sure what to do she don't even want to try it without the training wheels.

desmosedici

Try removing the pedals and letting her roll down a gentle slope, or pushing her around a flat surface (like a tennis court) a few times. Seat height should be low enough for her to get both feet on the ground .She should get the idea of counter steering and braking without using her feet in about a half hour or so. Then put the pedals back on, and give her a shove off with her feet on the pedals and tell her to start spinning. Once she masters the skill of spinning the pedals and steering, raise the seat height to a comfortable pedaling position and away you go.

I taught my 5 year old boy that way and he got it in about an hour.

re-cycles

Agree with desmosedici, dump the training wheels and remove the pedals. The balance bike idea works brilliantly, both of my younger daughers learnt this way and they were riding within a couple of days of getting bikes (aged 3 & 5).

tarquin_foxglove

I agree wholeheartedly with desmosedici & re-cycles, it worked so well with my daughter that I wouldn't teach someone to ride any other way.

Also another poster fnegroni had great success that way...

fnegroni wrote:

These are a couple of videos I took last week:
The first one was during the first scooting session after taking pedals off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB4tWn3RRZg

The second one is after three hours scooting, riding solo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dju3tFyQZKM

full thread & post http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12694331

mykidsbike

Yep, all the right advice here - of course it's difficult when the whole 'image' thing kicks in at this relatively late stage. I'd suggest taking her somewhere private so she's not conscious of people watching. Make it fun - have a laugh free-wheeling down some gentle slopes for a bit. She won't be able to move on until she's got the basic confidence in her balance.

Once she's free-wheeling safely get the pedals back on, and give her a gentle push - the peadalling bit is the easiest bit.....

baudman

As per above. Whole heartedly. A friend actually teaches older kids (and some adults) using this manner.

One slight detail - to gain confidence quickly she'll need to be able to put her feet flat on the ground when seated. That way, there's no wobble there at all.

It won't take her long - but yeah... a private, gentle, grassy slope would be optimum.

Oh... another one. Perhaps not you or your husband? A close friend/uncle/aunt/somesuch? That can make a difference too.

Good luck, and post back with the (good, hopefully) news.

nicklouse

Spammer removed from forum.

bartimaeus

+1 for the 'take the pedals off' advice from desmosedici.

My son, who is 10, could not ride until earlier this year, but after an afternoon rolling down a gentle slope he picked up the balance and steering... it took him a bit longer to manage to balance and pedal at the same time, but now he's doing just fine. We completed the Cornish 'Coast to Coast' last week - 20 miles on and off road.