Teaching the kids to Ride!

LucyHatherton

Hi guys! I’m a young parent about to embark on the dreaded/excited journey that is teaching my two little girls, and one boy, to cycle! Does anyone have any tips for me? And before you ask, yes, I am prepared for the endless hours I’m going to have to spend as they get more and more confident! Thanks! Lucy

rhext

We used one of those wooden kiddies balance bikes - the ones without pedals. From the age of about 2, they start scooting around on them. By the time they're big enough for a proper kiddies bike, (3-4), chances are all they'll need is half-an-hour in a local park with you pushing them a bit. My youngest didn't even need that: sat him on his first pedal bike, and he was away!

If they're too old for the balance bike, then just get a suitably sized kiddies bike, sit them on it, grab a handful of t-shirt and be prepared to do a bit of running. Push to start, run alongside them until the worst of the wobbling settles down, and then gradually let go. Best to make sure they know how to use the brakes first. Short grass in summer is a good surface as although it tends to make it more difficult to pedal, it also reduces the risks of nasty scrapes when they inevitably fall off. As long as they're big enough to turn the pedals it probably won't take more than a couple of half-hour sessions to get them going, after that you just need to make sure you give them an opportunity to practice. The 'endless hours' should mostly be spent cycling slowly along nice flat traffic-free cycle paths - you shouldn't find it too much of a chore.

Mike Healey

Hi - try going thro' the sticky at the top of this forum -covered in exhaustive/exhausting detail

passout

Balance bike all the way and don not use stabilisers.