Learning to ride a two-wheeled kid’s bike is best accomplished in several steps. Ideally, the child should have a tricycle even before he learns to walk. It is important to remember that a trike should be used on flat services, preferably in an enclosed area, or even indoors. Remember, trikes don’t have brakes and can easily get away! While children don’t learn to balance on a trike, they will learn to steer and pedal. Around age 2 1/2, you can start looking at kids’ bikes with training wheels. Remember that there should always be some “lean” on the bike. Adjust the training wheels to slightly different heights to force your child to balance.
Children learn balance at different ages. This usually occurs between 4 and 9 years of age. A good way to teach balance before conquering a kids bike is on a scooter. You can try to teach your child to ride a bike from the age of 3, but until he masters balance, it will be frustrating for both of you. The age of children to ride a bicycle depends on several things. They should be physically able and mentally ready to learn, your comfort level should be reached, and it should be fun. If it’s not fun, your child won’t learn.
So, is your child ready for adventure and are you ready for them to take off on their outdoor bike? Don’t buy a special kids bike at this point, you just want them to learn to ride and they’ll outgrow it quickly. Here are some incremental steps you can take to help them on their way.
Have your child sit on the bike. Make sure he is not too small. He should be able to sit on the seat with both feet flat on the floor and legs straight. Now have him “slide” the bike and get a sense of balance.
· Once he’s running, ask him to pick up his feet and slide a bit. You can give it a little push from behind. This will force you to balance the bike. Ask him to practice applying the brakes. At a young age, pedal brakes are much easier for young children, as they may not have the hand strength for handbrakes.
· Does the balance look good? Ask him to turn and drive. Maybe you’ll dodge a few obstacles as you cruise along the coast.
· Perform a check. Can your child look up while he drives and drives? Can he turn well? Is there a smile on his face?
· Now let’s pedal. You’ll probably have to help out a bit here. Never hold on to the handlebars, you want your child to drive. Don’t hold onto the back of the seat, you’re rocking for it. Hold his shoulders. It’s awkward, but he’ll feel the pressure of your hands as you balance him and learn to do it on your own.
Once your child is riding, there are many specialized kids’ bikes available, from lightweight aluminum frames to mountain bikes and speed shifters. Have fun with this and remember the old adage, “it’s like riding a bike…”