Learning to Ride a Bicycle

The Webmaster Way...

[pageoneresults]

That's it honey, left click, right click, now scroll, scroll again, left click, left click, right click, esc, esc, oh no, crash!

What a fun day. This will be my daughter's third bike and this time we are serious about learning. She just turned 7 and I think its time she learned on two wheels.

I bought her a 20.0" inch bike (Phat), in purple, her favorite color of course. Yes, it has the standard whiteweave basket, streamers, front and rear lights, reflectors, purple animal print seat cover and two bells; one warning bell and one get the hell out of the way bell.

As a parent, what was it that you did to help your child learn how to ride a bicycle?

P.S. No training wheels. We had them on for the first 30 minutes and I immediately saw that she was fighting her natural balance. Went online and found some interesting information on teaching someone how to ride a bike. We paid $20 for a video on the scientific way to do it. And, it appears to be working. ;)

To be continued...

[weeks]

Just remember it's not about you, it's about her. Give her the help she wants, when she wants it. Don't rush. There is no--zero--timetable. You are there to help her. She is not there to perform for you.

A very high price was paid by someone else for this lesson, which is provided to you at no cost.

[Tastatura]

My daughter is two, so I haven't thought her how to ride bicycle yet ( :) ), but I remember how I thought my younger brother many years back (he was about your daughter's age).
The key was that he wanted to learn - he was asking for it, and nobody forced him. We got a bike, and he started the ride with training wheels (as he was used to). Then we took them off, and I was helping him with balance by holding onto back of the seat as he was pedaling. I had to run alongside him, but not sprinting or anything like that - he was not confident so didn't pedal fast. This was mostly all in the straight line or very shallow turns, and sort of stop-and-go. After about 15-20 min of this, as his confidence grew (my judgment call) and as he started to go faster, on one of the stretches I simply let go of the bike without him knowing it. He continued to pedal and I stopped running. It took him actually a little bit to notice that I wasn't by him. I can still remember his big smile and joyful yelling as he realized he was riding a bike on two wheels by himself - that was about 20 years ago.

[Jane_Doe]

We did use training wheels. I don't know if our kids would have learned faster or later without them. They just rode around with the training wheels on and after a while you could just see that they were balancing on their own without the wheels. When the wheels were hardly touching the ground then we just took them off.

Now they are older, ride mountain bikes, and one likes to go off jumps so all we have to worry about these days is keeping him out of the emergency room. :)

[edited by: Jane_Doe at 6:52 am (utc) on Feb. 18, 2007]

[wheelie34]

When my son first started we couldnt get the training wheels off, he wouldnt let us, so, against the wifes wishes I started bending them up away from the ground half inch by half inch.

One morning we were watching him and he actually got off and studdied the spare wheels, then asked if we could take them off as they are useless they are so far away from the "earth" yes he said that, that they cant work properly their bending. I also wrapped some insulation tape around them at one stage to prove to the wife that he was hardly using them.

Woman are so protective, wait till he wipes out properly ha, he'll learn.

Mine are all grown up now, one drives a mini the other a 50cc moped rossi style

[BillyS]

I let my daughter ride on the grass / backyard first. Even though riding was harder I think she gained confidence because of the thought of a soft landing.

When she got up the guts to hit the road - away she went. She's a natural born athelete - like her dad. ;)

[rj87uk]

How i learned? I was put on a bike and pushed! The exact same way i learned how to swim... *pushed* Im a great at swimming and I can ride bikes all day long...

[inbound]

The above post was number 123456 in Foo!

I wonder what the prize is.

[tbear]

My youngest daughter at 4 years old said she didn't want stabilisers, she wanted to ride properly...LOL, each to his/her own;)

[pageoneresults]

She did it!

It took about 15 minutes of letting go and she picked it right up. Now we are practicing turns. She can do a straight line all the way down the street by herself. She's got the balance taken care of, now she just needs to learn turning.

Hooray Taylor!

Taylor is also following this topic. She hasn't signed up for WebmasterWorld yet. ;)

[Dandrew]

My son is 4 and we still can't get him to pedal a tricycle :(

[tbear]

Well done, Taylor!

[weeks]

Taylor and Dad are a great team.

[phranque]

we tried for years to teach my daughter.
no rush.
training wheels, no training wheels, bike collecting dust, put the training wheels back on, etc...

her three-years-younger brother showed up from school one day having somehow learned on his own on the playground.

she was riding a bike within days...