Teaching Kids to Ride

Training for Two Wheels

That first ride, unsupported by training wheels is one of the great triumphs of childhood. That first ride, when everything just clicks and with each pedal stroke comes mastery, is something that sticks with us forever. And if you are like the rest of us at Bicycle South, we recreate that feeling of freedom and joy every time we get on a bike.

Of course your child does not come equipped with this ability. Riding a bike is a learned skill, and it is true (as indicated by the numbers of seniors that buy bicycles at Bicycle South) people don't forget how to ride. Since riding with kids is so much fun, we know you can't wait for your children to learn to ride. Here are some tips to help them learn.

How Young Can They Start?
Kids are generally developmentally ready to learn to ride around the age of 3. Some of them never quite master it until age 7. That age range is pretty wide though, and while we have the occasional 3 year old buzzing around without training wheels on a 12 inch bike, lots of kids don't learn to ride without training wheels until they've grown into a 16 inch bike or even a 20 inch bike. A lot of times kids are ready to learn but if the bike they are on is too small, they cannot get the leverage to get the bike moving and learn that balance point. You may not want to put training wheels on that new 20 inch bike that doesn't come with them, but your child may just not be ready to ride without quite yet. Sometimes it's better to let them establish a comfort level with a new bike and then take the training wheels off. The jury is still out on how helpful tricycles are in developing riding skills. Some people think that tricycles are helpful in learning to master steering and pedaling, and they may well be - learning how to ride and not run into anything is quite a skill. However, your kids may not want to give up the security of a tricycle and move up to a two wheeler when you think they should. Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing (in this case) and kids will often want two wheelers because other neighborhood kids or siblings have them.

Right Size Bike
Kids bikes fit differently than adult bikes. On most properly fit adult bikes it is impossible to get both feet flat on the ground and sit on the seat. In order to learn to ride a bicycle, a child has to be able to sit on the seat and reach the ground comfortably with his feet. It isn't the position of greatest power and leverage, but we aren't talking bike racing. Yet.

Handlebars should be close enough to the child so that they can easily be reached, especially when turning the bars. If the bike is too long, turning the bars will pull the child forward and off the seat, which could cause a loss of control. On most bikes, the bars can be raised and rotated to improve the fit, but if the bike is too long, no amount of tweaking the bars will make it fit safely.

The smallest bicycles usually have 12-inch wheels and training wheels and are appropriate for a child starting at 2 ½ and up to 3 ½, or so. However, 12 inch bikes don't last all that long before your child outgrows them, so don't be too terribly surprised if your 3 ½ year old is a good fit on the next size up. Also don't be surprised that a Christmas bike doesn't fit by mid Summer!

A 16-inch bike also generally comes with training wheels as standard equipment. Its the right fit for some kids as early as 3 ½ - and some kids as old as 6. The next bigger bicycle has 20-inch wheels, but because these are taller and less stable, aren't ideal candidates for training wheels, so it's best for a child to learn to ride on a smaller model.

When looking for a "first bike," keep in mind that children learn fastest on bikes they feel safe on, which is another reason to make sure that your child's bike is the proper size. Of course, how fast they learn also has to do with their personality, coordination and confidence. We haven't met a child that didn't eventually learn if they kept on trying, but some kids have a tougher time then others.

Protect That Head!
In Georgia, kids, by law are to wear helmets until they are 16 years of age. If you set your child's expectation from the get go, that no one (including yourself) rides without helmets, then it becomes the culture in your family and it won't be a fight. If your child has objections, please bring them by Bicycle South and almost any employee here is happy to tell them first hand why a helmet has saved their life, or the life someone they know. Correct fit is critical. We are experts at fitting helmets as children's heads grow and certain manufacturers helmets fit certain head shapes better than others. Please come by the store if you have any questions about helmet fit, even if you bought that helmet some place else. Helmets should sit squarely and snugly on their head. A helmet that is loose, flops around, sits on the back of the head or has incorrectly tensioned straps is neither safe nor comfortable. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that helmets be replaced every 4 years due to the deterioration of the plastic resin that holds the Styrofoam together in a helmet, even a new one in the box. You might get some hand-me-down clothes for your child, but beware of hand-me-down helmets. Any damage to the helmet such as cracking, dents or damaged retention systems renders a helmet ineffective. Apparently its also a good idea NOT to leave a helmet in a hot car for a long time. There is nothing wrong with buying a "fun" helmet for your child, if it fits right and they wear it. Helmet manufacturers are aware of this and most helmets are decorated with age and gender appropriate colors and graphics. Let your child select their helmet during the fit process and you will get much more cooperation to get them to wear it!

When actually teaching your child to ride without training wheels, they should be in a place with no traffic and nothing to distract them. The sidewalk in front of your house may not be the best choice if there are lots of other kids or pedestrian traffic around. An open parking lot isn't bad if you think your child is ready to ride with you pushing behind them. If your child is more fearful and afraid of falling or you find yourselves getting frustrated with the pushing part, you may want to try this in grass. The secret is, the grass has to be really short and on a slight slope. This way your child won't get hurt if they fall and the slight slope is really helpful in getting the bike going and learning balance. Once your child is confident enough to coast down the hill with their feet off the ground, they're ready to coast down with their feet on the pedals. Have them rest their feet on the pedals while you hold the bike in place, first. Be sure to remind them to put their feet on the ground as the bike slows and stops so they don't fall. After a few runs down the hill, they'll get the hang of it.

Pedaling
When they're comfortable coasting with their feet on the pedals, have them practice pedaling the bike as they go down the slope. After a few runs, they'll probably be able to go further up the slope for a longer ride and more extended practice.

Braking
Nearly all kids bikes are equipped with pedal back brakes also known as coaster brakes, or "foot brakes." Make sure your child is comfortable slowing, coming to a stop and putting a foot down before the training wheels come off. If your child is riding a new bike with hand brakes for the first time, or learning to ride on a bike with hand brakes (bikes with hand brakes usually don't come with training wheels). It may be helpful to hold your child up from the front and pull them forward on the bike, asking them to put the hand brakes on with both hands. Let your child feel how the bike stops and make sure they understand that pedaling backwards does not stop them!

Steering
Luckily, your child's bicycle does not steer significantly differently without training wheels. If you have any concern about your child's ability to control the bike, even with training wheels, set up some highway cones in an open space and practice maneuvering around them. Later on, you can use the same highway cones without the training wheels and perfect those bike handling skills.

How to Help and Not Interfere
You may find that walking/running along behind your child holding them up by the back of the seat can be helpful. Your child may just want to be left to figure it out on their own, with instruction and encouragement from you. An older sibling or friend may teach them. You may start by gradually raising training wheels, finally removing one training wheel and riding away, to completely removing them and riding that day. Your child may learn in one day, it can take weeks. Let your child set the schedule for when and how long your practice sessions last. Be patient and have fun with it - and encourage every little improvement. Remember, if your child has friends or siblings who are riding, peer pressure is a great motivator. Just don't give your child a hard time if they don't learn as fast as you did, or their friends or peers.

Two possibilities for learning riders are a handle that attaches to the bicycle and lets you hold the bike upright from behind, and removing the pedals entirely (both our mechanics prefer the latter method with their own children). Handles are inexpensive, but don't fit every bike, and removing the pedals requires a pedal wrench and some know how. You might find that the handle means you aren't bent over and can be more helpful in pushing your child until they learn balance. Removing the pedals can be helpful because the child learns how subtle correction in steering balances the bike. It's easier to learn this on a very slight downhill so that the bike will coast without pedaling. Once they can hold their feet off the ground and coast comfortably, they'll be ready for the pedals again.