Recreational & Family - My daughter can finally ride!

A two wheeler that is. After many attemps at teaching her, that usually end up in tears, she finally got it! Oh yeah she turned 7 last week. Now I can't keep her off the bike. She even wanted to jump the culvert like her older sisiter and I were doing the other day! Hm, I may have created a monster! :D

How you did it? I have an 11 y/o that just can't figure it out.

Here's a fun way to do it. Focus on balance instead of the whole operation of riding a bike. Take the pedals of and lower the seat so the little one can firmly plant their feet on the ground and push around like a scooter. After they push around for awhile, they'll amaze you with a "Look at me!, No feet!" if all goes well. When they're ready, the pedals go back on.

Yeah, I made sure the kid could touch the ground flatfooted, it seemed to give her better control. This last time we also made a game of it. I marked her progress on the road with chalk. Then, we'd turn around and see if she could beat the last distance. It got longer and longer until she was going around the block. This was at a campround over the weekend. She said she learned there because "The road is softer" :D ANyway, at one point we went over to the springs and had to go down a footpath. I told her she needed to walk her bike and her reply was "Ah, but bike riding is more comfortabler"!

I used this method to teach my 7 year old: http://thebicyclechain.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=116
It took a lot of patience and practice, especially for the balancing part. Once he learned how to balance, they rest came fairly easily, though I still had to do some of the running behind. I'll also say that he is a very tentative kid who gets easily discouraged. Celebrate the small accomplishments and make it fun. I think 80% of it is just getting the confidence to really try it.

Seems like so long ago, as mine are 17 and 18 now, but I recall removal of the training wheels. I would run along side them, ready to catch them when they tipped. I would even straighten them just a little. Then all of a sudden they were going on their own.

I am going through this right now with my 6 year old son. I took off 1 training wheel on his 16' bike and we went to a local shoreline park. He started to get the hang of it and I hope with lots of patience , a helmet, and flat areas, to accomplish this by late Spring. I took him to the local bike shop, by chance, and his eyes bugged out when I placed him on a 20" 5 speed mini-mountain bike. I think that I may have a small incentive for him to learn to ride without training wheels. However, I am not pushing the issue and when he feels ready to fly, we will do it !

For me, it was good ol' peer pressure.
After many tears and much drama, I had just about given up.
My 8 year old Daughters friends said "Come ride with us, we'll show you how."
Next thing I saw was her rolling down the street. After that, I saw a set of training wheels on the ground that she removed!

I guess Dad's instructions don't beat fitting in with your buddies.

How you did it? I have an 11 y/o that just can't figure it out.

Better get on with it quick before the embarrassement sets in.