Success is close at hand!
 

Well here is the deal. I told my wife I could teach our 4 year old granddaughter to ride a bike without the use of training wheels. She said "Impossible" due to the fact that little Lily is not super coordinated. I bought her a run-bike where she mastered the art of balance. Then I rescued a 16 inch bike from someones trash(it had brand new tires and tubes). New seat and hand grips and pedals and a bit of cleaning. She has been working off and on for about a week on the "real" bike.

Last night she rode the length of the driveway without a crash and bailed out by going up a small hill into the yard. I have to say I was beaming.

Now if we can just get down the art of coaster brakes and dismounting we are ready to really ride.

I am really looking forward to getting out my Mt. bike and doing a short ride on the rail to trail once she is ready. My only dilemma is that I promised to take her to the LBS and buy her a Pink bike once she has mastered the beater bike. It will be money well spent.

Good work! :thumb:

BTW, your post made it to the BF Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/bikeforums?ref=ts

Good work oilman I can remember when I taught my son to ride many many years ago it also brought a smile to my face. You will get another smile on your face when you get her the pink bike.

I have 50 years on Lilly and still have trouble with coaster brakes :).

I also don't know if this will help or hurt, but my wife rides a bright pink cruiser bike (with coaster brakes), and often gets comments, which she loves - she never gets whistles when driving a car!

I know when my daughter finally got it I was jumping for joy (I have about 45 years on her). I had to take the pedals off the bike until she got her balance just rolling it around.Then when she was ready I put them back on and within two days she was riding around the block.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_2n6FkrWqcFk/S_...g/IMG_1028.JPG

Now we ride together when I get home from work - we will ride to Starbucks and we will split a smoothie, then we ride home. She has some problems with the hills on a coaster bike. Her bike has a hand brake as well and she took to that quickly.

Congratulations to Lily.

I learned to ride in 1947, training wheels hadn't even been invented yet. My learning took place on a gravel road.:50:

I think I still have the scars.

Lily has a good grandfather!