ScattMan

My boy is 5 and has been in training wheels for about a year or so. I took them off before but he refused to even try. While riding a few nights ago I noticed he seemed to have "it". He was flying around corners, jumping down curbs and while riding straight the T-wheels didn't touch much. I felt he was ready.

My wife bought him a full set of pads and I had just given him a new Giro helmet a few days before. I think this helped his confidence. Well tonight in a parking lot I removed the wheels. I just ran along holding him by the shoulders, first with two hands then one then none. The shoulders was an idea i got from brown's site https://www.sheldonbrown.com/teachride.html It worked great.

Now I'm gonna spend all weekend riding with him

temp1

Sweet!

Map tester

My son just learned to ride in May. Now he wants to ride everyday. I hope you two have as much fun as we do.

markm109

AH Yes, those were the days.

My son is now 13, but I remember the day I took off the training wheels. I ran beside him, holding on to the bike, up and down the block a few times. Then I got tired and let go. He kept on going, saying - don't let go dad, don't let go, but I was already 4 houses back when he realized I was gone and he was doing it all by himself.

Then he went up and down the block by himself for a while and got real confident. So on the last trip back to the house he was swerving back and forth on the sidewalk. Well, those were concrete with seams every 4 feet or so, and his front wheel caught a raised section as he was swerving to one side, and before he knew what was happening, over the handle bars he went.

Thankfully I had made him wear a helmet so he wasn't hurt, just his pride. It took me a month to get him back on the bike. He still remembers that incident to this day. It's one of those things we bring up now and then for a good laugh.

Ah, the memories......

Mark

AdrianB

Now it's fun... But one day he'll overtake you.

Congratulations!

jslopez

Congrats, I am actually teaching my wife how to ride later so tips on faster learning will be most appreciated.

BlueskyinMaine

That is a wonderful feeling. my son was like a fish learning to swim, he just had it. My daughter looked like she had gone 4 rounds with Sugar Ray. I am smiling thinking of your boy and mine.

ScattMan

Well the first weekend of riding is over. He woke me each morning saying, "dad let's go ride my bike". He has improved very quickly. Of course he has skinned knees and his shins look like he was beaten with a ballpeen hammer, but he can't get enough. He is already jumping down curbs and over speed bumps. He refuses to wear pads (helmet he wears) because, "those are for when your learning to ride", but then when he skins a knee he get's mad that I didn't make him wear them. Kids are funny creatures.

Well this weekend's projects will now wait till next weekend since I "wasted" my entire weekend riding bikes with my boy... You know, I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe I'll waste next weekend too.

For tips on learning/teaching go to the website I posted at the top of this thread... Worked for me. Good Luck.

Hitchy

G'day,

Spending time with the kid's doesn't sound like much of a waste to me!.....I hope I waste the rest of my life....just like you...they grow up to quickly, make the most of it while you can....enjoy,

cheers,

hitchy

ScattMan

My point exactly. We can't keep them from groing up, so while they grow we we need to keep them as "the" priority. The seeds we plant today will produce fruit tomorrow.

dragracer

Very cool Ronn.

I remember how amazed I was when my son just took off and rode his little bike after I removed his training wheels. He wouldn't even let me help him......he was barely FOUR years old! Seems like it took me forever to learn to ride a bike and he just took to it like it was no big deal. He was riding a little YZinger motorcycle before he was five.

ScattMan

I'm such a paraniod freak I can't stand to think that someday he'll want to get a motorcycle. I know I did it, but this is my boy... God help me...