The best place to teach a kid to ride a bike...

[Iceblink]

Where is it? I know there's a lot of falling down involved.

I don't want him to fall so many times and get so scraped up that he quits.

So where should I take my son to ditch the training wheels?

Thanks!

[Ian Lozada]

Where is it? I know there's a lot of falling down involved.

I don't want him to fall so many times and get so scraped up that he quits.

So where should I take my son to ditch the training wheels?

Thanks!

You can always put some knee and elbow pads on him, because riding on grass takes a lot more effort in the beginning. Some kids take to it faster than others, though.

[GringoTex]

Where is it? I know there's a lot of falling down involved.

I don't want him to fall so many times and get so scraped up that he quits.

So where should I take my son to ditch the training wheels?

Thanks!


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/480627117_5a92f7a607.jpg

Make it hurt to fall down. Make it hurt a lot. You'll be surprised how quick your kid learns to stay upright.

[Iceblink]

Make it hurt to fall down. Make it hurt a lot. You'll be surprised how quick your kid learns to stay upright.

Oh... ok. Well, I'll take him here then:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/02/8f/77/flowing-lava.jpg

[Bluto11]

somewhere long straight and flat, with grass on either side, or just one side and tell him to fall that way. or you could be like my dad, and try to teach him on a narrow driveway with a house on one side and a fence on the other. complete with a slight decline near the end and a million bushes. at least the bushes were soft! :D

[luftmensch]

I'm in the same boat, my son's reluctant to give up his training wheels, but here's some advice we just heard (from a bike repairman, so it's gotta work, right?).

When you take the training wheels off, take the pedals off as well. That way he can scoot around and practice getting the feel for balance before he has to worry about pedaling at the same time. When he's got that down, put the pedals back on and it'll be a lot easier. We're hoping to try this during the next couple weeks, so we'll see.

Me, I learned on my big front lawn. Seemed to work alright. My neighbor called me a sissy, but I thought of it more as intelligent avoidance of unnecessary pain.

[Ismitje]

The best place for us: the garage. We went various places to practice, but then pulled the cars out for a couple of weeks, and they figured out how to ride in circles balancing on their own. Our job was done, and then we could ride a number of places!

To parenting simple! :)

[CosmosKramer]

I'm in the same boat, my son's reluctant to give up his training wheels, but here's some advice we just heard (from a bike repairman, so it's gotta work, right?).

When you take the training wheels off, take the pedals off as well. That way he can scoot around and practice getting the feel for balance before he has to worry about pedaling at the same time. When he's got that down, put the pedals back on and it'll be a lot easier. We're hoping to try this during the next couple weeks, so we'll see.

Me, I learned on my big front lawn. Seemed to work alright. My neighbor called me a sissy, but I thought of it more as intelligent avoidance of unnecessary pain.

Good advice, my 5 year old learned to balance very quickly going down a small grassy hill with the pedals off. The only problem in the beginning was turning. Turning the handlebars too much one time sent him over the handlebars - thankfully, didn't faze him at all. Because of this, for my 3 year old I'm looking for one of these Like-a-bike type things with a limited turning radius.

http:////www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/12/10/like-a-bike_6648.jpg

[CosmosKramer]

http://common.csnstores.com/common/products/LAB/LAB1029_e.jpg

Like-a-Bike.

These things go for about $250, but you can get a knock-off for much cheaper. Target, I believe sells one for about $50.

[bballmom]

Great question. My son is 6 and deathly afraid to take them off. Love the advice about taking the pedals off. We're going to try it!

[Iceblink]

My son hasn't wanted to ride much this summer... he also hasn't wanted to swim much either... well, he's wanted to swim, but he hasn't wanted to learn to swim.

I saw a guy in our neighborhood helping his kid learn to ride with something like one of these. Looked pretty cool:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DZ3X7F57L._SS500_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Bike-Trainer-Handle-W-Brake/dp/B000AO7GJO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1218390694&sr=8-1

Holding onto the bike is really awkward... and I don't want to hold onto the kid, as he would feel it when I let go.

[luftmensch]

Same here, on both the biking and the swimming. Even borrowed a pedal-less bike from a friend, but he just hasn't been interested.

But he just started on his first soccer team and is kicking ass and loving it, so I'm not complaining...

[Crimen y Castigo]

http:////www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/12/10/like-a-bike_6648.jpg

We used a version of these, called a Skuut. (http://www.skuut.com/)

Highly recommended.

[Ismitje]

My son hasn't wanted to ride much this summer... he also hasn't wanted to swim much either... well, he's wanted to swim, but he hasn't wanted to learn to swim.

I saw a guy in our neighborhood helping his kid learn to ride with something like one of these. Looked pretty cool:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DZ3X7F57L._SS500_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Bike-Trainer-Handle-W-Brake/dp/B000AO7GJO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1218390694&sr=8-1

Holding onto the bike is really awkward... and I don't want to hold onto the kid, as he would feel it when I let go.

Hmmm. That's a far cry from my Dad running as fast as he could and shoving me off down the street screaming at the top of my lungs. How bad would it hurt a kid to crash and hit that bar? :)

[royalstilton]

Hmmm. That's a far cry from my Dad running as fast as he could and shoving me off down the street screaming at the top of my lungs. How bad would it hurt a kid to crash and hit that bar? :)
well, it's a girl in the picture. no self-respecting boy child would put up with this kind of over-protective parental oversight. boys who are old enough to ride a two-wheeler learn life lessons in blood.

[Kryptonite]

Flat parking lot on a weekend?

[Twenty26Six]

well, it's a girl in the picture. no self-respecting boy child would put up with this kind of over-protective parental oversight. boys who are old enough to ride a two-wheeler learn life lessons in blood.

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/images/22/bloody_child2.jpg

[royalstilton]

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/images/22/bloody_child2.jpg

is that person related to your avatar?

[Felixx219]

Good thread. I am getting ready to try to cut the training wheels off my six year olds bike.

I was just going to find an empty parking lot on the weekend.

[Sport Billy]

Good thread. I am getting ready to try to cut the training wheels off my six year olds bike.

I was just going to find an empty parking lot on the weekend.

That's what I did just a month ago.

Find on with a slight hill.
Remove training wheels and pedals.
Have them push off and balance as they coast down the hill.
Once they have that down, put petals back on.
Have them push off and balance as they coast down the hill with feet on pedals.
Tell them when they're comfortable to start pedalling
Soon enough they'll just take right off
The move them to flat ground and they'll be ready to go.