learning to ride
- Thread starter alecstilleyedye
- Start date
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OP
OP
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
was thinking about the "pedals off" approach, but don't have the right spanner 
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Stig-OT-Dump
Guru
- Location
- Glasgow's sunny southside
When teaching my eldest I stupidly told him "don't worry about falling off, everyone does it" - cue petrified child. After some stressful teaching sessions (he could do it but didn't have confidence to do it) I gave up trying for a while.
Once it was behind him, told him I'd researched on the internet and found a method where NO-ONE had EVER fallen off (I lied - he believed me; the power of being Dad!!)
The method I used was to have a hand at each shoulder. If he could feel a hand, he had to lean the other way. One sortie down one gentle slope later he could ride. Job done. He did have a couple of falls after that, but just laughed them off.
With Son 2, on a steeper hill, I hadn't even finished explaining what I was going to do when he set off. Reached the bottom way before me and wiped out amidst gales of laughter. 2 years later and he still stops by jumping off, still laughs, and wants to do stunts (and tries hard to).
I now have grey hair...
Once it was behind him, told him I'd researched on the internet and found a method where NO-ONE had EVER fallen off (I lied - he believed me; the power of being Dad!!)
The method I used was to have a hand at each shoulder. If he could feel a hand, he had to lean the other way. One sortie down one gentle slope later he could ride. Job done. He did have a couple of falls after that, but just laughed them off.
With Son 2, on a steeper hill, I hadn't even finished explaining what I was going to do when he set off. Reached the bottom way before me and wiped out amidst gales of laughter. 2 years later and he still stops by jumping off, still laughs, and wants to do stunts (and tries hard to).
I now have grey hair...
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
My first child learn quickly after we took the stabilizers off at age 6. The second one ... (!!@@!!) drove me around the bend as she never cycled correctly on the bike with stabilizers - just half circles with the pedals rather than the round and round normal technique. When I took the stabilizers off... it was a long summer going nowhere, just having a quick go on the pavement by our house for 5 mins daily. When she actually did it - wow we celebrated. Again age 6.
Youngest one was just 4 when we had gone out with the older two on bikes and he was getting tired, so we put him on a bike - he couldn't reach the ground, but I noticed he was balancing reasonably well, and pedalling. So home lowered the seat and tried again. He was convinced he couldn't cycle so I had to hold on all the time, whenever I let go, 5-30 secs after he would realise and slam on the brakes. It took another month or two before he realised he could cycle.
I wish I had known about the removing pedal method.
Another thing I've been told is don't say "You won't fall!", apparently the only word they notice is fall.
If you can get someone else in front calling to them whilst you are holding either their shoulders or the back of the saddle, and get them looking straight ahead rather than at the ground immediately infront of them. That makes a big difference (that also works when teaching children to signal).
Youngest one was just 4 when we had gone out with the older two on bikes and he was getting tired, so we put him on a bike - he couldn't reach the ground, but I noticed he was balancing reasonably well, and pedalling. So home lowered the seat and tried again. He was convinced he couldn't cycle so I had to hold on all the time, whenever I let go, 5-30 secs after he would realise and slam on the brakes. It took another month or two before he realised he could cycle.
I wish I had known about the removing pedal method.
Another thing I've been told is don't say "You won't fall!", apparently the only word they notice is fall.
If you can get someone else in front calling to them whilst you are holding either their shoulders or the back of the saddle, and get them looking straight ahead rather than at the ground immediately infront of them. That makes a big difference (that also works when teaching children to signal).
Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
ASE, Get him over here, we'd have him ok in a morning.
If it's any comfort, my own son took ages too learn: bribery prevailed in the end.
The advice on here (please do ignore Bonj) is mostly good. I find a grass slope and a relaxed approach works wonders. Riding a bike happens when you stop worrying you can't do it.
If it's any comfort, my own son took ages too learn: bribery prevailed in the end.
The advice on here (please do ignore Bonj) is mostly good. I find a grass slope and a relaxed approach works wonders. Riding a bike happens when you stop worrying you can't do it.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Don't force it. Let him learn to scoot - perhaps not on a slope, that might be too much, just on a flat bit. If you can, just leave him sometime to get on with it. Your presence, and keeness, might be intimidating him a bit - he says he's afraid of falling off, maybe he's also afraid of looking stupid and disappointing you?
So what if he doesn't learn just yet? I didn't have a bike until I was 10, and then I learnt, slowly. Same thing with swimming - never mastered it at primary, then suddenly it came right when I was 11. I was late learning to talk too - because I didn't bother to say any words until I could come out with a meaningful sentence, Well, apparently, my first clear words were "goodness gracious me!", which I must have heard my Dad saying.
Now, I can cycle, and swim, and talk the hind legs off a donkey. But not all at once.
So what if he doesn't learn just yet? I didn't have a bike until I was 10, and then I learnt, slowly. Same thing with swimming - never mastered it at primary, then suddenly it came right when I was 11. I was late learning to talk too - because I didn't bother to say any words until I could come out with a meaningful sentence, Well, apparently, my first clear words were "goodness gracious me!", which I must have heard my Dad saying.
Now, I can cycle, and swim, and talk the hind legs off a donkey. But not all at once.
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
With my two girls I taped a broomstick to the back of the bike just behind the saddle and then you can easily jog along behind them keeping it steady.
This helps your back and they feel secure as there is something on the bike to stop it falling over.
In time you start to let go. When you do let them know so they are not shocked and fall off!
Best in a nice big space like an empty car park.
This helps your back and they feel secure as there is something on the bike to stop it falling over.
In time you start to let go. When you do let them know so they are not shocked and fall off!
Best in a nice big space like an empty car park.
Jacomus-rides-Gen
New Member
- Location
- Guildford / London
There are photos of me when I was very small with my stabilisers bent up in a V shape as they were only flimsy metal, and I was soon leaning into corners, and they just bent out of the way. One day my dad said that he was going to take them off and I would learn to ride without them - it didn't take any time at all apparently, as I had been riding without them for ages!!
I'd definately support the relaxed approach. It's only now my kids are long past these milestones that I look back and wonder why we are so obssessed with the timescale and age that they do these things, in the great scheme of things, does it really matter? He will do it when he is ready and be non the worse for it as Arch pointed out. My middle one just wouldn't walk till 1 friday evening we sat 2 paces apart and encouraged her to take the steps.(she was 14 months old). Within 1/2 hour she walked the room and we have photos of her the next day kicking a football! She just wasn't ready sooner. Just wait till your teaching him to drive a car....
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