Lessons for a six year old

[Bollo]

Hi all,

I'm trying to teach my six year old daughter to ride her bike. She's confident enough on our kiddyback tandem but is terrified of falling off while learning to ride solo. She's generally very risk averse anyway.

I know I'm not going to be the best person to teach her. Does anyone one here have any experience of the availability of 'from scratch' training for kids of her age? I'm happy to pay for one-to-one tuition.

Also, I'm in the catchment area for Hampshire Cycle Training. Has anyone on here had dealings with them?

 

[tdr1nka]

No dealings with HTC but you have my sympathies, my six year old daughter loved the tag-a-long but has now out grown out of it.

Miss tdr1nka has exactly the same fears and is reluctant to get on her own bike.

The best advice I've had is to take the stablisers & pedals off and lower the saddle so she can first learn to balance by scooting herself along.

 

[Noodley]

The best advice I've had is to take the stablisers & pedals off and lower the saddle so she can first learn to balance by scooting herself along.

^^^^ Wot he said ^^^^

 

[tdr1nka]

Also, have a gander @;
bikeability.org.uk
and
cyclecraft.co.uk

I'm starting my instructor training in Sept. so I'm not yet up to speed on what is available but as far as I know school or local authority training (Bikeabilty, prv. Cycling Proficiency)starts in year 6.

It's my feeling that you stick a 6 year old on a bike and they either grasp the concept and are off or they get all snarled up by the 'rub your head and pat your tummy' nature of combining, balance, pedaling, steering and breaks.

I'm going to try the pedal-less approach with Miss tdr1nka and just be as patient and encouraging as possible.

P.S. Sometimes I wonder if Miss tdr1nka's reluctance is faked and based on her wanting to have me continue towing her everywhere.

 

[Bollo]

Aye, have all the bikeability and cyclecraft stuff, but this time its personal! The frustrating thing is that she was going great guns with the pedals off and low seat, but then just froze when it came to full-on cycling. The tummy-patting analogy is spot on - I find it almost impossible to describe how to ride a bike!

I remember my dad trying to teach me to drive. In the end he was happy to pay up for lessons to ensure his post pub taxi service and I think its best I do the same with Miss Bollo and cycling. The frustrating thing is that she's mustard on the road sense thanks to the time on the tandem. She's one six year old that knows primary isn't just the school she goes to.

 

[tdr1nka]

It sounds like the route of lots of patience then?

You're a whole step ahead of me, let me know how you get on!

 

[summerdays]

Not sure whether this will help...

My youngest learnt to cycle after one time when he was tired I asked the next child up to let me push him on her bike for a bit. I noticed he was able to pedal and balance. However it took 3 months from that moment to when he realised it himself. Those 3 months were spent with me walking/running along beside him pretending to hold him, him checking I was still there. Anytime he realised that I had let go he would slam on the brakes. When he started school we did the same routine to school every day, until I finally convinced him that he could do it - and that was the start of him cycling to school daily.

The next child up from him was very different, she only ever pedalled half circles, then back pedal half circle etc, whilst on stablisers. Eventually in desparation age 6 I took the stabilizers off at the beginning of the summer holidays. I did a deal with her that we would try each day for 5 mins, and after 4 weeks she was still doing the half pedal thing unless I held her foot and made the pedal go in a circle. It was a stressful time as she is my most awkward child... but luckily 5 mins is short. Then one day she got it and could cycle about 5 metres - it was a real breakthrough moment. For her especially I wish I had known about the removing pedals at the time.

So I'm not sure what the above is meant to tell you... keep perservering?

A friend of mine used to run sessions at her local school to get kids off stabilizers as part of Safe Routes to School, and I once went along and watched their sessions. She promoted it as a fun session (drinks, biscuits etc), just give lots of reassurance, don't mention falling as that is the only word they will hear, and you were meant to ask their permission before you let go. (This was after I had taught all mine to ride).

I'm sure there are trainers out there that would teach a 6 year old, but before trying that, is there someone else in the family or friend that would maybe give it a go teaching her, to remove the personal element. The daughter mentioned above had her bikeability training this year - I know I could of done it, but equally knew that she would behave better for someone else. As it was she spent the entire time talking about only doing it for me and that she hated it... but I called her bluff and said she didn't have to do it if she didn't want to (not what she was expecting at all). She's like a kitten who has to keep prodding the sleeping lion trying to get a reaction.

 

[Globalti]

Have a look at the Islabikes website - they do a scoot-along trainer bike for kids though I can't remember the age. They make excellent kids' bikes sized for kids with small handgrips and brakes etc.

 

[wlc1]

www.helemill.com/acatalog/index.html

My daughter is 2 and after a month on and off these bikes she is totally confident about free wheeling. She'll weave up and down our cul de sac all day long.

Peddling is the last thing you want to develop. Balance and confidence is most important ( along with road sense- my wife and I are extremely keen to make her danger aware without putting her off).

She "goes out" at least once a day - Welly boots and raincoat if need be.

If your child is risk adverse anyway - maybe take her to a soft play place - this is where we took our monster where these bikes ( or similar) were available and she could fall off onto gym matting. Most places will let you take your own bike in anyway. Just ask.

Good luck.

 

[ChrisKH]

My six year old was the same. No matter what i did to encourage him he just didn't want to bite the bullet and pedal. What worked? Peer group pressure. Went on a day out with a girl the same age who could pedal proficiently without support and the mother just took his shoulder and said "I'm sure you can do the same, just try it once". And he did.

 

[Globalti]

Maybe children suddenly make the transition from enjoying some parental attention to wanting to compete with their peers? It certainly works with my own 9 y.o.

 

[Arch]

Definitely go for the no-pedals scooting method of actually mastering two wheels. On grass if she's nervous of falling - I think by 6 maybe she's starting to be more aware that falling will hurt than a younger child is. Maybe out as little pressure on as possible - give her the bike, a big space (preferably one that includes a very gentle slope), and turn your back and read a book or something and let her progress at ther own rate (even if you shoot a few sneaky looks to see how she's doing). Does she have any particular mates who can already ride? Maybe invite them and their mum or dad along and see if seeing another kid do it prompts her to make more effort. Maybe even see if you can arrange for a kid who can cycle to have their pedals taken off so that they can race each other scooting...)

Once she's actually riding, then professional road training is probably a good idea - although it sounds like she's got pretty good road sense already!

 

[4F]

My eldest took all summer before she could do it, number 2 had it sussed in a weekend. No 3 looks like they are going the same way as number 1

 

[Bollo]

Thanks all - I think we'll try going back to no pedals and then play it by ear.

 

[Arch]

Thanks all - I think we'll try going back to no pedals and then play it by ear.

Good idea. After all, she can still get about while scooting, and be under her own steam. I'm assuming you weren't planning to have her ride on any kind of busy riad just yet anyway, so let her learn to scoot and accompany you that way maybe. I think once a kid has the hang of scooting, they can be pretty quick...