Teaching a child to cycle

[benb]

There are two schools of thought:

- Bike with stabilisers, remove when the child is old enough
- Balance bike. No stabiliser, no pedals (you can remove the pedals from a "normal" bike for this). They will learn to balance first (by scooting along with their feet) and learn to pedal when they are older

Is there any evidence as to which method is easiest/quickest for the child to learn? My son is 3½ and has a normal bike with stabilisers at the moment. He's good at pedalling, but obviously is nowhere near getting the balance yet.

 

[TobyM]

There are two schools of thought:

- Bike with stabilisers, remove when the child is old enough
- Balance bike. No stabiliser, no pedals (you can remove the pedals from a "normal" bike for this). They will learn to balance first (by scooting along with their feet) and learn to pedal when they are older

Is there any evidence as to which method is easiest/quickest for the child to learn? My son is 3½ and has a normal bike with stabilisers at the moment. He's good at pedalling, but obviously is nowhere near getting the balance yet.

When I learnt to ride, my Grandad would stick a broom (or something) into the back of the bike (just above the wheel) and that would stop me falling over. Then, while I still thought he was holding me up, he'd take the broom out from the back of the bike and I'd be cycling on my own! It didn't last long, but the thrill of knowing I'd ridden a distance, albeit short, made me want to get up and try without the broom!

When I think about it now, I'm not really sure how he attached the broom onto the bike and detached it without me knowing, but you get the general idea

Ps. recommended not to try this on concrete

 

[summerdays]

Well whilst I was camping there was a Dad trying to teach his 6 yo to cycle using the hand under the saddle method - apparently it had worked fine for his older child but this one wasn't getting it - they had been trying for a while now. So I suggested the scooting method - he even took the cranks off and within a day the child was cycling around the campsite. (I tried not to watch as it seemed to be putting the lad off trying - but once he succeeded he was very pleased with himself.)

I'd say scooting method anyday ... they can still get around and have fun whilst learning to control the bike/balance and they are in control of the process rather than hassling them to try as I did with my slow learner. I've helped a number of children to cycle that way ... though I didn't find out about it until after my children had learnt.

 

[Red Light]

Def. scooting. With stabilisers they spend all their time riding round on a four wheeled trike leaning over at some silly angle until ages later it hopefully clicks.

 

[Matthew_T]

I learnt by the stabiliser route. Had both of them on then one day my mum took one of them off then the second straight away. I took to cycling like a baby.

Currently I am trying to teach my father who cannot ride a bike. As he has an adults bike, he has opted to scoot himself down slight hills and just lift his feet off the ground. He has not got to pedalling yet, but at the moment the bike is in the garage gathering dust.

 

[Oxo]

Def. scooting. With stabilisers they spend all their time riding round on a four wheeled trike leaning over at some silly angle until ages later it hopefully clicks.

I recently taught two grandkids to ride - they scooted along without stabilisers. No problems and they were riding in no time.

 

[Davidc]

Stabilisers prevent a child from learning to balance a bike. Once removed the child has to un-learn what they've learnt and relearn properly.

I have taught my children, and a number of relatives' and friends' children, to ride by using the hand under the saddle method. The trick has always been to get them riding so they are doing the balancoing, then start panting and ask them to slow down because I can't keep up. They then speed up and ride off giggling. At that stage they still haven't learnt to steer or use the brakes so on grass is essential. It's between 15 and 30 minutes hard work. It's how I was taught.

When children have had stabilisers this doesn't work. Just have to leave them to it and it takes a very long time.

I've used the scooting method successfully with an adult but have never tried it with a child. I did watch a child a month ago out with her mother using a scooting trainer and making her first ride, 50 yards downhill. That was less than 5 minutes after the pedal-less trainer had been unpacked from its box. The little girl was totally delighted. Aged I would guess about 4.

 

[HJ]

Balance bikes are great, the kids lean to scoot along and as soon as you given a bike with pedals they are away. The problem with stabilisers is that they learn to rely on the stabilisers for balance when pedalling and then it takes them longer to learn to balance without.

 

[Glover Fan]

This is really interesting. My first bike had stablisers, but I distinctly remember actually learning with my Dad using the hand under the seat method. I think I went from no ability to balance to going round corners in one summer evening.

Stabilisers to me sound completely and utterly counter productive about the basic idea of cycling.

 

[pshore]

I've taught both ways. Balance bike is far superior. Better bike skills for the child, much less supervision required from the adult.

I have seen so many crashes due to stabilisers and dropped kerbs. Not good for the child's confidence.

 

[Hip Priest]

I've just bought my daughter a bike for her 5th birthday. It has stabilisers on, and they've caused a few accidents on uneven ground. It's also a little bit big for her, so it's hard work for her to push the pedals. All in all, it's been a confidence-sapping experience. I have a 16" wheel boys bike in the garage so I might get her on that, take her to a field and do the 'hand on seat' thing.

 

[benb]

Thanks all. I think I'll ditch the stabilisers and do the hand under the saddle, see how he gets on.
If he's not ready for that I'll lose the pedals and let him scoot.

Is 3½ too young?

 

[User169]

There are two schools of thought:

- Bike with stabilisers, remove when the child is old enough
- Balance bike. No stabiliser, no pedals (you can remove the pedals from a "normal" bike for this). They will learn to balance first (by scooting along with their feet) and learn to pedal when they are older

Is there any evidence as to which method is easiest/quickest for the child to learn? My son is 3½ and has a normal bike with stabilisers at the moment. He's good at pedalling, but obviously is nowhere near getting the balance yet.

Not entirely sure it's an either/or. I've used balance bikes alongside a bike with stabilizers (to build up some pedalling strength). Dropped the stabilizers when the youngest was 3,5 (the older one at 4).

 

[Globalti]

I was taught to ride by the daughter of friends of my parents. They lived in a big house with a lawn that sloped down to a lake; I remember her putting me on a bike and shoving me off down the slope- within seconds I was riding. I guess self-preservation must have been my instinct!

 

[summerdays]

Thanks all. I think I'll ditch the stabilisers and do the hand under the saddle, see how he gets on.
If he's not ready for that I'll lose the pedals and let him scoot.

Is 3½ too young?

That's not too young (depends on the child of course - one of mine had co-ordination problems so couldn't jump at 4).

Seriously forget the hand under the saddle - just go straight to the scooting option. It gives them the chance for them to learn the skills of braking, balancing and turning. They can still get up good speeds on it once they have got it and then it is just a case of introducing the pedals. If you do the hand under the saddle they have to go faster to balance so it seems to me and they don't cope with the brakes as well. Plus you have to be available to do it - scooting they can do by themselves with a bit of supervision.