How to Teach Your Child to Ride a Bicycle
Cycling training - a different approach that works!
Hey, it's much easier than you think. The old way of doing it (running behind or
along side your child and pushing her) is an outdated and undue punishment for
both you and the frustrated student. A punishment for you, the parent, because
you quickly run out of breath (you're not the sprinter you used to be in high
school), and a punishment for your child because she doesn't understand why on
earth she crashes every time you're getting tired and release your grip of her
saddle. She realizes that learning to balance is a scary and stressing ordeal.
Well, I'm here to break the good news: kids aged 4 to 6 can easily and quickly
(and I mean quickly) learn to independently ride without training wheels and
without an adult gripping their saddle from behind.
The technique described here is much safer than the old one and has a much
higher rate of success, based on the experience of many happy children who
learned to ride this way.
This is how it works: remove the training wheels and remove the pedals from your
child's bicycle. Lower the saddle so your child can easily place both her feet
on the ground while seated. From this point on, your young student takes full
control. She is in charge of moving the bicycle, with no help from you, with no
pushing or balancing on your part (unless she asks for it). You can compare the
bicycle with no pedals to a two-wheel scooter, which kids love and enjoy riding
and balancing with no fear.
A word on children's capabilities: it may come as a surprise, but little
children do have good instincts and common sense which translate into self
esteem and confidence it they get a chance to use them. In the old way, the
student is taught to rely on someone else to balance the bicycle, and not on
himself. The adult was the one who controlled the situation, the movement, the
speed. The adult was the one preventing crashes and providing a false sense of
safety which crashed when he let go. This erodes trust and makes the experience
scary.
With the suggested technique, your young student is the one making the calls.
She determines how fast she goes, she is the one moving and balancing, and
controlling the bicycle from the get go, she is the one preventing the crash by
simply placing her feet on the ground. This builds trust. Trust in her
capabilities. This builds self esteem and confidence.
You explain to your student that all she has to do is create a little movement
ahead while balancing. You tell her that she can't fall, because the minute
something doesn't feel right, she can always put her feet down on the ground
(which is the starting position) and brake. She has to try and hold her feet in
the air a little while and keep pushing this way.
Make sure you choose the right spot for this training: flat ground (no slopes),
no vehicles, and no obstacles. You can also take her to the park and find a
grassy field, so if she does crash, it's a softer landing. Long pants are
advisable, to prevent scratches when falling. Use this opportunity to teach your
child to wear a helmet, so she can get used to it.
After just a couple of lessons your child will get the hang of it. Now she feels
the balance, and she masters the first and very important skill of balancing.
You can now replace the pedals, move the saddle up an inch, so her feet
comfortably reach the ground, but not as easily as before.
Next, choose a grassy field with a gentle slope, and let your child go down the
slope, balancing with her feet on the pedals. After a few runs, she will feel
comfortable and add pedaling. It's important you explain to her in advance how
to apply the brakes. At this point all you have to do is behold the magic: your
child enthusiastically pedals and just can't get enough!
Many parents say that after years of painful failures, their child finally gets
the hang of riding a bicycle with this technique. Enjoy.
