Go First: How to Teach a Toddler to Ride a Bike

by

Kellog Vanderhague

While no two children are the same, most parents start teaching their child to ride a bike much later than is actually necessary. Parents may feel they are protecting their child by waiting until they are “ready,” but the truth is most kids will benefit from an early start and this actually eases the process for both child and parent.

As children get older they develop a more refined fear mechanism that leads to fear failure and risk. A child between the ages of 2-4 doesn’t process these emotions in the same way and they are usually not an obstacle for learning to ride. Not so for older kids who fear they will disappoint their parents, not measure up to their classmates or just not be able to learn how to ride.

Kids ages 2-4 have all the motor skills required to ride a bike. In fact, they are at the perfect development stage to learn how to ride a bicycle, but there are a few factors that may prevent parents from starting to teach their child bike riding. Heading out to your local toy store and purchasing the latest princess or superhero bike for your girl or boy is probably just going to disappoint anyone under the age of five. Even the smallest pedal bike weighs in at over 20 lbs. Think about how hard it would be for you to ride a bike that weighed as much as you do.

The best alternative for a young child ready to ride is a balance bike. These bikes, often referred to as training bikes, are specifically designed for toddlers and can weigh as little as 6 lbs. The bikes have no pedals, chain or sprocket. Kids propel themselves with their feet and this approach emphasizes learning balancing and steering before anything else.

Some balance bikes like the Strider preBike will accommodate a very small rider, since the seat height is just 11 inches. Many children receive a tricycle for their second birthday. Tricycles teach a child nothing about learning to ride a bicycle and just slow the process down.

Parents who teach their child to ride on a balance bike will discover that the child will have an almost immediate transition to a pedal bike without ever using training wheels. They shouldn’t be surprised; however, if the youngsters favor their balance bike over the pedal bike initially. Since the balance bike is lightweight and goes anywhere, kids often find it difficult to give up.

The time is now to get started teaching your child to ride a bike if they’re past the age of two. Balance bikes can teach kids the all-important skill of balance and steering and are safer than pedal bikes since they are so light, low to the ground and don’t wobble like bikes with training wheels.

A balance bike offers parents a little piece of mind. They won’t need to constantly hang on to their child’s seat trying to keep them from falling. Kids who learn on a balance bike never need training wheels and will learn to ride a bicycle before most of their friends.

The

balance bike

method for teach a child to ride will blow your mind. Kids pick it up almost instantly.

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Go First: How to Teach a Toddler to Ride a Bike