The guaranteed way to teach your kid to ride a two-wheeler
I know this is a little off topic. But consider that riding a bike is as unbound as it gets, and the technique I’m about to share is definitely creative. Plus if everyone left his or her car in the garage and did a little more pedaling we’d be less dependent on foreign (or domestic oil) and be taking a first step in the battle against obesity. So, in a way, this is a public service message.
So, here’s the deal. If you want to teach your son or daughter to ride a two-wheeler I can guarantee this works. (My own son’s been screaming around the neighborhood sans training wheels since he was four.)
1. Take the training wheels and pedals off of your kid’s bike
You read that right; remove the pedals. I’m presuming he already knows how to pedal. We’re now going to learn to balance.
2. Lower the seat so his feet touch the ground flat while sitting
Make sure your child can sit on the bike and touch the ground with the flats — not the toes –of both feet. These are going to be his brakes. I’ll explain in a moment.
3. Find an empty parking lot with a slight incline
Ideally you want a smooth surface whose incline is just enough to allow your kid and his bike to coast down a gentle slope without going to fast.
4. Have your kid sit on the bike with his feet flat on the ground
You should go to the bottom of the incline, maybe 30 yards away. He’s simply going to lift his feet off the ground –holding his feet out to the sides just enough so the bike starts to coast — and aim toward you. (Focusing on you will also teach your child the lifelong lesson of “watching your target line,” advice that works for everything, from cycling to golf to business. But I digress.) If he gets a little nervous and needs to stop, he simply brings his feet back in toward the bike and uses them as brakes. Remember that the incline should have a slope that makes it possible. (Think angled enough that a basketball would roll down it but not so steep that you couldn’t catch up to it.)
5. Here’s what will happen
The first time he lifts his feet off the ground he’ll get a little tipsy and bring them back in to stop almost immediately. The second time he’ll coast 10 yards or so before stopping. The third or fourth time he’ll coast, balancing on two wheels, from the top of the hill down to you. Have him do this a couple of more times, then put the pedals back on. It’s time to repeat the process only now have him start pedaling when he reaches the bottom. He’s a cyclist.
6. What comes next?
Hopefully he’ll pedal for the rest of his life, rolling along with all those who believe cycling is the solution to many of the world’s problems: energy, health, affordable transportation, stress. And maybe you’ll join him, even if it’s been years since you rode.
Lastly, please make sure he wears a helmet and that you do, too. Ride safe.
Comments
Sans the pedal removal, this is basically how I learned to ride a two-wheeler when I was about 4. Our driveway had a gradual slope and I learned balance by coasting down it, and picked up riding a 2-wheeler in a couple hours... motivated by the twin girls down the block who learned and were 3 months younger (which was a big deal at 4!)
Huge thanks! My 9 year old son - who is an outstanding athlete in many sports - has been afraid to ride a bike. I've tried many times over the past 6 years without any success. This post inspired me to try one more time.
I promised I'd teach him in 10 minutes. On July 2 (just a few days ago), I took of the pedals, did what you suggested - and after 5 minutes, he was riding. I put the pedals back on and in 10 minutes, it was as if he had been riding his entire life. The smile on his face was priceless.
And today, he rode in the town's Fourth of July bike parade. :)
So - my son and I are VERY glad you posted a bit off topic a few weeks ago. Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated this post and the advice. You've made a child (and his dad) very happy!
What a great teaching job!!
You have taken a complex process - hand, feet, eye, whole body etc coordination; and have broken it down to small, incremental steps. Each step easily mastered. That process: complex=many simple steps is the key to any good teaching method. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Edwward - I've tried all sorts of things without success, and the "remove the pedals" tip is new. I am going to try it this weekend with my kindergartener - thanks for sharing.
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I wish this was true for me. I've never been good at riding bikes... I crash into stuff all the time.
It could be a sign of high intelligence, which causes distractions. Watch your target line at all times.
I saw a 3-year-old learning on one of these in the park. Her older sister couldn't have been older than 5 was on a 'big-girl bike' peddling like an old pro.
i'm an adult who never learned to ride a bike (yeah, really). i already figured on my own i should find a bike with the seat low enough for my feet to touch the ground, but i really like this incline idea. now... just need to find a bike i can borrow...
That is great. All you need is a little confidence. You can definitely do it. Find a friend to help. If you become a cyclist this post will have been worth 10 times the effort to write it. Please come back and let me know the outcome.
Why, O Why did my father not think of this, instead of aiming me like a rocket into bushes?
I wish I had this post available to me 10 years ago. Definitely one of the things I failed at doing with one of my daughters. However, I'm trying to make it up to her now by teaching her how to drive. Thankfully, that seems to be working.
I am not looking forward to that.
have you seen the Stryder bikes? basically the same concept, just bikes for little ones that don't have pedals. Seem like they would be a great starter bike for a 2-4 year old to learn balance. I do like the idea of just making your own!
Have not seen, but will check them out. My kids are older now, but I've been sharing this concept with parents I run into who are struggling to get their kids of training wheels, so thought I'd share here.
great advice. it probably applies to other endeavors in life. on the topic of nj + cycling, it has some great riding near the city. i went up 9w today, over the gw bridge and up the hudson. it's an awesome ride. lance even praised it in a tweet last year.
Sounds great. I've definitely found cycling the best way to explore anywhere, close to home or far away. Have seen the most beautiful roads of New England and Canada's eastern provinces and even discovered places close to home I would never have found in a car.
Groovy.
I love cycling. Have a buddy who belongs to a "big wheel" club, with the old-fashioned bicycles, huge front wheel, pedals fixed to the axis. I'm still scared to learn that one.
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Are you a roadie? If so we have to ride together. NJ has some beautiful roads I am told. Do you do the Manhattan Burroughs ride? Oh, and I'm with you on the oldie thing. Also unicycles. Bones are getting too brittle for that kind of stuff.
We did essentially the same thing with a wooden, no-wheeler called a Like-A-Bike. Very simple, cool design--a friend bought us one in Germany. Our oldest, Zou00c3u00ab, was hauling butt on the sidewalks when other kids were doing tricycles. It's pretty amazing to watch.
And right on with the cycling. We now put our 2-year old in the bike trailer and go for family rides.
Still one of the greatest sports, activities, joys in life. And, I get some of my best ideas on long solo rides, with nothing but the road, the sun and time to think.
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