With any rite of passage, there’s anxiety as well as exhilaration. Learning to ride a bike is one of the childhood biggies, and having a stress-free student-teacher experience can mean the difference between enjoying a lifetime of cycling and never getting beyond training wheels. Rich Conroy, a cycling instructor and manager of the education program at Bike New York, says the key is realizing that kids will teach themselves how to ride and the parents are there to help cheerlead. He offers the following tips:
Only When They’re Ready
Take notice of your child’s developmental level. Can your child rollerskate, rollerblade, or ride a scooter? If yes, she has a decent sense of balance and she might be ready to ride a bike without training wheels as well. If not, then your child probably needs more time. If you insist that she do it anyway, you’re likely to have a child who feels forced to learn and will be fearful and angry. According to Conroy, most kids learn to ride between ages five and nine, but some preschoolers are ready too. Your child may learn in a couple of days, or it might take months. The emphasis should always be on having fun.
It’s All About The Bike
A child should be able to stand over the frame of the bike with an inch or two of clearance between the frame and the crotch area. Most bikes come with coaster brakes, but hand brakes are not necessary on a starter bike. In addition to a helmet, you may want to invest in knee and elbow pads as well as a pair of riding gloves. A well-padded child is likely to feel less frightened about the uncertainties of riding unaided. You might also want to buy some stickers or other decorative items for the bike so he will know how non-threatening and special the bike is.
A Balancing Act
The first thing your child needs to learn is balance. Put the seat down far enough so that the child’s feet rest flat on the ground. Take the training wheels and pedals off. Sitting on the seat, the child should hold onto the handlebars and walk the bike forward with feet on the ground. Conroy explains, “The idea is that he will get to the point where he lifts his feet off the ground so the bike rolls forward, and once he does that, he’s riding.” After, put the pedals back on and have the child start again with feet on the ground. But this time he should take his feet off the ground and put them on the pedals and begin riding.
“I Said Stopppp!”
Once he can pedal forward, the child needs to know how to turn and how to stop. Teach your child that when he’s turning, he has to raise the pedal on the side in which he’s turning. If the pedal is pointed down, he’ll probably crash. To stop, show your child how to operate the coaster brakes. Don’t let your child get into the habit of using shoes to stop. Though many parents assume that their role is to basically run with the bike and let go when the child is ready, Conroy actually discourages parents from doing so, unless the child is more comfortable with the parent close by. His philosophy is that kids are resilient and advises parents against having a preemptive discussion about falling. If a child does fall, parents should remain positive and not panic. “There’s a teaching moment there where a parent can explain, without saying I told you so, that something the kid did might have contributed to the fall and provide some instruction,” he advises.
Safety Rules
A child needs to understand the importance of stopping and looking before riding into the street. Needless to say, she needs to wait until the light is green, but even then she should stop to review the traffic, looking left, right, left again and listening for oncoming cars that might not be immediately visible. Also, explain to your child how stop signs operate. Take your child to an intersection and practice careful crossing by walking your bikes. Your child will learn a lot by example, so go on a ride together and reiterate the rules before and then again after a ride, commending her for smart bicycling behavior.
