Learning to Ride a Bike Without Training Wheels

Use the smaller bikes. With our 3 boys, we taught them by putting them in hockey/lacrosse gear (pads, helmets, etc.) and taking them to a grassy slope. We would tell them to ride down the slope and show us 10 awesome crashes in a row. By the 6th or 7th time down, they wouldn't be crashing any more, they would reach the bottom and keep pedaling and that was that! Because they felt fearless in the padding and we make crashing part of the game, they weren't afraid to fall and once that fear was gone, they were able to balance and just go. They all learned to ride at the age of 5 or 6 this way. If you know anyone with contact sport equipment, see if you can borrow it - it was a lot of fun and very easy this way!

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Why the MUST? Kids do things in their own time; don't rush it :)

My daughter has slight motor disabilities and a friend gave us a glider/balance bike when she was 8, which she was riding within 2 weeks and then moved to a "regular" bike without training wheels right after. It's basically a bike without pedals, so you scoot with your feet to get going, then raise up your feet, so you are working on your balance.

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Definitely stick with the smaller bikes. My son learned last summer (5yr old), your plan of running alongside is what we did, and he got it on the first push off!

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Smaller bike is easier for sure. They are closer to the ground and more comfortable. My husband ran along our daughter & she got it. Someone told me about some long handle you can hook to the back of the bike so you can be behind them giving them balance and not crouched over on the side of them. I heard Toys R Us has them? Not sure, as we did not get one.

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2 of my older kids learned how to ride without training wheels on a bike that was smaller. We had a bike someone had given us at the end of the previous summer. One of my girls decided on her own that she was ready and started trying on this bike (there were no training wheels with it). She was done within a week. She was comfortable on it because she could easily put her foot down to prevent falling. When he saw her do it, my son decided he could do it too. Within 2 weeks or so, he was done. They were riding their own bikes without trainers by the time summer really came around. My other daughter was a little more put off by no training wheels but was ready at the end of summer. We were going to teach them the way I was taught, mom or dad running alongside, holding the bike seat. Of course, now there are no "banana" seats with a little handle on back and talk about sore backs. Plus, 3 kids, just mom or just dad does ot really add up well. They figured it out themselves and surprised us. Let your kids decide if they want to try on the smaller bike first.

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Keep the smaller bike, take the training wheels AND both pedals off. Let them walk it until they start coasting. After coasting for a while put the pedals back on. Works like a charm :-)

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It's better to use a bike that is a bit too small.

I had my daughter's friend teach her. She learned in about two minutes. (she is 7)

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Too small. Let them try coasting first then once they are comfortable have them try peddling.

Start with the smaller bicycle. After running behind the bike a number of times I found a better way. Here's what I did with my daughter. Find a nice grassy hill, not too steep. Let your daughter sit on her bike and just lift her feet and glide down - she should keep her feet down near the ground. This will help her feel balance on the bike. Once she is comfortable with that, have her do the same thing, but put her feet on her pedals. She can use her brakes at the end of the hill to start to learn how to use the brakes. Once she is comfortable with that, have her do the same thing, but actually pedal once she gets going. I was able to teach my daughter to ride her bike in just an hour or so using this method.
Good luck!

Let them ride down a grassy hill. Thats how my boys learned

If you drop the seat all the way down on the bigger bike and it allows them to be able to put their feet down flat and be comfortable stopping then I would do it on the bigger one b/c then you won't have the whole learning curve of Ok you can ride, now move to a different bike... it might throw them off.

I would only do it if the lower seat height allows for them to stand. Good luck.

I was a professional nanny for twenty years and taught most of my charges to ride a bike w/o training wheels. I would stick with the smaller bike first and then when she gets it switch to the larger bike, you migh have to start over and get her lots of patience and encouregment. One idea that I love and have found out it works the best is to take the pedal off one side and let them pedal with one foot and the other to help balance, then switch them. I've seen kids do this is one day and one week. Good look!

It was easier for my son to use his smaller bike...it only took a day to really master it and within a week he was riding his bigger bike no problem.

Learning on a smaller bike is much easier. They have more control over the bike and their feet can touch the ground leading to fewer crashes. If they start to lose it they can just plant thier feet. Plus psychologically, a bigger bike is more daunting, I think.

DO it on the bike that fits them. Take them to a grassy slope and tell them to go down with their feet out to the sides several times. This teaches them how balancing feels. Then go to a bigger hill and have them do it. Once they have this mastered go to the smaller hill and peda. Do this for a while and then head to regular pavement. This way is 100% better than the running alongside method. IT worked for my boys in about an hour and with my oldest I had tried for a couple weeks running alongside and it never worked-he couldn't get the hang of the balance.

Agree with the recommendations for the smaller bikes. It's way less intimidating if they can put their feet down easily. But if they haven't learned to ride 2 wheeled scooters yet, you could try that first. It helped our daughters learn to balance so much that learning to ride the bikes then came easily.

I don't understand the "MUST"? My parents tried and tried to teach me to ride a bike, but I just didn't get it until I was 9 yrs old. Please don't put so much stress on if they ride with training wheels or not. I didn't like that I didn't know how to, but I just didn't get the balance part until all of a sudden one day I just had it...trying on my own on a neighbor's bike. It's ok if they are older and still with training wheels. Oh, and I don't have any developmental issues, that was just something I couldn't get until I was 9. Within 2 weeks of learning, I was riding 1 handed and in a month - no handed.

the smaller one is best - they should be able to have their feet touch the ground flat

If they have a razor scooter, encourage them to ride it alot. The same balance required for that two wheeler is what's needed to ride a bike. Have two adults hold the bike in place with the back wheel off the ground so they can get the feel of continuous pedaling

Once they have mastered those things, find a small hill or incline (either grass or paved) and let them coast down it on the bike with legs out and feet off the pedals. Eventually they will put their feet on the pedals and start pedaling when they get to the bottom of the hill.

I think its easier to start with the smaller bikes. I think it helps with their confidence in the begining.
My boys were both 5 1/2 yrs and in kindergarten my daughter just turned 4 yrs when she learned.

I was in 3 grade when I learned. I was NOT the most althetic child. Once I learned I never wanted to get off my bike.

Go for small BIke, only caveat is that you will have to bend to let it go! My daughter has been biking since two and last year T 4 she took off. I removed the training wheel and told her I will keep on holding. I ran with her In between I let it go. After I felt she had the balance I let it go with her being surprised that she did it on her own.

She really jumped up high and low on road after she did it!! Done in less than 3 days.

ALL THE BEST!

V.