12 answers

Training Wheels off the Bike

How old were your kids when you took off their training wheels from their bike? What are the signs of readiness?

What can I do next?

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My son was 3, he came to daddy and asked him to take them off. After about 10 miin. of hoding onto the back of his seat he was ready to go. Good luck

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My girls were both 4 - they are very coordinated. Some boys are around 3 when they try, depends on how coordinated they are. I wouldn't wait past 5 though. Most kids ride two wheelers by the time they are 5 or 6. I don't know if there really is a sign of readiness, just try it, and if they can't go a few feet after 5-10 tries, put the training wheels back on for a few months.

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Just before her 5th birthday, because she begged me too. Didn't think her biking skills WITH the training wheels were that strong, but she surprised me with how quickly she learned. So, I'd say when they are interested in learning and motivated to take a few bumps that come with the process. It seems like a lot of kids have them off by 5-6, so wanting to be "big kids" is a strong motivator.

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one of my children was four, one was five and one was seven, so I dont htink there's a right age. I thinks its about how badly they want it their level of fear, determination, persoanlity etc

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I was in first grade when I learned to ride a bike. My Mom wouldn't believe me and wouldn't take the training wheels off. I had to show her on my friends bike (which was too big for me to sit on the seat and pedal at the same time) that I had mastered riding without falling over. It surprised the heck out of my Mom, but she finally took those training wheels off my bike. I still have my bike. A green American made Schwinn 'Slik Chik'. I spent most of my time on that bike right up until I learned how to drive. I'll never part with it.

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My son was 3, he came to daddy and asked him to take them off. After about 10 miin. of hoding onto the back of his seat he was ready to go. Good luck

2 moms found this helpful

We don't plan on even using training wheels. Balance bikes are the best way to teach kids to balance on a bike. In my opinion, taking off the training wheels is just like moving them straight from a tricycle to a real pedal bike.

Can your child reach the ground with his/her feet while sitting on the bike? If so, you could try taking off the training wheels and let him/her walk with the bike and push on the ground as if it's a balance bike. This will help learn to balance before trying to also pedal.

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Signs of rediness are when you see your kid completely comfortable on their bike. You see them almost balance on the tire without tetering off to the sides. My brother and I took our youngest brother to an empty parking lot and took off his training wheels. He was so comfortable because there were no obsticles in his way to worry about that he focused solely on his balance on the bike. It only took 2 spills and he was just about an expert rider. Ha ha ha
I remember my Dad having us ride on our street and I kept falling and it took about a week and lots of band aids handy. All I was focused on was not hitting anything such as parked cars, the mailbox, people walking, and even riding in the street.
Good luck.

2 moms found this helpful

My son is 3 and was so eager to ride a two wheeler that he borrowed the neighbors tiny little bike and with my husband's help at first, off he went. Needless to say we bought him his own. It is tiny, only 12" wheels but he's riding like a champ, stands up on the pedals and tries to pop a wheelie (gets the wheel about an 1/8" off the ground, lol. My other boys were around 4 when we took off their training wheels. I think the most important thing is to make sure their bike is the right size for them, too big and you're asking for a fall from which they won't want to get back on. A sign of readiness would be the training wheels spend more time off the ground then on and of course your child's eagerness to get rid of them. Have fun!

2 moms found this helpful

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