Bicycle for 4 Year Old?

I guess it can depend on the kid, but I think 4 is definitely old enough for a bike. We got my daughter a little one at a yard sale when she was three, and she would ride it like crazy all over the neighborhood. By the time she was 4 and a half, she was riding without training wheels, and now at 5, she's comfortable enough that it's something we can do together as a family. Might be a good idea to take him to a bike shop or somewhere he can try one out to get an idea of how comfortable he is. Good Luck!

Why not... the worst that can happen is he can fall off and as we know through life you get back on and ride. Training wheels are the best.

Ready for a bike with training wheels. Sure

You just said it yourself, some can do it younger than others. As long as training wheels is an option it shouldnt be a problem either way.

my oldest when she was 3 started and was riding her bike without training wheels before she was 4. yes you can start now.

I purchased a balance bike for my son for his last birthday. It doesn't have any pedals and allows him to learn balance before the action of pedaling. It is easier to add pedaling to balance than to add balance to pedaling. If you Google 'balance bike' or 'running bike', it will bring up a variety of brands. I went with Haro because they make bikes for adults as well so I trusted the durability, but there are a variety out there.

Every child is different on when they start riding with training wheels and without. MOST important, especially since they are learning, is get a helmet, and make sure it fits properly. It should not shift in any direction if it is fitted and put on properly. It saddens me to see kids out there with helmets on, but they are sitting on the back of the head with the full forehead exposed.

The second most important is to make sure they are wearing proper shoes (not flipflops or croc type) I watched our neighbor girl fall and then she started screaming as she was barefoot and her foot slipped in between the chain and wheel and was STUCK! If she had been wearing shoes, her little foot would not have done that.

My 4 year ols has been riding since he was two, and is still with training wheels, which is fine, he is not ready. But he knows he does not get onhis bike with out his helmet and shoes and when we find him trying to do so his bike gets put away for the day, it only took a couple of times of taking it away and he is now a champ at riding with his gear on!

We bought our 4 yr old daughter a bike for her birthday and she loves it. I let her ride one in the store just to make sure before we made a final decision. She did very well so I knew I was making the right decision. Maybe you could try that.

Definitely get him a bike if you have the time to spend with him! We got our son a bike about this time and he loved it but I haven't had the time to spend with him to teach him to ride without training wheels...on the other hand, my BFF did the same with her son (same age) and they are riding 3 miles a day on a bike trail near her home.

I've heard some kids take to the bikes fairly quickly and are ready to lose training wheels soon thereafter...I think it's just a matter of how much practice they get in (just like everything). BTW- anyone who isn't comfortable riding 2 wheel could have training wheels...age doesn't really matter...this is again, a gross comparision of "my kid can do this why can't yours" example...everything depends on WHEN the kids get their first bikes and how much practice they get on them....heck, it's been so long since I've been on a bike I could probably use a set of training wheels myself! LOL...best of luck to you!

What don't you see if a friend has one he can try. Oh - don't forget the helmet!

I always started at 2 with training wheels.

It just depends. I've seen three-year-olds riding bikes with no training wheels with no problems. My kids were much slower, but we live on a busy corner with a steep hill in every direction, so there was no place for our kids to practice riding unless we loaded them and the bikes up and went somewhere else, which we never seemed to have time to do. If you have a good place to ride and your kids don't seem too afraid, go for it.

Get him a bike with training wheels and when he is ready he'll tell you he wants them off. I was five when I learned to ride a bike, but both my girls where 8 and 9. They just weren't ready. So maybe let him pick out the bike or get him a character bike with the training wheels and he'll be great. Good luck and God Bless.

Hi K.,
I just recently bought my son a bike and he is only 2 1/2. Ofcourse it has training wheels, but it was the best present so far in his tiny little life. He loves it!!! And not only is it awesome for him, but also for me. I can take him to the park and walk with him while he rides, which gives me the excersize that am unable to usually get b/c of time restraints and busy lives. It gives them a great sense of accomplishment learning to ride a bike. It is an awesome way to get those wheels turning, not only on the bike, but in his little mind as well, great learning experience!!! I would definately recommend getting him a bike, he will absolutely love it!!!

K.,

4 is a good time to get him a bike, if you have a lot of time to work with him it will be easier for you to teach him how to ride without training wheels with a smaller bike then it is with a bigger bike because they get heavier and harder to hold them up while he is riding it. I have an 8 yr old and a 6 yr old son and neither of them can ride a bike without training wheels. I wish I would have worked with them when they had their smaller bike but it's too late now! I have a 4 yr old daughter that has a princess bike and she can peddle her bike alot better than my boys ever could so I'm hoping to teach her to ride without training wheels before she has to move up to a bigger bike. My boys took forever just to figure out how to peddle a bike, I think that's why I lost the motivation and patience to teach them plus their not that interested in riding bikes like my daughter is. Weird Huh? I'm sure he is going to be so excited to get his bike. You might try taking him to a park where their is open fields and teach him in the grass so if he falls it won't hurt as much. Good Luck--J.

Both of my kids received their first bike's at age 3 1/2. I got them the 16 inch bike with training wheels and they were both fine. My oldest didn't learn to ride without training wheels until she was in kindergarten and almost 6, but that was partly due to us being in the country and only having the yard and our gravel driveway to ride on. My son was determined to do everything his sister did, so he was only 4 when we took his training wheels off. Just make sure your son has a safe place to ride and he'll be fine. He will get some scrapes, bumps and bruises but that's part of being a kid riding a bike. They have elbow pads, knee pads and bike gloves for children in addition to helmets, so have him pick out something he likes and let him have fun.

How is he at pedaling? I contemplated getting our son a 2 wheeler when he turned 4, but he just didn't have the pedaling thing down. He already had tricycles and a big wheeler that were causing him frustration. I didn't think he would appreciate another element of frustration.
We worked with him over the year, but I think peer pressure @ pre-school got to him and now he's tooling around like it's nothing.
I'm glad we waited, b/c for this fifth birthday, he got a 2 wheeler (w/ training wheels) and he is the proudest, most excited 5 y/o I've ever seen. Of course, the gear that he received w/ the bike helped sweeten the deal (as if it needed to be!).
It all depends on the skills and abilities he exhibits now...or if you have the time and he has the willingness to develop skills. Our son wasn't as interested at 4 y/o as he is now at 5 y/o.
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If you feel he has good enough balance and is ready, buy the bike. All six of our children were riding unassisted by the time they were 6'ish. Start with training wheels and then work with him when he has that down well and is asking to have them off. The most important thing is to make sure the bike is the proper size, and buy a helmet and knee pads. :)

Every child is different. I would get him a 16 inch with training wheels. My 3 children were around 7 when they learned to ride a bike alone. Our 1st grandson was about 6. The second grandson started riding the training wheeled bike when he was 2 1/2 and by a little past 3 he was riding unassisted. He is not quite 4 and he rides awesomely.

I think a bike is one of those things that are up to the individual. I agree som kids ride a bike young and some are older, but they are both fine to do. My 3 year old has had a tricycle since he was one and loves to ride it. We bought him a "big boy bike" w/ training wheels for his 3rd b-day thinking he would just LOVE it, but he has only been on it a handful of times. He alwasy opts to squeeze onto his tricycle and ride it! We didn;t spend a ton on the two wheel bike ($50-ish at Walmart) so we're not that worried about it. We figure its there if he wants to ride it. Now, he does LOVE to wear his bicycle helmet, all the time some days! :o)

Good Morning K., I think 4 is OK for a Bike with training wheels. We thought of doing that for our gr son Corbin when he turned 4 in March, but Mom & Dad got him a really BIG Trike. Our other gr son 4 also until July, rides his bike with his bro & sis. He tried taking off the training wheels when our son was at work. Didn't work to well.....lol
The little guy next door is 4 and rides his Bike up the street with his gr parents almost daily. All of them do wear helmets when they ride too.

Hope you have a wonderful week, and have a great Party for the little man.
God Bless
K. Nana of 5

I think most 4 year olds are ready for bike with training wheels.

Just make sure you get one that he can handle well that isn't too big for him yet. For my son it was easier to get one that didn't have the handle brakes, he would press on the handle brake and try to peddle forward at the same time and ended falling a few times.

Once he mastered the bike then we went to a bike with handle brakes.

As far as riding a bike without training wheels, he'll let you know when he's ready.

Best of luck!

Hi K.,
Something to consider is the glide to ride bike...you start without pedals as your child learns to balance, then put the pedals on once he's mastered that skill. My 3 year old loves riding this bike, and he's getting pretty good at balancing. Here's a link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Glide-Ride-Bike-Boy/dp/B0...

Good luck!
R. J

I have a son who just turned 4 on June 20th. We have been trying to get him to ride his bike since we got it for him just before he turned 3. I would say its up to you. If you have the time and patience to work with teaching him how to ride it go ahead. Also a good thing to think about is to find a good place to store it. And if you don't have anywhere to store it in a safe place then it might be hard to keep around.