The spring and summer weather make this a fun time of year to teach your little ones how to ride a bike. Taking off the training wheels can be tough, and your kid probably won’t get it on the first try, but you need to keep their morale high so that they know they can do it. Teaching your child to ride a bike can be emotionally and physically challenging for both parties, so we’ve put together a few tips on teaching your child to ride a bike.
Where to Start
You may not have known this, but when teaching your kid to ride a bike for the first time, you shouldn’t start on the street. You want to calm their nerves and make them feel at ease. Unless you live on a barren street, you should start your ride in an empty parking lot, trail, or park for safety and comfort.
Training Wheels
Training wheels are a quick fix if you don’t have the time to teach your child to ride a two-wheel bike, but it’s best not to use training wheels at all. This method still works but ends up being less effective. The glide method is a better way to start. Make sure the rider’s feet touch the ground when sitting on their bike and detach the pedals from the bike. Teach them riders to push off with their feet and glide.
Once the rider can safely balance, you can add the pedals back on. Teaching the new rider balance is the key to teaching them how to ride a bike. Once you teach them to balance, all you need to do is teach them how pedaling and braking work.
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Have Fun
Having fun is the most important thing to keep in mind when teaching your little one to ride a two-wheeler. A few things to keep in mind for a fun ride are to make sure the bike is fitted to the size of the rider, refrain from holding the bike or running alongside so that they can build momentum through their own pedaling, and be excited but don’t pressure them into a certain speed or distance.