Although I do try, I tend to be on the more cautious side of parenting. I’m not naturally a risk taker, so it’s a learning process and takes constant effort for me to encourage my kids to take risks. As a result sometimes we delay a bit on milestones simply because it doesn’t occur to me that my girls are ready for the next new challenge.
That’s been the case for transitioning to a bike without training wheels. At age 6 I think Lovey has been ready to ride a two wheel bike for a while, but she’s been hesitant to try so I haven’t pushed it. But recently I’ve noticed her getting frustrated by not being able to go fast on a bike, and we decided it’s time to give it a try.
Wondering If Your Child is Ready?
This article by Doug Donaldson says, “There’s no set age for taking off on two wheels, but usually by 4 or 5 years of age children have enough balance and coordination.”
Here Gail Sessoms shares some details about physical readiness and typical abilities at various age levels.
And Pediatrics Expert Vincent Ianelli says, “Children usually learn to ride a bike some time between the ages of 3 and 8, with an average of just over age 5.”
How to Get Started
In this post Rachael from Nothing If Not Intentional shares the secret to how her older three-year-old learned to ride a bike without training wheels in under ten minutes. Rachael offers some great insights and a video that your kids will find inspiring!
Not sure whether to try training wheels or not? We did simply because I didn’t know any better at the time, but after reading “Just Say No to Training Wheels” from Tales of a Mountain Mama, I’m wishing we had never introduced training wheels. I do think both of my girls would have learned to ride a two wheel bike much earlier if we had skipped the training wheels.
The Crafting Chicks share how to remove training wheels and pedals from a traditional bike.
Lauren, a pediatric physical therapist, explains why learning to ride a bike is so important and tips for transitions from different styles of bikes to a two wheel bike.
More Resources
Lovey was definitely intrigued by the idea of riding a two wheel bike, but she was still hesitant so I looked into a few additional resources. Mostly I wanted her to see that she was capable and help her overcome her fear of trying just a bit.
Lovey immediately connected with this video made my Emma, a 4 year old who learned to ride a bike in just one day and wanted to make a video to teach her friends (and kids everywhere) how to ride their bicycles with no training wheels, too!
We also enjoyed reading a couple of books about learning to ride a bicycle.
Affiliate links included.
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle
Have you taught your kids to ride a bicycle yet? What tips and words of advice were most helpful for you?
Aika
I find this really helpful, especially for a first-time mom like me. Actually, I wasn’t able to learn how to ride a bike even at my age and I don’t want my child to miss out on this great experience.
Shaunna
Good luck teaching your little one! Thanks for the comment.