Most people assume that they will start a child out with training wheels when they teach bike riding skills. There are, in fact, quite a number of ways to teach a child to ride, and the training wheel approach is only one of these.  Here, we highlight four main ways that you can teach a child to ride, and we will elaborate on each in a future post.

1. Training Wheels – This is the least painful way to learn to ride a bike – but it often tends to be the slowest way to do so.  It is best for a family that lives on a quiet street without hills.  As the child grows comfortable with the training wheels, the wheels should be raised slightly.  This should continue, until eventually the training wheels aren’t doing anything at all.

2. Running with the Child – Another popular approach is to run along the child riding the bike.  The parent should hold the child by the shoulders in this situation and run along behind the bike.  The parent should NOT hold the handlebars, since the child won’t really be able to practice balancing if the parent it controlling the bike.

3. The Undersized Bike – This is actually the ideal way to learn to ride a bike.  For this process, you would purchase a bike that it too small for the rider.  The rider should be able to sit on the saddle with both feet flat on the ground with the knees slightly bent.  This approach is often impractical since most parents don’t want to buy a bike that is too small for the child, and that will be made obsolete as soon as the child learns to ride well.

4. Scooters – While most people don’t consider this approach, a scooter is actually a great way to learn balance.  Many actually recommend it as a better way to learn to ride than with training wheels.  With a scooter, the child is able to learn to balance without the distraction of the pedals.  In addition, since one foot is on the ground much of the time, the child will see the scooter as less scary than the bike.  

If you are ready to begin teaching your child to ride a bike, you’ll certainly want to have a large store of patience.  Not every child learns to balance at the same age, and it’s very important to understand this process and to recognize your child’s individual needs.  In general, children learn basic balancing skills around 6, but the variation ranges from 4 to 9.

While you may be impatient for your child to start cycling already, you need to be patient and trust your child’s process.  If you push too hard, you may find that your child becomes turned off to cycling or resentful of your pressure.  Certainly, you should encourage the activity and help your child along the way, but you don’t want to push them before they are ready.

There is no clear cut answer as to who invented the bicycle. There is agreement that the modern bicycle was developed in France by father and son Pierre and Ernest Michaux, who invented the modern bicycle pedal and cranks in the year 1861. However there is recent evidence attesting to the possibility that the bicycle in a more rudimentary form existed prior to that year.

One type of pre-bicycle was created by the German Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn. His device was called the “Laufmaschine” meaning “Running Machine.” It could be steered, was made completely out of wood, and the rider pushed his feet against the ground to move forward. This creation was on exhibit in Paris in 1818. An even earlier almost-bicycle called the celerifere was similar, but was not steerable. It was invented in 1790 by the Frenchman Comte Mede de Sivrac.

The first truly efficient bicycle was known as the “Penny Farthing” or the “High” or “Ordinary” bicycle. The first was invented by the English engineer James Starley in 1871. The Penny Farthing was designed with a small back wheel and a large front wheel. The front wheel turned on a simple tubular frame, and the tires of the bicycle were made of rubber.

There are all kinds of activities that kids try as they mature, and some of them are more successful than others. My kids are crazy for mountain bikes, which of course leads to more wrinkles for their parents. Some sports, like soccer or basketball can be the cause of accidents, but are on the whole relatively safe for children. Maybe your kids will develop an interest in those sports, but mine have a jones for mountain biking, something that pushes the envelope a bit more. But we’ve insisted on suitable training and equipment, rather than simply looking for cheap mountain bikes, in the hope of making it a little safer.

In general, the mountain bikes for sale for kids are smaller scale than those made for adults, so they handle more easily. But of course, the number one safety factor is a bike helmet. Not all states have helmet laws, while even in many of those that do they are not mandatory for bikes that are never on the road. That doesn’t imply that helmets are not necessary for safety though. Our kids are well aware that there is no bike riding if a helmet is not worn, as well as other protective items like shin guards, gloves, and jackets. Even without a motor, mountain bikes are perilous if the rider is not adequately protected.

While our children are old enough to learn to ride mountain bikes safely, they are only allowed to ride in the company of adults. They have to stick to areas that we’ve approved and someone in the group has to have a cell phone with them so they can call for help in an emergency. They’re pretty safe riders, avoiding really dangerous maneuvers, but accidents can happen to anyone. And mountain biking lends itself to getting lost if you aren’t being attentive to your surroundings.

If your children show some interest in riding, sign them up for a class or course if you possibly can. Local bike dealers, who often have have reasonably priced mountain bikes for sale, may be able to recommend one, or check with your local recreation center. Mountain biking doesn’t have to be life-threatening; if it was, we wouldn’t let our kids do it.  But you do have to be sure that they follow basic safety rules so that they make the most of their mountain biking experience.
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