Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Riding bike ?

It is so encouraging to hear that my DD7.5 is not the only one still with training wheels. In our area there are little 3 and 4 yr olds zooming around without them and that has DD very embarrassed. (To the point of not wanting to ride because she's embarrassed that they will laugh at her.) We tried the low seat and gliding and it worked for a while, but then we moved and she lost her confidence again. We're hoping to get her back on it again when it cools down some.

Oh, she has also described the injuries she will get if she falls and how much it will hurt, etc etc etc - she is our cautious one.

Question: Do you think it would be better to teach them to ride a bike free of training wheels when they are 4 or 5? I know it depends on personality but just wondering if the younger the better on this.

Gratefulmom,

How awful! I'd be super paranoid too. We live in a hilly neighborhood and though we have a lot of culs-de-sac and we live on one of these; I'm still hesitant to allow DD near the street mainly because we have so many twists and turns in our neighborhood which means a lot of blind spots and this is what I fear.

My DD7 still has training wheels on her bike. She is just to worried about falling too. She does not ride very much so that doesn't help.

Oh... cricket that is soo My DS10
He can detail what he will go though if he falls and fractures a bone...how the recovery period based on the bone fractured will be.

For my DD, what's worked has been waiting until she really wanted to do it, which meant older. (She's cautious, so generally isn't interested in trying something she's far too young for. With the possible exception of driving my car, and I'm putting my foot down there!)

Instead of being a long process with lots of failure, it's a short process with lots of success. Toilet training, reading, tying shoes, riding a bike, now swimming. The initial success sets her up to try harder things, and tolerate more frustration.

I have to add my neighbor's story here. She bought her 5 yr. old his first bike but told him to stay in the yard. Well his little legs weren't strong enough to pedal across the grass. He said, "Mom, take it back to the store. This one's broken". He did finally make it work though.

I just bought my DS4 a balance bike for his birthday. We bought him one called Mini Glider Bike and you can find it on www.kidsbalancebikes.com.

In only 5 or 6 times riding it he is a pro. He even went down some pretty big rough terrain hills while we were camping with it. Based on his quick progress and his balance I don't think he will even use training wheels.

That being said my DS7.5 and my DD6 are still stuck with training wheels and neither one is anywhere close to being ready to ride without them, especially comparing them to my 4 year old.

For those of you with young kids the balance bikes seem to be a great investment. Wish I had know about these when my other children were younger. If you watch you tube videos most kids start on these bike at age 2.

Just wanted to update you all - ds7 and I spent some time yesterday afternoon in the back yard with the bike. The grass slopes down slightly from the edge of the flower bed, so we would sit the bike on the slope, count to 3, then I gave him a slight push, and he would try to pedal. I told him we would go out there every 30 minutes, and he would have 3 attempts each time. The goal was literally the soccer goal on the other side of the yard (about 30 feet). I told him that once he could pedal all the way to the goal, he could be done for the day. He did great !! He got half way to the goal a few times, which really motivated him - and in the end he did make it all the way !! He was very proud of himself :):)

Yay!