How to Teach Children to Ride a Bike

Learning to ride a bike is an important milestone for children all over the world, and the task of teaching to ride is just as important for parents or adults. You may have learned to ride in the past by attaching extra wheels to the sides, but experts recommend removing the pedals and practicing balance as you glide. Regardless of which teaching method you choose, remember that it is your job to guide, not hold or push them away; Encourage them instead of scaring them. Make it fun and treat your baby (and yourself) with ice cream!

Table of Contents

Equip your child and the car

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Start teaching your child to drive when he is physically and mentally ready. Some children have the balance and other skills to drive a car by age 4, but the average is 6 years old. But everyone is different, so you should wait until your baby is strong enough to balance on the bike. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Some babies take longer to be mentally ready, and this is normal. Don’t pressure your child, but encourage him, and start teaching at the right time.

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Use a bicycle that is within range so that your child can support his feet on the ground. For children about 5 years old, bicycles with wheel size 36-41cm are most suitable. When the baby is sitting in the saddle and legs crossed, the feet should be straight and close to the ground. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Using a bicycle that is too big or too small makes children slow to ride.

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Remove the pedals from the vehicle. This may sound strange at first, but without the pedals, the child will focus on his ability to keep his balance while the car glides. Your baby will only use his feet to push the car away and stop it. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Usually you just need to use a wrench to remove the pedals, but follow the bike manufacturer’s instructions.
You can also purchase “balance” bikes designed without pedals, but this is an unnecessary expense.

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Practice driving with the extra wheel if absolutely necessary, but should be limited. When you add extra wheels, kids will initially learn easy skills like riding, turning, and braking. But the hardest part is keeping the balance, which will suddenly appear in the final stage. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you teach your baby to balance first, the other skills will be easy to learn later.
However, if you really like using extra wheels, don’t use them for more than a week or two. Otherwise, your child will get used to driving that he or she will have to forget in order to be able to ride without the extra wheel.

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Choose a large, flat, asphalt or concrete surface. Sidewalks and roadways are full of potential sources of distractions and hazards. You should look for an empty parking lot with a flat surface. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Flat grassland looks appealing because it provides a soft cushion when falling, but it will be difficult for children to push the cart across the grass – whether by foot or pedal. The grassland surface is also much more bumpy than the parking lot.

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Wear a well-fitting helmet and use other safety gear. Choose helmets designed for bicycles and suitable for children’s heads. Hats should fit snugly and the distance from the baby’s eyebrows to the front brim of the hat should be no wider than two fingers. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You should also use knee and elbow protectors for children. Cycling gloves can help prevent scratches from falls.

Start with balancing skills

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Lower the saddle slightly so your child can push his feet on the ground. When driving normally, you should adjust the saddle high enough so that your legs can straighten when the feet are flat on the ground. However, when the child is learning to ride with a bike without pedals, the knees should be a little slack. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Usually you will use a wrench to adjust the saddle height, but some vehicles use a key to quickly remove the saddle.

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Hold the baby (don’t hold the car) but don’t be too tight. Place your hand on your baby’s shoulder, back, or neck, but don’t squeeze. If your baby needs a firmer hold, place your hands under her armpits. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Your goal is to keep your baby’s body stable, not to straighten or push him away.
Support the baby instead of holding the handlebars or saddle.

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Let your baby push the stroller around on his own and just hold him gently. Instruct your child to push the stroller forward with both feet. At first the car will run very wobbly so you have to keep the baby’s body in a balanced position. Let your child adjust the steering wheel to get used to handling the car while running. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Hold your baby and help him step out of the car when he is about to fall, instead of trying to keep him in the car. If you’re trying to keep your child in the car, you’re just working for the extra wheel.
Once your child has gotten used to pushing the stroller, ask him or her to stop the bike with his feet when the car starts to slow down.

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Instruct your baby to look forward, not down. Our instinct when learning to drive is to look at the steering wheel or the wheel first, and then perhaps the pedals. Tell your child to look ahead while the car is moving. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you have a second person to assist, ask them to stand in front of and away from the car to capture the baby’s attention while the car is moving. Have your child look at that person.

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Reattach the pedals and reset the saddle to the correct position. After your child is able to balance on foot thrust, she’s ready to pedal. Reassemble the pedals according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and raise the saddle so that your baby’s legs can be straightened when the feet are flat on the ground. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Teach your baby to pedal

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Let your child know the “starting position” for cycling. Turn the pedals so that one side is higher and slightly in front of the other. When standing to the side of the car to look (front wheel is on your left), the two pedals will be located approximately at 4 o’clock and 10 o’clock. ^{[12] X Research Source}

If your child is right-handed, the right pedal will be first and vice versa.

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Let the baby create the force of inertia forward. While holding your baby but not gripping too tightly, ask him to put his dominant foot on the pedal first. Ask your child to step on the pedal, and at the same time lift the other foot and place it on the other pedal. Remind your child to control the steering wheel and look ahead while the car is moving. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Don’t push a baby or push a cart to “get the momentum going”. Guide your child to ride the bike until he can generate forward momentum on his own.

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Reduce holding force but still follow the side of the vehicle. When the baby first learns to pedal, the baby will not be able to sustain it for long, but eventually the bike can still maintain a forward motion. When the ability to pedal is better, you gradually reduce the holding force but still run along the side of the bike, right behind the baby. ^{[14] X Research Source}

As before, hold your baby and help him get out of the car when the car is about to fall, instead of keeping him in the car.

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Teach your baby how to turn the steering wheel and stop. Practice adjusting your balance while turning the steering wheel, both before and while the vehicle is in motion. If your child turns the steering wheel too hard and starts to fall, help him down to try again. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Similarly, practice using the brakes—whether foot or handbrake—both before and while the vehicle is in motion.

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Run close to the car until the child is confident to ride alone. Some kids want you to stay away and run fast, while others feel reassured when you’re around, even after they’ve ridden their bike well. You should act as a source of encouragement, not a pole to keep your baby from falling. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Your child will fall a few times and you have to accept it. Even if your child is able to drive on his own without you around, he still won’t be able to avoid falling at some point. If the road is flat, you should let your child run slowly, and most importantly, wear protective clothing, then the risk of serious injury will be very small. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Check that your baby is okay, but don’t overdo it like comforting or comforting.
You might say “Oh! Are you okay? It doesn’t seem to be a problem, get in the car and try again – you’re doing great!”
You should understand that people can fall, but getting up will be a lesson in driving and also in life!

See driving lessons as entertainment

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End the session when the activity is no longer fun. Some children will learn to ride in just an hour, but others need to go through many lessons. If your child loses confidence or interest in learning, you can pause and resume teaching another time during the day or the next day. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Some kids are eager to practice driving for hours until they can run, but generally you should plan many lessons, each session lasting 30 minutes to 1 hour.

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Don’t set unreasonable deadlines or apply unnecessary pressure. Help your child learn to drive at a speed suitable for them. Trying to force or embarrass a child to learn to drive faster can turn him away from the idea of learning to drive. Don’t say things like: ^{[19] X Research Sources}

“All my friends know how to drive, so I need to learn too.”
“My sister knows how to drive after just an hour, so I can do it too.”
“We’ll practice out there all day until you know how to ride.”
“You want to be an adult, right? To be an adult, you must know how to ride a bicycle.”

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Stay positive and encouraging. Learning to ride a bike should be a leisure activity. You should praise your child every time he makes progress, and run to help him up every time he falls or has trouble. Say something like: ^{[20] X Research Source}

“That’s how to keep the car steady — you did a good job!”
“Oh, that push was good, the car went very far – just aim straight ahead and run!”
“You managed to avoid that fall well just now. Next time, don’t turn the steering wheel too hard.”
“We will soon be able to ride bikes to the ice cream parlor!”

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Let someone else teach your child to drive if needed. Some children learn better with teachers other than their parents. If your child is close to a relative or neighbor, you can ask them to teach you if they agree. ^{[21] X Research Source}

This does not matter because the purpose is for your child to know how to drive. Then you and your mother can go cycling together!

Advice

Don’t force your child to learn to ride a bike if he doesn’t want to. If they don’t like it, they won’t be able to learn no matter how hard you try.
Instead of removing the pedals, you can buy a practice bike. This is a lightweight bike with no pedals to get in the way. Children will use it to learn how to balance while pushing the cart, and very young children can use it too. When your child is ready, you can let him practice with a regular bike.

Warning

Make sure the brakes are in good working order and the wheels are in good condition.
Always ask your child to wear a helmet when riding a bike.

Things you need

Right size bike
Helmet
Knee and elbow protectors
Driving Gloves
Patience and cheerful attitude!

Steps