Training Wheels Are Not Neccessary

Aaron rides 'The Rockit'.

Me:		"You can do it Aaron, you're a big boy!"
Aaron:		"No, I'm not a big boy."
Me:		"Yes, you are a big boy.
Aaron:		"You are only telling me that to make me happy."

When I began to teach Michaela to ride her bicycle seven years ago, a friend of mine told me about a technique that I had never heard of before. He referred to it as the "The Undersized Bike Approach". Using this technique she was riding on two wheels within seven attempts. I then used this same method with Maya. It took her five attempts. With Isaac it took three tries and with Miryam, five. Over the past few days I've been working with Aaron and he had it down during his second lesson. After successfully using this technique with five of my children, here is my take on The Undersized Bike Approach...

The Bike : How Small Is "Undersized?"

Make sure the child (or adult) is larger than the bicycle that they will be learning on. When they stand with both feet on ground while straddling the bike, there should be some space (1"-2") between their bottom and the seat. You may have to adjust the seat in order to accomplish this.

It is near impossible for a child to learn how to ride a bicycle that is too large for them to handle. This is a common mistake that parents make; one that I made with my first child. It sounds like a good idea to purchase a bike that a child can grow into, however bicycles are not shoes. Consider the professional BMX racers and freestyle riders; they look like giants on the bikes that they ride. A bike is easier to wield around when the rider is bigger than it. When learning how to ride a bike, it is much easier on a smaller bike.

Look how big this guy looks on this BMX Bike!
Brian Patterson (6' 3"), Winner, 1983 Murray World Cup of BMX II 

Maybe you don't want to spend a lot of money on a new 'undersized' bike—get a used one. Go to yard sales or second-hand stores and find a good used one. This bike is temporary and if all goes well, it may only be used for one or two years. I kept the little bike that Isaac learned on and have used it with Miryam and now with Aaron. If it holds up, I may hang on to it for Moses.

Other Options : Balance Bikes, Run Bikes

This Undersized Bike Approach is a common technique used in Europe where riding a bicycle is almost a necessity in some countries. You can now find European 'balance bikes' or 'run bikes' here in the US. These training bikes have been sold in Europe since the 90's and seem to work well, but in my opinion, they are really not necessary and they are too expensive. Here are a couple of examples of the training bikes that are out there today:

The Like-A-Bike 'Midi' Model - $355.00
(Like-A-Bike is the original balance bike for children)

The Norco 'Alloy Run Bike' for Boys - $125.00
(The Girls version is Pink)

Balance Daniel-san! Go Find Balance!

Before a person can ride a bike they need to know how to balance themselves on it (hence the advent of balance bikes). With an undersized bike this can be achieved easily and over a fairly short period of time. First remove the pedals. Yes, remove them; take them off. Not the crank and sprocket, just the pedals. This will allow the person who is learning to sit on the bike and 'walk' it around with their own two feet. They will not need training wheels because their have their own legs to support them when they fall over (Note: until they can balance themselves, they will fall over; over and over again.)

Next, find a nice long, flat surface with a slight grade to practice on (e.g., yard, park, field, sidewalk, street, cul-de-sac etc...). I have used school parking lots when teaching my children especially during the summer months. Most parking lots have a grade to them and schools are typically not in use during the summer.

Keep in mind that younger children will need to build strength in their legs and become familiar with their bike first. When Miryam was learning, I had her ride her bike with the training wheels on (yes, she used training wheels) so she could strengthen her legs. After one complete summer of riding with the training wheels, after her legs were strong enough, I removed the training wheels and the pedals. At first, she didn't like the idea but it didn't take long for her to step up to the balance challenge. I took Aaron's pedals off last year so all last summer he walked his bike up and down the side walk and around the yard. He became very familiar and comfortable with his bike and by the time the weather was right this spring, he was more than ready to begin.

To learn balance, 1) have the child sit on the bike and walk it down the parking lot as fast as they can, building momentum, 2) once they are rolling, have them lift their feet in order to coast down the slight grade 3) allow them to use their feet to keep from falling over. The first few times they may only get a short distance. I tell my kids to "push, push, push and glide". This step requires patience from the parent and a positive attitude. You must continually encourage your child as they try this over and over again. Keep a smile on your face and keep praising them as they try it over and over again. It may take three tries, it may take thirty. It may take one day it may take three months.

Once the child can consistently coast down the length of the parking lot (or field, or sidewalk, or whatever) without assisting with their feet, then the pedals can go back on. Once the pedals are back on the bike (after they have learned to balance) it should only take a few more tries before they are riding the bike on their own.

IMPORTANT: As soon as the child knows how to ride the bike, teach them how to brake, and stop on command!

Building Your Child's Confidence

Here is one of Aaron's first attempts rolling down the parking lot and pedaling:

Every time I've taught a child to ride a bike (I've taught a couple of other children in addition to my own) I have been blessed by seeing the happiness in their eyes because of what they have just accomplished. They have a glow on their face that I wish would stay forever. This is a huge milestone in their young life. It's something that you can bring to mind for the next year or so reminding them of this accomplishment. It may seem like a small thing to you, but to them, this is a major achievement, one that will help build their confidence in their own abilities.

My next bicycle lesson will be in three or four years when Mo is old enough. Until then, I need to keep my other children challenged. Maybe we'll get in-line skates or skateboards...


Related Articles:

Teaching Kids To Ride
by Sheldon "Two Wheeler" Brown
revised May 3, 2010 by John Allen

Training Wheels, Balance Bike or Gyrobike?
The best way to teach kids how to ride a bike.
By Heather Turgeon, June 8, 2010



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