January 24, 20251 yr Take the pedals off the bike Apparently if you want to teach kids how to ride a bike you're supposed to take the pedals off first, and now my mind will never be the same again. https://www.fortressofdoors.com/take-the-pedals-off-the-bike/
January 24, 20251 yr My son got a wooden balance bike when he was about 4, no pedals he just pushed himself, he was going full length of hall in no time with a push from me. He got a Halfords kids bike at 5 and was off in literally seconds, once they've got the balance it's easy for them! Downside is they're hands are too small to work the brakes...expensive on the trainers front..
January 24, 20251 yr My son got a wooden balance bike when he was about 4, no pedals he just pushed himself, he was going full length of hall in no time with a push from me. He got a Halfords kids bike at 5 and was off in literally seconds, once they've got the balance it's easy for them! Downside is they're hands are too small to work the brakes...expensive on the trainers front.. Back in the 1980s, my sons had to learn to ride without the benefit of those balance bikes which I don't think were being produced. The balance bikes are really marvellous. Two of them found it a struggle with heavy steel kids bikes with poor gearing, and the other one just got on and took off on the bike which he rode helter skelter down the street into a bus shelter. That stopped the little smart ar se! He was three. My grandchildren have all had those wooden balance bikes and they really make quick progress. No need for the daft side wheels either. They ride instinctively and it is a far better idea. Taking off the pedals on an ordinary bike is a great idea. Wish I'd thought of that. The other bummer for small kids is the massive weight of many of these tiny bikes in relation to the rider's size and power. They are made cheaply of terrible stuff in the main I think. This is why so often you see hassled parents carrying a heavy steel bike and dragging a whinging youngster behind them.
January 24, 20251 yr I bought my children big scooters with two rim brakes and inflatable tyres. Transition to bikes was very smooth.
January 24, 20251 yr This was first his bike was this from Halfords, you're right in that it weighed a ton and no way a kid that young can grab the brakes! We were in Halfords and he spotted in on ground and went over, sat on a tried to pedal it away! He got it as was his b'day in a cpl weeks.
January 24, 20251 yr This was first his bike was this from Halfords, you're right in that it weighed a ton and no way a kid that young can grab the brakes! We were in Halfords and he spotted in on ground and went over, sat on a tried to pedal it away! He got it as was his b'day in a cpl weeks. [ATTACH=full]61884[/ATTACH] Happy days. Treasure those milestones. Quite soon he will be off on his own making his own life and you will wonder where the years went.
January 25, 20251 yr He's nearly 16 and I am sh1ting it he too disappears at age of 17/18 like my daughter did to Oz and son did to Cambridge.
January 26, 20251 yr I taught two of the grandchildren (the two who live with us) by taking the pedals and chain off, and putting them back on when they'd learnt to balance. Much better than "training wheels", in my opinion.
January 27, 20251 yr I was of the opinion that those balance bikes were a gimmick another modern parents thing. My grandson had one and then on his birthday he had a pedal bike which he just got on and pedalled off if it wasn't for the phone video I would not have believed it. More proof we need to keep an open mind as we get older.
January 27, 20251 yr Most of them are wooden, light and have low centre of gravity so young kids don't struggle the weight.
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