Kids off training wheels.

[light_sabe_r]

My 8yo cousin CH wants to do a triathlon with me and her 11yo sister E.V in October.

One problem: CH only started riding last year and is using training wheels. They don't allow training wheels in a triathlon.

I've promised that next weekend I'm going to take her training wheels off and teach CH how to ride her bike properly.

QUESTION TO ALL YOU MUMS and BIG SISTERS and BIKE COACHES OUT THERE.

How did you get your kids off training wheels???

I'm just going to take the training wheels off and get her used to steering and balance by holding her back up as she rides around on the grass.

Then push her saddle while she rides around and just let go while she's not looking and see if she stays up... That's what mum did to me... Although I crashed into a tree so somehow I don't think that's the BEST of ideas.

TIPS? TRICKS?

ANY help at all will be appreciated. We've got 6 weeks to get her riding 2 wheels so she can compete in her first tri!!!

[Torrilin]

Take the training wheels off. Have her try riding on her own. If she's been depending on the training wheels to correct her balance, she'll fall pretty quickly. Reassure her, then help her find her balance like you described. If she hasn't been depending on the training wheels, you don't need to do anything :D.

[bike4ever]

light_sabe_r

Here are a few suggestions I used with my kids and recommend to my customers:

1. Find a very, gentle sloping, grassy hill. Have the bike set so the ground can be easily reached with both feet. Have CH push off with the feet to practice balance. If the hill is gentle, the bike should just roll down the hill. Remember - gentle hill.

2. Don't hold the child. He/she needs to learn the balance on their own. Once the child is comfy rolling down a hill, go to a baseball field. The ball fields are easy to eventually pedal on and soft enough to land on if they tip over. I always just pushed the child forward by the saddle and encouraged them to pedal.

3. After the child can pedal and roll without falling over, go over the braking process.

4. Always encourage the child to use a helmet. If he/she does tip over, just brush them off and get rolling again.

When kids ask for their training wheels to be removed, they are ready to handle it. Have fun. Take water and be patient.

[cinnamon_toast]

We've had luck with the method bike4ever described in #1. I have an almost 4 year old who promises he's going to try this fall. (His sister started at 3.5.)

[sgtiger]

Not sure if light_sabe_r's 8yo cousin is be too big for one of these, but it might do nicely for younger kids.

http://www.wallabykids.com/

[Eden]

There are some great tips for getting kids off the training wheels here http://www.losethetrainingwheels.org/default.aspx?Lev=2&ID=63
(as well as some great tips for teaching an adult to ride, which is how I came across this site in the first place)