Age-Learning to ride bike

[shootingstar]

I was 11 yrs. old.
I am wee late bloomer 'cause I grew up in an 1-bedroom apartment right in the downtown commercial main street in a a city. Then we moved to a house where there was space to store a bike and practice riding up and down the sidewalk. Also streets for children to bike where there was less traffic.

The park was 1 km. away and it was tiny. But too difficult for young children to walk by themselves to get there 'cause of some major busy traffic intersections.

My father rode a bike as a young child under 10 but I think he forgot and wasn't interested in relearning. Beside no time, no money since he had to support 6 children and wife. He was more focused on getting a car.

[moonfroggy]

i am pretty sure i was at least 7 and younger than 11 but other than that i have no idea when i learned. :confused:

[PamNY]

I don't remember my age -- maybe 8? My bike was too big because it had to last my entire childhood. I used it until high school. It was an aqua Monark and I wish I had it now.

My mom didn't know I wanted it and gave it away. She was very regretful, and never threw away anything of mine after that.

[TrekTheKaty]

When I was about six, my Mom bought me a full size Schwinn. Her theory? I would grow into it! The thing terrified me. I couldn't even jump up onto the seat.

But that is how I was raised--treat her like one of the adults :)

[sgtiger]

A little after turning six. I had training wheels for what seemed like forever. I really wanted to try to ride without them but my dad was hesitant to take them off. This despite the fact that they were coming loose and weren't even engaged a third of the time. Then I saw my one of my friends who was just a couple weeks shy of his 5th birthday start to ride without his training wheels and that was it. I was going to take them off myself if I had to! I got out the wrench and was in the processing of getting the first one off when my dad caught me. I think he figured if I was that determined, he'd help get them off but he gave me the dad lecture that if I hurt myself he wasn't to blame. I did alright. I think I only fell a couple of times with minor scrapes.

[PamNY]

I would grow into it!

That was my parents' idea, too. And sure enough, we did grow, didn't we? I had only gravel to ride on, so it was a treat to discover sidewalks when we moved to another town.

[shootingstar]

First bike was shared with 4 other sisters. And I am the oldest. So the bike was abit too big for me. Brother had his own bike to learn later on. I don't think he asked for it, my parents just had this gender-split, biased mind-set.

You can imagine it was WAY too big for younger sisters. It had no training wheels. We helped each other learn to ride a bike.

This meant falling abit against a tree lining someone's lawn. :eek: Ouch!

[sempronialou]

I got a pink Huffy bike complete with a banana seat for my 7th birthday. I never had training wheels. My parents, my brother, and most of the neighborhood helped me to learn how to stay upright. It didn't take me too long before I was riding on my own. By 11 or 12, I was on a Schwinn 10-speed bike (I guess it'd be called a road bike now days). It was mint green, nice little bike. It'd probably still fit me now since I didn't grow much after that. I wish I still had it.

[Catrin]

I was 50 years old when I first tossed a leg over a bike - a mere 9.5 months ago! It would, no doubt, have been much easier if I had learned as a child, but it is pretty cool to watch people's expression when they ask me how long I've been riding :D

[shootingstar]

Yay, Catrin! You just might learn as the oldest learner. Real child at heart. ;)

You've come a long way "baby"! :D

I love it, sgtiger. I can imagine you wielding that wrench as a kid!

[zoom-zoom]

I said 5-6, but maybe I was younger. The first bike I really remember when I was maybe kindergarten or 1st grade. That was the bike that I started with training wheels and pretty quickly transitioned to no assistance.

But I didn't start riding seriously and with any regularity until last Nov., when I got my first road bike...at the tender age of 36. Now they can have my bike when they tear it outta my cold, dead hands! :D

[Miranda]

I think it was before I turned 7yo.

I just remember it was the neighbor's yard sprinkler that got me to keep my balance on two wheels lol. I didn't want to get wet, so somehow I kept pedaling, vs. falling over.

Then 20+yr break after I got my driver's license. I had forgotten how freeing riding a bike could be.

:)

[marni]

I learned on a borrowed bike in order to commute to graduate school in California although I have vague memories of possibly being exposed as a very young child, kindergarten perhaps, with training wheels.

[Roadtrip]

Like Catrin, I was older when I got my first bike, which was just this past June... I am 35!!!

Shannon

[Biciclista]

as a 6 or 7 year old, i was put on a little bike with training wheels. A grownup would push it and let go. I was absolutely terrified and after that experience, I had no interest at all in cycling. When i was 9 my father bought me a 24" wheel bike. He got on it and rode in a circle. he gave it to me.. I did the same. I was riding! just like that!

[stella2]

I was 51 when I first got on a bike 3 weeks ago. It's going pretty well now, so I have a grin practically welded onto my face!

[Biciclista]

I was 51 when I first got on a bike 3 weeks ago. It's going pretty well now, so I have a grin practically welded onto my face!

amazing! (I had no idea how many women didn't learn to ride as children)

[shootingstar]

I was 51 when I first got on a bike 3 weeks ago. It's going pretty well now, so I have a grin practically welded onto my face!

Fabulous! let us know of your adventures from time to time.

Over the years, a few women at mid-life, have remarked to me in the workplace, how much they want to learn to bike. They sense it will give them greater flexibility and freedom. Some of these women do not drive.

[stella2]

My antics tend to be outlined on the New Riders section. There are several of us mature newbie's on there and I have just generated a Newbie weekly achievements thread. :)

[hebe]

44 and learning here.

[uforgot]

Does riding a tricycle on two wheels count? I wanted a bicycle sooooooooo bad. My parents had rules, first bicycle at 10. Only one tricycle so it was a huge one. From the time I was 7 until I was 10 I tilted it and rode it on 2 wheels, I could go up the road turn around and come back and that third wheel never hit the ground. Did I get my bike early? Not a chance. My parents rules were ironclad. Then when I did get my bicycle, I wasn't allowed to choose it, my dad did. I had all of these rules with it...blah blah blah, but when I got on that bike? Oh man, did I love it! I always had a bike from then on. I had (and rode) that particular bike (Sears JC Higgins) until I was 24 and then I picked my own bike.

[tulip]

I don't remember when I learned to ride a bike. I must have been about 4, because I do remember riding a bike in the street when I was about that age. I moved alot when I was growing up, and this memory is on the street I lived on when I was 4 and 5 years old. By the time I was 6, we had moved again. And I know I was riding a Schwinn Stingray with a pink and green banana seat and streamers when I was 6.

[moonfroggy]

this has been bugging me since i first saw the post. i am almost certain i was 7. i got the bike for Christmas and taught myself. had no training wheels. no one was around to teach me. then i lost it because it had not been assembled properly and started falling apart a few miles from home. i walked home. i think i got another bike was i was 12 but no one knew how to take care of a bike or show me stuff like inflating tires. then got a bike when i was 22 and have had one ever since.

[IFjane]

I was four and remember having training wheels. I was terrified to take them off but then the neighbor boy across the street started teasing me. I hated for him to be better at anything than I, so I had Dad take my training wheels off. I think I fell a few times but then stayed upright and have been riding ever since - with a couple breaks here and there. I commuted to school (1 mile each way) every day from Kindergarten through grade 6...and to piano lessons....and to the store....and the swimming pool....and my girlfriend Carol's house....I lived on my bike throughout my childhood. :):)

[Bike Chick]

I was 51 when I first got on a bike 3 weeks ago. It's going pretty well now, so I have a grin practically welded onto my face!

That's just amazing! Good for you. I had just taken it for granted that everyone learned to ride a bike as a kid like I did--training wheels at first then dad takes them off and runs behind you and lets go when you don't know it! I was 5 or 6 when I learned to ride a bike. The bike was dark blue. Now I'm really going to show my age--my dad worked for the USPS and they were just beginning to use zip codes and I had these little zip code stickers with that little zippy guy on them stuck to the fenders. It's funny what you remember.

[Zen]

UFogot-you hot dog you!
That's so funny :)

[runningcyclist]

I learnt to ride just over 5 years ago when I was 42. Started commuting to work 2 years ago and am on my 3rd bike and bought a road bike 3 weeks ago. Not ridden it yet as it's my 'best' bike, but I have an old frame I'll be building up (with lots of help!) that I want to use during the winter. I ride in all weathers. Would be rude not to given that, as a runner, I run in all weathers!

[shootingstar]

Never expected the number of women (though still small), here who have recently learned to bike. Kudos to you all!

In Denmark, bike riding skills are mandatory and part of school curriculum for children starting at 6 which jives with alot of folks here at least learned to bike by 6 or ..it was deemed to be appropriate by parents to start around that age.

[sarahspins]

I was one week over 4 when I learned to ride without training wheels... I did it the day after my sister (almost 6) did :) I only vaugely remember this.. or riding with training wheels. There was no "learning" - I just decided to DO it one day, and I did.

My oldest kid, he was riding without training wheels at 3 years and 4 months. I wish I was joking/exaggerating, but I'm really not.. we had taken the training wheels off his bike to discourage him riding in the house, and it wasn't but 2 days later that he completely TOOK OFF riding on his bike pushing the pedals.. we were shocked.

There are no sidewalks or anything where we live.. he actually learned to ride inside! he was able to ride in the grass right away though, we just hadn't really tried it much because it wasn't easy with the training wheels.

My younger two have had the advantage of balance bikes.. so they learned to balance/glide from an early age. My 5 year old *can* ride with pedals, but she is absolutely terrified of it and refuses to do it. My 3 year old.. honestly if we could FIND a bike tiny enough with pedals he'd probably be riding without training wheels... but he'd need a bike with 10" wheels (he is TINY.. 12" bikes are too big) and those are few and far between :(

[JuneHawk]

I would love to vote but I honest to goodness don't know! I don't remember anyone teaching teaching me how to ride a bike. My earliest bike memory, and it's iffy, is from when I was about 5 or 6 and I just remember falling. Next thing I remember is just riding when I was 11 or so. It's so strange. Then I didn't ride again until I was 20. I rode once and then not again until recently.

[lph]

Whoa! Denmark is cool!

Okay, that sounded a little dorky, but still...

No. Denmark IS cool. :) At least to a cyclist it is. They do a lot of things right.

[Koronin]

I voted 5-6 however, I am not really sure. I actually think it was more like 4-5. I know I had a tricycle before I was 3 as I had it before my sisters were born, as I turned 3 a couple of months before they were born. I had a bicycle with training wheels definitely by the time I was 4. But I cannot for anything remember when the training wheels were taken off. I can tell you where all my bikes as a child came from. Actually the same bike shop we just bought my mountain bike at. Who'd thought I'd buy a bike while visiting my parents in Ohio, while I live in NC. LOL The owner is the 3rd generation of the family to own and run that bike shop. I remember riding a lot as a child, actually through at least Jr High school age. I think it's around that time I started having a hard time finding bikes that would fit me properly, which has continued to this day.

[colorisnt]

Well, I was about 3 learning with training wheels. I was always on a bike for about my entire childhood/teenage years.

My parents didn't let me have a car, so my bike let me go everywhere.

I even rode to my first job grooming for a saddlebred trainer. It was about 4 miles each way, but it didn't matter. I just loved going out to the horses!

[cervelogirl]

I never even used training wheels!!!
Learned when I was 4 or 5, with my parents hanging on to the back saddle, first on the grass in the back yard, then the roads. One day they let go of the saddle and I was riding all by myself...and then I fell haha. I've loved riding ever since, and 20 year later I still fall! Got a nice big road rash on my arm to prove it...oops

[buffybike]

5 or 6 without training wheels. I rode my Big Wheel (remember those??!) earlier than that, I think. My dad taught me to ride by holding onto the back of the bike, running with me a bit, then letting go. I LOVED MY BIKE! Used to pretend that my Big Wheels was my "sports car" and my 2 wheel bike was my "station wagon" (like my mom's). I rode all the time until I was old enough to drive a car, and then I barely rode again until a year and a half ago. Now, I'm sad that I missed all those years...but grateful that I've rediscovered the joy of riding. Now, I'm trying to teach my 6 year old to ride without training wheels, to no avail. She's just not ready.

[moonfroggy]

buffybike for teaching your six year old have you tried lowering the seat a lot and removing the pedals so she can coast with two wheels? it is supposed to be a really good way to learn to balance on two wheels and then once that is down add pedals back and it is pretty easy to learn to pedal once the balancing is figured out.