Son Afraid to Ride Bike...

[mtbdarby]

I have a 4 yo son that isn't very intersted in riding his bike. He's very interested in my riding gear, and will sit on my trainer, play with my water bottle, etc. So last night as we were talking I casually mention that we should go for a bike ride tonight and I can spend some time helping ride his own bike and he says "oh no. I don't want to ride my bike because I don't want to fall off and get owies like you":eek: So apparently my mother was right (darn it!) and he IS afraid to try and learn to ride because of my accident. I sat down and talked to him that people rarely fall off their bikes, and that sometimes we fall just walking or climbing rocks and it doesn't hurt - we just get up and dust our selves off and try again.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to help him get over his fears? My hand still hurts so I can't pick him up normally yet or wrestle around like normal so he sees that as a reminder still. I feel so bad that he feels this way and I can't share something I enjoy so much with him right now. Thanks for your ideas!

[mimitabby]

get him a trike? I don't know. I am one of those kids who was afraid to ride so i didn't start until i was 9. And NO ONE was going to change my mind.

but once i did get on and started riding, it was great fun.

[makbike]

Do you have a high school nearby? If so, could you take your son and his bike up to the track and ride on it? Maybe if he can ride and you can walk beside him he will feel safe, don't know just a suggestion.

[spazzdog]

Training wheels... the magic "anti-tip" mechanism.

I'm considering putting them back on my bike :D

[spokewench]

Your son may be afraid of your Owies, but he may just be too young!

There is no magical age where you have to ride a bike. Some can ride at 3 some not till 4, 5 or 6 or maybe later. So, don't push him. When he is ready to learn, he will tell you. You can encourage gently, but I wouldnt push it.

I still don't like to swim cause I was pushed (literally) so just give him some time. My parents sent me to some guy who taught swimming to youngsters by putting you in the pool and it was sink or swim. He came from a background of coaching olympic athletes in one of the communist countries so he was not very laid back!

[SouthernBelle]

Perhaps peer pressure. What they won't do for you, they might do for other cyclists in their age group. Perhaps a children only bike riding play date?

[mimitabby]

ask Knottedyet, her kid didn't start riding until he was 13!
:confused:

[mtbdarby]

He is ok riding in the trailer. His bike with training wheels is too small and he will only push with his feet (not pedal). I think I'll take the training wheels off that and put it on the new bike and see if that helps. Unfortunately, there's no other kids in the neighborhood - it's just us. I do plan on inviting my gf over with her kids who are 6 and 8. A little bigger but it may help. Thanks for the suggestions!

[KnottedYet]

Yup, SKnot had bikes from the time he could walk, but wouldn't ride until just this spring.

Whew....

[tulip]

He'll let you know when he's ready.

[mimitabby]

exactly. You can buy him cool bikes, let him hang out with kids that ride, take him places where kids are on bikes. But if you force the issue you're going to make it worse rather than better. Take him to a criterion race.
good luck.

[Nanci]

What if you get him that thing, I don't know what it's called, that goes on the back of your bike? I saw this at our picnic Saturday- that's a happy kid!!


http://tinyurl.com/f28dv

http://tinyurl.com/ly6sd

[Crankin]

Well, I didn't learn to ride until I was almost 10! I had a bike with training wheels when I was 6 or 7 and no matter what my parents did, I couldn't learn to balance. Then, one summer at Cape Cod, my mom rented a coaster bike for me, gave me a push, and off I went (very erratically i remember). But, I rode tons after that. Developmentally, I just wasn't ready.

[DeniseGoldberg]

What if you get him that thing, I don't know what it's called, that goes on the back of your bike? I saw this at our picnic Saturday- that's a happy kid!!

That's a Trail-a-Bike - here's a link to some info on Sheldon Brown's Harris Cyclery site: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/adams-trail-a-bike.html

[KSH]

What if you get him that thing, I don't know what it's called, that goes on the back of your bike? I saw this at our picnic Saturday- that's a happy kid!!


http://tinyurl.com/f28dv

http://tinyurl.com/ly6sd

Oh... I can hear it now... "Mom, I refuse to ride behind you! You have wrecks!". ;)

Kidding, of course.

I don't have kids, so I don't really have any advice. Would it be a good idea to show him how pros wreck all the time and get back on the bike? That might be too rational for a kid that young.

[salsabike]

He'll let you know when he's ready.

+1.

[pooks]

Okay, I read this on another board but I have no idea where so I can't give credit where credit's due. But a guy told how he taught his son to ride a bike -- w/o training wheels.

He took off the training wheels and the pedals and crankshaft, and lowered the seat so the kid could put his feet on the ground. He let him push that around for awhile with his feet.

Then he took him to a parking lot and told him, "I'm going to push you, and you see how far you can roll without putting your feet down."

At first, the kid would put them down and stop himself immediately. (Obviously the goal isn't to push hard!) Then he'd roll a little farther, and a little farther, until the dad could push him and he'd keep his feet up and roll all the way across the parking lot until the bike stopped and he put his feet down.

In other words, he learned to balance/roll ... and after that, it was just a matter of putting the pedals back on and he was off.

Sounded like a good plan to me.

[mimitabby]

Okay, I read this on another board but I have no idea where so I can't give credit where credit's due. But a guy told how he taught his son to ride a bike -- w/o training wheels.

He took off the training wheels and the pedals and crankshaft, and lowered the seat so the kid could put his feet on the ground. He let him push that around for awhile with his feet.

Then he took him to a parking lot and told him, "I'm going to push you, and you see how far you can roll without putting your feet down."

At first, the kid would put them down and stop himself immediately. (Obviously the goal isn't to push hard!) Then he'd roll a little farther, and a little farther, until the dad could push him and he'd keep his feet up and roll all the way across the parking lot until the bike stopped and he put his feet down.

In other words, he learned to balance/roll ... and after that, it was just a matter of putting the pedals back on and he was off.

Sounded like a good plan to me.





you are assuming the child isn't laying on the ground kicking and screaming "I DON"T WANT TOOOO!!!!!!"

[pooks]

Well. There's that. :o

[mtbdarby]

Pooks, they actually sell a bike that adjusts to teach your kid to ride like this which is what I got him for his bday: http://cgi.ebay.com/Kids-Bike-16-Childrens-Bicycle-use-NO-Training-Wheels_W0QQitemZ300008189082QQihZ020QQcategoryZ42315QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My problem is that he doesn't even want to get on this most of the time. If he does feel like getting on it, he doesn't like to pick up his feet and coast (I think that's the fear part). He'll get there eventually - I'm thinking about the trail a bike option - that might make him more comfortable.

[pooks]

Well, give him time! It's all new to him. The trailing bike does sound like a good idea, because it will give him a chance to see how much fun it is to ride!

The 4-year-old I know just moves her feet back and forth which means she's constantly putting on the brake. She hasn't figured out how to go in circles yet! She's also not highly motivated, so they aren't pushing it, figuring she may be more interested in another month or two.

[tulip]

My problem is that he doesn't even want to get on this most of the time. ...

I think you hit the nail on the head. Who's problem is it? If he doesn't want to ride a bike, why force the issue?

Of course, you love him just for being there, just make sure he gets that message loud and clear.