Will the training wheels ever come off?

I'm still working on getting my daughter to let me remove the training wheels off her bike. She was riding so fast today, I had to jog to keep up with her. Granted - I had just gotten back from a ride, but still. She's balancing off of those noisy training wheels about half the time. I had her convinced and then.... she crashed. Knocked the handlebars out of whack and everything. Minor cut on the knee, had to untangle her from the bike, tears, but after a drink out of her water bottle and a garfield band-aid - she's all better. I think it'll be a bit longer before the training wheels come off. The helmet saved her head, though!

I'm guessing she'll want them off herself before too long. Especially when her friends start riding without training wheels.

So.....next time I crash - can I borrow them?? oh...and does the Garfield band-aid come with them?? ;)

I went through the same thing with one of my twins. One was riding without his training wheels at about 4.5. The other was desperately clinging to his, even though I had them so far off the ground he was off them 90% of the time. Finally, with a bit of pushing I got him off the wheels about 2 months before he turned 6.

The wind was blowing so hard today - training wheels would've been nice. I kept getting blown sideways.

Gotta love those Garfield bandaids.

I have the training wheels on the next to highest notch. I'm going to move them up all the way next time. I night not tell her that, though ;) Too bad it's going to rain tomorrow. She's such a trooper that she rode the bike back to the house, crooked handlebars and all.

I took off my son's training wheels at 6, when he was riding really well. He wobbled, and refused to ride a bike again until about a month ago. He's 13 now. His rejection of biking has been a huge source of dismay for me.

Don't take off the training wheels until the kiddo asks you to, or you could end up suffering like I did!

I didn't learn to ride without training wheels until i was almost 10 !!! I had a nice bike when I was 6 or 7, but I guess i had awful balance even then. My parents gave up, until I was going into 5th grade and peer pressure took over. My mom rented a bike for me at Cape Cod and ran behind me with her hand on the seat until i was going without her help. They didn't see me too much after that.

I'm not going to take them off until she lets me. I'll take your advice and not urge her too much. The last time she fell it took her a week of riding around in the driveway for her to get her confidence back up. We're taking it slow. I realize she's only 4.

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Originally Posted by fishdr

I realize she's only 4.

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Patience Mom!

My kids all learned at different ages (boy 4, girls 6, AND 5). Only the middle one used training wheels for more than a few days. She is my least coordinated kid.

I found that by putting them on a tiny bike- the ones with 12" wheels, and so that both feet touch the ground while seated gave them the confidence to ride, knowing they could put their feet down at any time. For my middle daughter I talked her into taking off ONE at a time.

My youngest (she is now 11 and the one for whom I just bought a Trek) insisted I take them off. She had me run beside her twice, than asked me to go inside. We live on a dead end and put cones in the street so the kids can ride safely. Darned if that little one didn't teach herself how to ride!

Once they were riding we put them on a bigger bike.

They need to find their confidence. Give her a chance to find hers again.

I borrowed a 2nd bike from a friend so my son wouldn't have to see the training wheels come off of his bike. It was a little bike that he could just use his feet to "scoot" around on. The guy at my LBS taught me this - he said they use this technique for teaching adults how to ride, too. So, they scoot around using their feet on the bike and you can put them somewhere where there's a gradual slope and they can scoot down it and they gain confidence very quickly. Remember though that balance is developmental and some kids don't achieve it for awhile. My son was 6 before we even tried it (he's 10 and still wobbly but he LOVES to ride), but he caught on in a couple of days.

Good luck! My 3 year old just got her first 2 wheeler for Easter - part of the next TE generation.:)

Both of my boys learned to ride the same day... I had gotten them each a bike w/training wheels but although the bikes were the right size for them, the couldn't touch the ground with both feet while seated. Well, my little one wanted the training wheels off of his bike; then got nervous about trying it... in the meantime, my older one hopped on that bike and just started riding like he'd done if for years! So, okay, we went and got a smaller bike for my 4 year old and he did the exact same thing. I guess something about being able to touch the ground with both feet gave both of them the courage to just go for it? Now they are both great riders and are almost up to riding on the originally purchased bikes! AND, I guess we'll end up w/ a little one as an extra for visitors!

Your daughter will want them off eventually; be patient and she'll let you know when!

Tracy

What's the rush? She'll let you know when she's ready.

I'm not really rushing this, we've been working on this for a year now off and on. The bike has 16" wheels, but she's very long legged and can touch the ground just fine. I moved the seat all the way down so that she could feel extra safe. She's always done everything very early and is really quite coordinated and agile. I guess this is why it frustrates me. She was doing sooo well and then the crash. Good news - she said tonight that she wants to go ride tomorrow and is showing everyone her "booboo" like it's a badge of honor. Too bad it's going to be pouring all day. I won't take the training wheels off until she asks me to - don't worry about that. She says that her favorite exercise is riding her bike and someday she wants to enter a race. Oh my - from crashing with training wheels to riding in a race. I am so looking forward to watching her develop her love for cycling!

It really is different for different kids. I've done a bit of work in nursery schools, where I've seen two-year-olds pelting around on two-wheelers at mach speed (a pretty impressive sight - makes me go :D, untill they wet their pants because they were having too much fun to go inside... :rolleyes: ) and almost-fives who don't even understand the concept of turning the pedals on a super-stable trike. You can explain physical things until you're blue in the face, but they seldom "get it" until they've done it for themselves (I'm still like that :p). Muscle memory, I guess. The best thing you can do is be patient, be encouraging and make fish jr. feel safe. You'll enjoy the "aha" moment almost as much as her. Your girl sounds like a trooper; I'm sure she'll get there. :)

fishdr, sure am glad you are working with your daughter on riding. Hopefully in 18 years we'll read of her cycling achievements.

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Originally Posted by CorsairMac

So.....next time I crash - can I borrow them?? oh...and does the Garfield band-aid come with them?? ;)

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Mac, I'll send you my Spiderman bandaids cause I've been wanting some Taz ones. :D

Well I told fishjr that my friends on TE are rooting for her! She was amazed and got a huge grin on her face :D She wants to ride really badly today! It's pouring outside - so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I've tried to make the cut and bruises to be a badge of honor. I told her it's all part of riding a bike. Crashes are inevitable. This whole incident has certainly reinforced for her how important that helmet is. She has a friend (older - age 9) that flew over her handlebars last week without a helmet and still can't remember the crash. She was cut up really badly and had a swollen jaw and very likely a concussion. None of the kids around here wear helmets. Mine do and will. They see mom and dad do it, so to them it's totally normal.

fishdr-

Good for you on the helmets! Peer pressure can be hard...I was the first in my family to cycle and the 'rents *wouldn't buy* me a helmet (and I wasn't in a position to go get one...). Soon as I hit college and had my own $, bought a new bike and a new helmet...

Good luck on the training wheels - I think there's just an "aha" moment one day for most kids:) She'll get there:)

CA

She went out for a ride this afternoon - rode nearly a mile and at a good speed (with training wheels at middle notch - I didn't move them afterall) and ... drumroll...no crash! She was singing and ringing her bell the whole time. :) Now that I'm using bikejournal - she insists on using my old paper journal to keep a record for her rides. I couldn't be more proud!:D :D :D