Will the training wheels ever come off?

[DrBee]

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!

[CorsairMac]

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??

[Brina]

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.

[DrBee]

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.

[KnottedYet]

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!

[Crankin]

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.

[pkq]

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

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

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

[DrBee]

Well I told fishjr that my friends on TE are rooting for her! She was amazed and got a huge grin on her face 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.

[Blueberry]

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

[DrBee]

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!