Age-Learning to ride bike

[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.

[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.