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.