Training Wheels

A friend of mine told me about what she did for her two kids and it worked great. She said that when her hubby took the wheels off he also removed the pedals. By doing this it allows the child to kind of scoot around the yard on the bike and learn how to balance. She said that within a week both of her kids had the pedals back on and were riding their bikes without issue. Good luck!!

My daughter learned to ride a two wheeler this past Feb. It took about 6 months of regular practice to get there. I did a few of things that I think worked, 1) made the training wheels high and wobbly, and then later took off one training wheel. (I ran next to her while she rode the bike) 2) got her a scooter, the balance they learn on the scooter is the same they use for the bike 3) got her a very small two wheel bike, It is the smallest size and too little for her, but she felt very safe on it. after she finally got the training wheels off we did lots of stop and goes on the little bike so she could start by herself, then later we got her a bigger bike, Now she rides like a champ.
Good luck

It's ok. I'd just let her enjoy the ride as is. The most important thing of all is that she is having fun right? She will let you know when she's ready to take them off. Last time I checked I did not see too many 10 year olds using train wheels. hehe...she's having fun and that is ALL that matters. If working from home is something you may be interested in, please visit my site at www.HighFiveMoms.com M. :)

WE took training wheels and pedals off our son's (he is 5) bike and let him use it as a "balance bike" with his feet. After 3 days he learned the balance and was ready to have his pedals put back on. It works great. However we tried the same thing with our 3 year old and he was not ready. So with his we raised training wheels 2 " off the ground . They do not even touch the ground when he rides now, yet he does not let us take them off......just not ready. I think she will get it once she is ready.

how old is she? it seems that once kids see their classmates riding without the training wheels, they want to do it too.
My daughter's classmate has been riding without training wheels since he was 3. I asked his mom how she did it, and she said "we took them off. he figured it out!"

So I tried that with my 5 year old daughter. maybe I should have discussed it with her first, because she was very upset with me!

i just bought a second bike off craigslist for $5 that doesn't have training wheels, and now we have one with, and one without. when she wants to give it a try, she can... no pressure. but we won't have to wait a week for my husband to take the training wheels on and off anymore!

also, let her try learning on the grass... and they sell bike riding knee pads that come with bike gloves, at walmart for like $10. then she won't scrape her hands if she falls off.

good luck!!!

I bought my son a Mini Glider Bike (http://pvglider.com/) when he was about 2 1/2. There are no pedals and no training wheels. The kids learn how to balance on a bike on their own, so when they're ready for a "real" bike there is no need for training wheels. My son just turned 3, and he goes so fast on it I have to run when he rides it. And when he picks up enough speed he puts both feet up and balances just fine. Maybe you could try the glider with your daughter and see if she can transition from that to a real bike? The website has video clips of kids riding them, so you can get a better idea for what I'm talking about. Good luck!!

How old is she?

Our son is cautious by nature - his little sister is not.
He'll be 4 in a few weeks, and though he has a few friends on the street that ride without training wheels, he doesn't have the confidence he needs (despite having the skill) to do it on his own.

It was completely the same with walking, going to the pool, going from the street onto the sidewalk on his bike, etc.

Our neighbors used their grassy, slightly declining backyard to help give their son confidence. Even though he couldn't get as much speed in the grass, he was able to get the confidence by falling onto a softer surface if it happened.

Good luck.

Hi J.-

I agree with the other posts about raising the training wheels ever so slightly- maybe only a half inch the first time.

I also wanted to suggest taking your daughter and the bike to your local school playground or an empty parking lot. Some place that has a large flat safe place to ride. It helped my daughters boost their confidence when they weren't concerned about cars, cracks in the sidewalk, curbs, etc.

Another thing that helped my friend's son with his balance was riding a scooter. It helped him learn how far he could lean without tipping over.

Best of luck to you.

still working on this with one of my girls, but what worked for *my* mom when I was learning to ride my bike was to hold on to the back of my bicycle seat to help keep me steady. Then one day when she knew for sure that I was balancing on my own, she let go - imagine my surprise when I turned my bike around and saw her waving at me from the other side of our cul de sac!

Peer pressure! LOL, when her friends are taking off and riding away and leaving her she'll want them off and try her little heart out to follow them. If she's not ready she will hate the bike and not like/enjoy the experience. If you have a BMX track nearby you might take her and let her get interested in that sport. My granddaughters friends all ride and she couldn't get rid of the training wheels fast enough. But she was 6 before she finally got the balance thing down and got rid of them.

Here's a list of the USA BMX Tracks. You become a member of the AMA BMX ($40 a year) and then you can race on any affiliated track in all states. The races need to wear a safety helmet, our track has loaners, long pants and long sleeves and the bikes have to have all the stuff removed that can hurt them in a fall like kick stands and reflectors. There is a local fee of about $10 to race and they can earn points, trophy's, or ribbons. It is now an Olympic sport and many kids and adults are trying it out.

http://www.ababmx.com/index.php?page=tracks

Start off by raising the training wheels so that she will need to learn how to balance. Then we attached a special handle (borrowed from a neighbor so don't know where they got it from) that attaches to the back of the bike that can be used to hold the bike while the child rides (better on the back then holding onto the seat :)). After awhile, you can let go and watch them go! My youngest had a scare last year and wouldn't ride her brand new bike for over a year. She finally decided to ride due to peer pressure but needed a little confidence building. She isn't quite there yet, but we are working on it! Good luck!

Updated

Start off by raising the training wheels so that she will need to learn how to balance. Then we attached a special handle (borrowed from a neighbor so don't know where they got it from) that attaches to the back of the bike that can be used to hold the bike while the child rides (better on the back then holding onto the seat :)). After awhile, you can let go and watch them go! My youngest had a scare last year and wouldn't ride her brand new bike for over a year. She finally decided to ride due to peer pressure but needed a little confidence building. She isn't quite there yet, but we are working on it! Good luck!

We loosened the training wheels so that our daughter could ride her bike and learn to balance on the bike without aid "full time" of the training wheels...you can tell when your kid is ready to have them off when you don't hear them using the training wheels all the time when riding the bike.

You then just have to take them off and have to deal with the falling down part..it will happen...just kind of like, potty training, weening of a baby bottle, etc. you are going to have that week or so that you feel like you should put the wheels back on.

We are waiting for school to be out before we take the training wheels off, but we do believe our daughter is ready...and since she's seen a lot of her friends this year ride thier bike to shcool with no training wheels....she's got that extra peer pressure to really try to ride without the training wheels.

As suggested from one of my friends, I removed the pedals off the bike and let my 5 year old learn to balance and coast. After maybe a month of that, the pedals were put back in place and the moment she got on, she started biking like a pro (and without our help). I have to say, removing the pedals was not easy, but I'm glad I took the time. I recommend this method to everyone. It is especially good for those who, like me, have strained your back helping your child ride the traditional way - running beside them, bent over, holding the child and bike up and balanced. Ouch! Well, hope this was helpful and good luck!

Peer pressure. Take her to the park or somewhere there are other kids riding thier bikes without training wheels. Once she sees other kids riding without training wheels and not falling or getting hurt, she will want to try it.

I have a super-cautious daughter and after she balked and balked at removing the training wheels, I finally just stopped. Her fear was getting in the way of learning, no matter what we did. We took off the wheels and left the bike in the garage. One day in second grade (after I'd given up) she pulled it out and taught herself! I think it's like potty training... kids do it when they are ready.

some kids don't have the balance and coordination until they are 7 or older. When it comes to bike riding you can have a young child ride a 2 wheeler for several years or put an older kid, 6-7 on a bike with no training wheels and they can usually ride right away