Tips On How To Teach Your Child To Ride a Bike
Picture from: KSH One Utama Roadshow 2019
There are many ways to keep your child active but cycling is definitely one activity parents should consider for their child as most children enjoy zipping around on a bicycle.
However, for most people, the extent of their knowledge when it comes to teaching a child to ride a bike, extends only to using training wheels and riding on grassy areas to soften their child's landing in the event that they have to take a fall.
Although those are methods that have been used by many, it is by far, not the most effective. Check out the tips below for more effective teaching methods.
1. CHOOSE A QUIET PLACE THAT HAS A FLAT TARMACKED SURFACE
Have your child learn how to ride their bicycle at a quiet place so that your child will not get distracted.
It is important to have a flat surface as you would not want your child to speed up too much and lose control of the bicycle when learning how to balance on the bike.
Besides that, there is a misconception about how children should learn how to cycle on grass as the grass can help soften the blow if they do fall. However, cycling on grass will create more resistance compared to cycling on hard surfaces like tarmac. Cycling on grass will make your child exert more effort unnecessarily while learning how to ride a bicycle.
2. GET RID OF THE TRAINING WHEELS
Teaching children how to ride a bike with training wheels is essentially just teaching them to ride a bike with training wheels. Balance is what the child need to learn to eventually ride a bicycle.
3. REMOVE THE PEDALS AND LOWER THE SADDLE
As mentioned in point one, balance is what the child need to learn. Lower the saddle so that your child's legs can reach the ground easily. Remove the pedals too so that when your child's legs are on the ground, the movement of your child's legs will not be hindered by the pedals.
4. MOVE FORWARD BY USING LEGS BEFORE INSTALLING PEDALS AGAIN
Have your child scoot forward using their legs. As they move forward, have them try to balance the bicycle.
Hold your child by the armpits or torso and NOT the bike while helping them to balance, so that your child will learn how the bicycle will react to their own movements.
5. NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD'S SIDE WHILE THEY ARE STILL LEARNING
Do not leave your child's side when they are learning how to ride a bicycle. If they fall and you are not there to catch them, they may be discouraged and not want to continue learning how to ride the bicycle.
Once they are comfortable with balancing, it is time to reattach the pedals if you have not already done so.
Picture from: KSH One Utama Roadshow 2019
If you follow the steps above while teaching your child how to ride a bicycle, your child will be zipping around you confidently on the bicycle in no time. Of course, do remember to choose a bicycle that is of the right size for your child. Check out our selection on our website, or come drop by our stores to check out our children's bicycles when the FMCO is lifted!