[Closed] 5 year old won't even try to take training wheels off.

All kids are different, and will go at their own pace.

I'd say just relax, keep cycling with the training wheels on (it's all cycling, and you really don't want to put her off) and she'll want them off in her own time, especially when she sees her mates without...

My daughter was the same, she was nervous, even with stabilisers, but we didn't push it. Her old bike was getting too small, so we said we'd only get her a new bike if she learned to ride. An hour later it was all done and she got a Pinnacle Ash for her 7th birthday.
I honestly wouldn't worry about it, but I would say don't push it and don't even hint at disappointment, otherwise all bets will be off.

Is the saddle lowered? You need to have the saddle low enough that she can get both feet flat on the ground. Then she can securely scoot about on the bike and get used to the feeling of balancing the weight, without the training wheels.
Once she's scooting without the stabilisers, encourage her to lift her feet and glide for longer distances. Finally you can reintroduce the pedals, one at a time if necessary. Scoot with a foot on one pedal, then gliding, fit the other pedal, then getting both feet on the pedals while gliding and finally pedalling.
If she needs some assistance to get going, just give a wee push under the saddle from behind, but avoid holding her up, which will interfere with acquiring balance.
Keep it fun and don't rush things. She'll get there when she is ready!

I proudly taught my two eldest to ride quickly and easily, I thought I was a parenting boss. Then my youngest tried and I (very genuinely) thought he had some sort of cycling dyslexia. I posted on here, was suitable told off and advised to get over myself. I did and then, one day, it just clicked for him.

Don't make a big deal out of it. It will happen when she is ready.

They’re all different (sometimes determinedly so). If you can find a safe bit of gently sloping grass try sending her down that so she doesn’t have to peddle and can use the bike as a balance bike. I’ve got three kids they all had the same bikes and learnt in completely different ways but get to the same place (eventually).

franksinatra sums it up ....

It won't happen until THEY want it to happen.
However much YOU want it makes no difference at that age.

Mine had a crappy BSO with stabilisers, and showed no interest in biking at all and I'd given up.
The one day, a couple of weeks after he started school he came home and asked if he could ride without stabilisers would I buy him a proper bike.

I got the rusted on stabilisers off which took way longer than him getting on and pedalling down the cul-de-sac and turning round and coming back. I didn't even get to capture that moment

If I was to say what I learned ...
1/ Giving up trying to get him into it was positive in the long run, when he was ready he just did it
2/ Riding a scooter he'd got balance and leaning in turns
3) It starts costing a lot of money after 😀

My limited experience with 5 year olds (two kids now 9 and 12) and teaching them to ride is that at 5 years old a week is a lifetime, even a day is a significant portion of their lives. Just keep working on building their confidence at their pace. It could all change tomorrow.
Also sibling/peer rivalry helps. If they see other kids dong it, they will be more motivated.
However your job is to keep them calm and confident. I'd be tempted to promise you are never going to ask to take them off again, and keep saying come on, lets go for a ride.

New bike with no training wheels worked for my eldest, excitement of one exceeded fear of the other.

Maybe they just don't like bikes. Have you had a DNA test? 😃

My daughter was kind of the same, she didn't learn to ride properly until she was seven as I was a b******* and wouldn't let her have training wheels. While I feel a bit bad, when she finally decided she wanted to learn as her younger brother could ride it only took a few goes and she was done, using her 20" wheel bike with no pedals like a balance bike to start.

Her brother on the other hand went from a balance bike to riding when I wasn't looking, jumping on an older boys pedal bike and he was off. I turned around and there he was pedalling the (far too large) bike down the street with me chasing after him like that bloke with the dog. 'Felix!! FELIX!!!'

They're all different as said.

fadda covers it

If you can find a safe bit of gently sloping grass try sending her down that so she doesn’t have to peddle and can use the bike as a balance bike.

I did this with my eldest (outside the FC centre at Loch Morlich for those that know). It went brilliantly. The only fly in the ointment was when he sent our youngest flying at the bottom of the slope when she showed too much interest.

You could try taking the stabilisers off, then put a long scarf around their chest under the arms with ends and held behind their back and above their shoulders.

Allows them to wobble but you can give enough support to stop a fall. The theory being the child can feel the balance without fear of falling. Did it with our child and friends have had success this way too.

take the training wheels off or it's no pudding. obvs

Forget 5 year olds. How do I get my MiL to learn to ride a bike?? Tempted to make a balance bike from parts bin!

I had the same thing with my daughter. She wanted to learn to keep up with her friends but really struggled. It turned out being a biking mad dad probably didn't help with establishing expectations and she (and I) got into a total rut with learning - tears, the whole thing.

I quickly learned to get over myself and go at her pace, making sure to praise every little step, console with every scary moment / crash and realise that learning for her was just short sharp bursts, then sitting around thinking about it for a long time!

It turns out that was the key; go at their pace, do what they feel comfortable with, check out your own expectations, and make sure you as the teacher are shining a light instead of casting a shadow. Ultimately it just clicked early one Saturday morning, and I managed to get the footage recorded. Honestly, it was totally magic, and i'll never forget the look of pride on her face 🙂

My niece just says "she's not that kind of girl". Her 1st bike wasn't assembled very well though, the tyres were flat, the brakes didn't work and her mum had fitted the stabilises all the way down so she never got a feeling for leaning/balancing. Maybe just start by raising the stabilisers slowly?

Take the pedals off and let her use it as a balance bike. We we’re lucky enough to be given several old bike so I had one setup with stabiliser and pedals and her bigger bike I turned into a balance bike. Number 4 was quite happy switching between the two. She can ride her big bike fine now ,with pedals, but still likes to take the one with stabilisers out for an occasional spin.

Thanks all - I guess you're right, it'll come in time. I've tried most of the things suggested here i.e. lowering the saddle, taking the pedals off etc, but she won't even try to scoot herself along - just starts shouting that she wants to get off and it's too scary.

She does however ask to go for rides around the block with her training wheel on, so I guess there's some interest there ... will just have to progress in here own time.

I just feel a bit frustrated as she's now started school and I'd love to cycle with her (as I do with her sister) on the morning school run. I wonder if a tag along might help her get over some of the fear?

Same here. Now at the point where bike with stabilisers is too small. First outing with beinn 20 and she hated it. Then the other day when it was raining she demanded to go out and practice the new bike without stabilisers!!!!

So as above, it'll happen when it happens. Biky Biky vest I quite good I've found.

According to my FIL my wife took ages to learn. Then one day she woke up and announced that Jesus had told her in a dream that she could ride a bike.

My son is the same. Five and still prefers the balance bike he’s outgrown to the Frog with stabilisers. It’s pedalling that he struggles with though. Half a turn then starts going backwards. Patience, praise and only getting the bike out when he asks for it have been the best approach so far.

It’s pedalling that he struggles with though

Start them with stabilisers and they don’t have this problem.. haha! 😁

Exactly what Fadda said. My eldest was fine with stabilisers for a short time then we went away in the caravan where he met some new & older kids who'd ditched their stabilisers & was having a great time until he found he couldn't follow them over rough ground with them on. He 'told' me to take them off immediately which I did & off he went without them, & without me holding him upright!

It’s pedalling that he struggles with though

Start them with stabilisers and they don’t have this problem.. haha!

That is with stabilisers 😕

Managed to get the nephew (4 at the time) to try no stabilisers by holding the saddle and running along behind him, he could pedal by this point and had been on a balance bike since he was about 18 months tho. I let go of the saddle after about 10 yds but kept running so he didn't realise then told him I wasn't actually holding him and that he'd done it by himself, he didn't belive me. 2nd attempt I held him upright then gave a little push and he was away. Try 2 find somewhere with short grass to start on, nephew wouldn't try on the road or pavement

Start them with stabilisers

You said. he’d outgrown a balance bike

If it’s any consolation, apparently Chris Hoy didn’t learn to ride ‘til he was 7, he soon caught up!

It may also be related to the weight of the bike Vs rider size, my two were closer to 6 before they were ready. They need core strength and leg power to power the bike

No pudding until the stabilisers are off?

There's no point in forcing it.

I spent most of a year grumbling about #2 spawn's refusal to ride without stabilisers, then this summer, at the age of 6, she decided it was time. Within a week she was hurtling about, and within three weeks she'd ditched the little bike and moved up to her sister's cast off 20er.

The lesson for me was that they will do this at their own pace.

Genuinely amazed by the number of you that put stabilisers or your kids bikes....... On a bike forum..... Goodness.

Stupid pointless things.

docgeoffyjones

Subscriber
According to my FIL my wife took ages to learn. Then one day she woke up and announced that Jesus had told her in a dream that she could ride a bike.

I never even knew Geex was female. Or married.😁

It may also be related to the weight of the bike Vs rider size, my two were closer to 6 before they were ready. They need core strength and leg power to power the bike

There's definitely something in this. My daughter went from struggling and not really enjoying her Halfords 'weighed more than my mtb' princess bike, to an Islabike cnoc 16 and the difference was night and day. She was just absolutely flying and enjoying it so much more - so yeah, strength and weight of the bike definitely comes into it, and it was one of the only times my wife agreed that spending more on bike stuff was actually worth it!

mildly off topic, but is the general consensus that if your child starts on a balance bike, the transition to a pedal bike is one without the need for stabilisers? Or is there no trend with this?

My 2 and a half year old rips on her balance bike and I cant wait until she can pedal her way around, but I would very much like to avoid stabilisers if I can!

Is the general consensus that if your child starts on a balance bike, the transition to a pedal bike is one without the need for stabilisers?

It seems to help, there is no hard and fast rule as such.
My eldest daughter took to cycling like a duck to water - She got her bike with pedals for Christmas, 3 months before she turned 4, hopped on it got a push and pedaled away. She had the balance sorted from her balance bike and had pedaling licked from hooning around on the trikes in nursery.

It was not quite so easy for her friend who is a couple of months younger, he got a bike for the same Christmas and it took him till the new year and going out a couple of times with my daughter to get going. He is now better on his bike than my daughter.

Nither child used stabilizers.

Genuinely amazed by the number of you that put stabilisers or your kids bikes……. On a bike forum….. Goodness.

Can't believe it took 31 posts before someone bit! This place is going downhill (pun maybe intended).

I remember trying to teach 5yo son to ride without stabilisers - he just didn't have the confidence to do it for fear of falling off. That was until his 3yo sister nipped past him without stabilisers! The difference between the two of them in personalities was so obvious, he has always been very cautious and nervous, wheras she will just pick anything up and give it a go, usually mastering it straight away! But once he saw his sister doing it then he was determined.
Now it's time for child 3 to try at 4yrs and she panics at the slightest wobble. Can't quite get the link between needing to pedal to keep going. So stabilisers are back on for now, along with a seperate balance bike which she happily zips along on with both feet up. She'll get there eventually, no point rushing it and putting her off.

My daughter didn't get it straight away either. So i just screamed at her loudly in front of everyone else in the park, told her she was letting me down and threatened to beat her when we got home.

That did the trick.

She prefers her mum.

Love blackflag's post

but is the general consensus that if your child starts on a balance bike, the transition to a pedal bike is one without the need for stabilisers

If you want your kid to learn to ride a bike then don't use stabilisers. End of.
If you want them to learn to ride a quad, and kid yourself that they can ride a bike then fill your boots. And then agonise, like half the posters above, about how you later make the transition to actually riding a bike.

PS. A tricycle is also an excellent option pre balance bike to get the pedalling sussed.

/Awaits good kicking

Err....I learned to ride a bike with stabilisers. Years later and I’m still clowning about on a bike. How did this happen without a balance bike?

Shock!
Horror!

If you want your kid to learn to ride a bike then don’t use stabilisers. End of.

Utter. Bollocks.

First (Tr)(b)ike

Second bike (the day we removed stabilisers)

A little later that day

That evening

Call the NSPCC.

If you want your kid to learn to ride a bike then don’t use stabilisers. End of.

Utter. Bollocks.

X2

Of course kids can learn to ride a bike with stabilisers, but if they are unnecessary and don't speed up the process, then why bother with them?
My experience is from teaching kids medically diagnosed with coordination problems to ride bikes (some of whom had difficulty with walking). We used various reclaimed bikes with pedals removed and the saddles lowered. I spoke to people who taught adults, to get some tips, and they didn't use stabilisers, so I used the same process with the kids and it worked really well.

but if they are unnecessary and don’t speed up the process, then why bother with them?

Did you read the previous page?

I did

If you want your kid to learn to ride a bike then don’t use stabilisers. End of.

All four of mine used stabiliser. Yet are all able to ride bikes now.

I did

Cool.
Anyway, do what's right for your kid(s). Neither balancers or stabilisers are wrong, as long as they get a love for bikes 😀
(I'm nice me)

Top words Mr B. What works for one child won’t for the next and they’ll learn in their own time

All kids are different, and will go at their own pace.

Yup. I had exactly the same issue as OP with eldest FO Jr. Simply wasn't interested in his bike and I. Tried. Everything. Eventually I just gave up, rather than trying to force him and then ending up with a kid that never biked at all. In the end it was a bikeability class run at the local leisure centre that did it. An hour with kids a lot younger than him riding bikes was enough to eek out a bit of competitiveness in him and now we can't get him off the thing. Which is great. That's at nearly 7 years old.
Youngest FO Jr is completely different. 2 years old and he goes down to nursery on his (3 wheel) scooter, and has a typical 2YO tantrum if we attempt to just walk. He'll be riding a bike before he's 4 I reckon.

I recently taught my 5 year old without stabilisers, picked up a 5 quid set of elbow and knee pads and used a piece of grass with a slight slope to help, within 1/2 hour he was pedalling, afew tumbles but the pads took the fear away.

Moved onto a path to help him start on his own which he did eventually and removed the pads later that day.

It did help that he actually wanted to ride without stabilisers though!

Really helpful post.

Our son was whizzing on a balance bike at an early age but at 4 we gave him a bike with stabilisers and he just struggled with pedals and became reliant on stabilisers and lost interest.

After reading this took pedals, stabilisers off, lowered saddle and can't get him off it now.

Next step is pedals on and hopefully riding. He also says he wants an uppy down post now!

Wait till she sees somebody she wants to copy riding a bike. Then she'll want to copy them.

Not sure where you live, however Blackrock Sands (or any flat beach with compacted sand) is a great place try. I managed to get all three of mine off stabilisers and pedalling in an afternoon (different years, obviously).

Cezza

Our son was whizzing on a balance bike at an early age but at 4 we gave him a bike with stabilisers and he just struggled with pedals and became reliant on stabilisers and lost interest.

Well, yeah - why would you go from a balance bike.. to stabilisers? 2 different learning methods. The whole point of balance bikes is stabi.. why am I explaining this? 😆

The whole point of balance bikes is stabi.. why am I explaining this? 😆

Agreed. Going by the responses to my post the stabilophiles aren't going to be convinced so I wouldn't bother trying. 😃😁

The plan was to bypass stabilisers altogether but he just could not get his head around it for various reasons. We went with what he was comfortable with at the time even though that was not ideal. As long as he gets there in the end and enjoying bikes is the important bit.

I should add my son is autistic which adds another dimension entirely

is the general consensus that if your child starts on a balance bike, the transition to a pedal bike is one without the need for stabilisers? Or is there no trend with this?

#2 was better than #1 on a balance bike, but decided that, as her peers had stabilisers, she needed them too, and wouldn’t be convinced otherwise.