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My son is now 5 and he wants to ride without stabilisers. I've done some research but most places (sustains, isla rowntree) suggest taking the stabilisers and pedals off and making it a bit of a balance bike. We tried the balance bike thing first but he didn't take to that so ended up getting the pedal bike with stabilisers which he got on with very well.
Has anyone got any ideas for helping him to drop the stabilisers?
Elbow and knee pads, some gloves and just take them off. Be very patient. He'll get it after a few goes and perhaps a little initial reluctance.
No practical experience of this yet but years ago when I worked in bike shop I remember someone suggesting bending the stabiliser wheels up at increasing angles. At the moment they will be pretty much in contact with the ground. Keep bending at small increments as your child gains confidence and relies on them less.
son went with taking pedals off and lowering the saddle, and he was away in a couple of hours. with daughter it was a case of running behind her, until she got it, took a weekend
have fun
+1 for pedals off and saddle down
With my daughter we just took the the stabilisers off and made a game of counting pedal strokes before I caught her. So 2,3,4 etc. At 9 pedal strokes she just rode away
He can obviously pedal so that the first part. just start off by running behind him with your arms at the side of him but not holding him up. You may have to start him off moving. He will soon get his balance and then learn to steer properly. So far my kids have taken less than an hour and one of those hadn't cycled much at all.
My son is now 5 and he wants to ride without stabilisers. I've done some research but most places (sustains, isla rowntree) suggest taking the stabilisers and pedals off and making it a bit of a balance bike. We tried the balance bike thing first but he didn't take to that so ended up getting the pedal bike with stabilisers which he got on with very well.
You have taught him to pedal not to balance, now teach him to balance
As above , stabilisers off, pedals off, lower saddle,get him to scoot along, refit pedals, raise saddle a little, off you go
The biggest problem with stabilizers is that kids don't learn how to turn properly while maintaining balance. Safest way ias others have said is to convert the bike into a balance bike but the school of hard knocks is the way most of us on here learned. If you do decide to do it that way, make sure the ground is soft as he will go over the bars while trying to turn.
Gentle downward slope, ideally on grass, so they get enough speed to make balance easier.
Somewhere with a slight down hill slope on grass. Take stabilisers off and go for it.
Also raise stabilisers so they are not touching the floor but catch the bike if he leans too far over.
Really though it's just persistance, lots of patience and reward required.
My son loved his balance bike and went straight to a pedal bike with out stabilisers but my daughter wouldn't touch the balance bike so we had to do stabilisers. Only took a few goes though.
MrPottatoHead - Member
No practical experience of this yet but years ago when I worked in bike shop I remember someone suggesting bending the stabiliser wheels up at increasing angles
This worked for my girls. The stabilisers on their first bike bent up on their own over time so they were balancing a lot of the time anyway.
When we took the stabilisers off they were away pedalling and balancing straightaway, this was when the were about 3½.
This worked for my son. Took one stabiliser off, and after a couple of laps around the park, he decided he wants the other off as well. And that was that, off he went.
I feel your pain my son had a balance bike from 2 years was great on it switched to a bike with pedals at 3 and showed no interest till he was 6, now 7 and on a 24 inch bike that he won't put down, trying to master wheelies at the minute.
Anyway try the pedal magic random rock I think there is a video online, essentially take stablisers off the bike, sit child on bike feet on pedals, whilst holding the bike tilt from side to side randomly, get the child to steer into the tilt as they instinctively turn the handlebars in the opposite direction which will put them over the bars.
Once they can do this 10-20 time correctly go find a big empty car park let them know the faster they pedal the easier it is to stay upright.
I've helped plenty of kids using this method 10-20 minutes and there away.
Good luck you will not wipe the smile off your face for a week once they get it.