Learning to ride a bike for the first time can be very daunting for your child – you might be able to remember the fear intermingled with excitement when you first tried it yourself. Whilst it might be difficult learning something new, however, your kids can succeed with you helping them every step of the way.

Teaching something you’ve never taught before might come as a challenge to you as the parent, but if you follow our helping tips, your child will be cycling without stabilizers in no time!

Things to Keep in Mind

Firstly, you’ll need to consider where you’ll teach your child how to ride a bike. It’s recommended that you choose a safe area free from traffic, such as a quiet estate, cycle path, or somewhere with smooth tarmac. Always be on the lookout for hazards including vehicles, pedestrians, and dogs, and be sure to check that the pedals on the bike are replaced correctly.

How to Teach to Ride a Bike

To begin with, taking the pedals off the bike will help your child get coordinated with the feel and balance of the bike. Focusing on balancing rather than pedaling is a priority at this early stage. Lower the seat so that your child can push themselves along with their toes being able to touch the ground, allowing them to get used to the balance and direction that they can expect when cycling.

When supporting the child as they ride properly, you should hold their torso or under their armpits. Holding onto your child instead of the handlebars is important since your child will feel too secure if you guide them with the handlebars. They need to be able to learn how the bike reacts and moves freely, and this is done through holding them and not the bike.

As they continue to ride, always stay by your child’s side. Crashing early on in the process might put them off riding for good, so it’s crucial to keep them feeling safe and secure in this learning process. Once your child becomes a confident rider on their own, introduce pedals if you’ve not already done so. Follow the same straightforward steps to adjust them to pedal.

The Benefits of Cycling

You might wonder if teaching your child how to ride a bike is even worth it in this modern age, however, cycling certainly holds many benefits for anyone who takes it up. The multitude of health benefits includes increased muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness, decreased fat levels, and decreased stress levels. So, whilst anyone who rides can improve their physical health, making it less likely that you’ll get certain diseases, you can also improve your mental health, with exercise also reducing anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, riding a bike is easy and fun, as well as being simple to add to your daily routine. Simply popping to the shops can be made much more time-efficient with a bike, and you can strengthen your bones whilst you’re at it!

So, what are you waiting for? With precious memories to be made with your children, it’s time to take on the challenge of teaching them how to ride a bike today!

Writer: Vicky Dillon