How to Teach Bike Riding

Forget everything you think you know. Howard Roth, author of the e-book “Riding Made Easy” (ridingmadeeasy.com), takes that running-alongside-the-bike and balancing-on-training-wheels stuff and tosses it out the window. Says Roth, “The only people training wheels benefit are the people who make training wheels.”

Step #1 Find a wide, open space

“Find a big empty parking lot with no parked cars, no curbs, no big lampposts. One with some very slight inclines is optimal,” says Roth.

Step #2 Strike a balance

Buy a pedal wrench from a bike shop or hardware store and remove the pedals. Have the child sit on the bike, look forward (not down) and pick both feet off the ground an inch. “Let the bike fall to whatever side it’s going to fall. It’s only going to fall an inch.” Do this until the child’s feet are about six inches off the ground for three to five seconds at a time. “Bring your bike, too, and make it into a contest — who can (do it) the longest?”

Step #3 Walk the bike

“Have them walk the bike, walk the bike, walk the bike until they start complaining they’re getting bored. OK, let’s go a little bit faster, a little bit faster, to the point where their feet can’t keep up anymore and they’re going to glide. At this point they get the feel of balancing, being on a moving bike and being in control because their feet are always near the ground and they can stop any time
they want.” Have them glide across the entire lot and back. “Keep doing this until they’re bored. Bored means, ‘Enough already, I’m ready for the next thing.’”

Step #4 Put the pedals on

Put the pedals back on the bike and position the pedals so they’re parallel to the ground. “Tell them to put their feet on the pedals and pedal a little bit — just a rotation or two. This is where the kid says, ‘Yeah, the hell with that, I’m not stopping.’ And suddenly there they are, pedaling the bike while balancing.”

Materials 

• Cheap, small bike with foot brakes
• Knee, elbow guards, helmet
• Long-sleeve shirt, pants Pedal wrench 

A kid is ready for this if he/she is able to:

• Stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds.
• Catch a large, soft ball from 5 feet away.
• Dodge a smaller ball tossed at him/her softly