Comments on: Teaching a Kid to ride a bike http://grantingersoll.com/2006/04/29/teaching-a-kid-to-ride-a-bike/ Random thoughts on programming, photography, triathlon, life and work Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:22:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Grant Ingersoll http://grantingersoll.com/2006/04/29/teaching-a-kid-to-ride-a-bike/comment-page-1/#comment-12423 Grant Ingersoll Tue, 06 May 2008 12:06:58 +0000 http://grantingersoll.com/?p=84#comment-12423 Hmm, seems like the Bicycling article is gone. Here's the way this works: 1. Lower the seat down so the child can comfortably put both feet on the ground. 2. Remove the pedals 3. Instruct the child to sit on the bike and use their feet to propel themselves 4. When they feel comfortable, have them lift up their feet and glide. 5. If they feel uncomfortable with their feet up in the air or are about to tip, simply tell them to put their feet down. This is pretty natural for kids anyway. This teaches them the feel of balance on the bike, without the complication of pedaling. Once they get this down and can glide for good distances and do some steering, you can add back in the pedals and raise the seat. Hmm, seems like the Bicycling article is gone. Here’s the way this works:

1. Lower the seat down so the child can comfortably put both feet on the ground.
2. Remove the pedals
3. Instruct the child to sit on the bike and use their feet to propel themselves
4. When they feel comfortable, have them lift up their feet and glide.
5. If they feel uncomfortable with their feet up in the air or are about to tip, simply tell them to put their feet down. This is pretty natural for kids anyway.

This teaches them the feel of balance on the bike, without the complication of pedaling. Once they get this down and can glide for good distances and do some steering, you can add back in the pedals and raise the seat.

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