Teaching a small child to ride?

I spent a year trying to teach my daughter to ride. Came home one day from work and she's was in the
back yard yelling, "It's easy, Dad." They learn at their own pace.

NY Rides said:

Here's an interesting predicament.

My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a year ago. My neighbors have
been trying to teach her to ride, but she just can't seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems
to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but she can't get the hang of this one thing.

Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for me to help out. The
problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many neighborhood
children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination problem.

Any suggestions?

ThreeLeggedDog <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I spent a year trying to teach my daughter to ride. Came home one day from work and she's was in
the back yard yelling, "It's easy, Dad." They learn at their own pace.

I'll say.

My littlest brother had been on training wheels forever. One day, we took off the wheels. He got on
the bike and promptly rode away, just like that.

I remember being helped a little. Being able to shrug off falls is a good thing. My mother refuses
to get on a bike now because of a fall she suffered when she was a little girl...so maybe it has to
do with temperament...

-Luigi

"NY Rides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for

me

Quoted message said:

to help out. The problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many
neighborhood children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination
problem.

Any suggestions?

You might try breaking the problem into two phases - balancing the bike, then pedalling the bike.
Start by removing the pedals (or to go to the extreme, remove the cranks and chain). Set the saddle
high enough for her to touch the ground with the balls of her feet (not flat-footed). Have her ride
her new "pushbike" until she can coast a decent distance with her feet up. Once she gets the
balancing part, then add the drivetrain and teach her to pedal.

Good luck, Buck

I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to ride and wanted me to do
it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by Schwinn on how to teach
a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever teaching his son using
their methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to grab a copy from my
file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax # and I'll
shoot it off to you...

HTH, Cat Dailey

"NY Rides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Here's an interesting predicament.

My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a

year

Quoted message said:

ago. My neighbors have been trying to teach her to ride, but she just

can't

Quoted message said:

seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but
she can't get the hang of this one thing.

Because, in my neighborhood, I'm "Mr. Bicycle," they've been hinting for

me

Quoted message said:

to help out. The problem is, I'm not really sure how to help the kid. Although I've taught many
neighborhood children to ride over the years, I haven't dealt with this type of basic coordination
problem.

Any suggestions?

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides

"Cat Dailey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to

ride

Quoted message said:

and wanted me to do it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by
Schwinn on how to teach a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever
teaching his son using

their

Quoted message said:

methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to grab

a

Quoted message said:

copy from my file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax #
and I'll shoot it off to you...

I'm sure Bicycling wouldn't mind if you scanned it and posted it to a web page somewhere. Just be
sure to give credit to the original author.

-Buck

Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that she can't get the concept of
pedaling in circles. I was wondering if there's some type of analogy I can use.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Buck" <j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c
o r p . c o m> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Cat Dailey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I train a guy who was afraid to teach his son (around the same age) to

ride

Quoted message said:

and wanted me to do it. Right around then, Bicycling Mag had a one page tear out written by
Schwinn on how to teach a child to ride. It was excellent and Steve had no problems whatsoever
teaching his son using

their

Quoted message said:

methodology (sometimes that's just what's required). I'd be happy to

grab

Quoted message said:

a

Quoted message said:

copy from my file at work on Tuesday and fax it to you. Just email me privately with your fax #
and I'll shoot it off to you...

I'm sure Bicycling wouldn't mind if you scanned it and posted it to a web page somewhere. Just be
sure to give credit to the original author.

-Buck

In article <[email hidden]>,

NY Rides said:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that she can't get the concept
of pedaling in circles. I was wondering if there's some type of analogy I can use.

We've all heard that old chestnut about different people learning in different ways -- some by
having things described to them, some by visually observing, etc. So it sounds to me that you're
considering which teaching approaches have failed, and then trying different approaches instead.
That's a good tactic.

But I just can't shake off the feeling that possibly the girl is not learning because she simply
doesn't *want* to learn. Not right now, anyways. Maybe she feels this cycling thing is being foisted
upon her, and she is resisting?

If that unthinkable situation really is the case, maybe it's time to move on to something else with
her for awhile, like maybe swimming lessons. Then she'll want to pick up on bike riding again when
she's good 'n ready, and when it's /her/ idea.

Just some conjectural thoughts, anywayz. But I think maybe your understudy is a willful, stubborn
one. When she does get into cycling, she'll probably be a good hill climber.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

I agree...and, by the way, this is not my child. It's my next door neighbor's little girl. I've said
the same thing to them. "When she's ready to ride, she'll get on the bike and ride." But I think the
scene is that Grandma and Grandpa just bought her a bike for her birthday and now everybody expects
her to use it.

I've taught most of the neighborhood kids to ride over the years. Some took a little work, some just
needed a lift to the seat. But they all came to me on their own terms. This poor kid is being
pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the concept of pedaling. She even says,
in her cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!" Makes me sad to see her
feeling like such a failure at such an early age. I guess that's why I'm so anxious to turn things
around for this little one.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Tom Keats" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, "NY Rides"

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the input, everybody. Specifically, her problem is that

she

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

can't get the concept of pedaling in circles. I was wondering if

there's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

some type of analogy I can use.

We've all heard that old chestnut about different people learning in different ways -- some by
having things described to them, some by visually observing, etc. So it sounds to me that you're
considering which teaching approaches have failed, and then trying different approaches instead.
That's a good tactic.

But I just can't shake off the feeling that possibly the girl is not learning because she simply
doesn't *want* to learn. Not right now, anyways. Maybe she feels this cycling thing is being
foisted upon her, and she is resisting?

If that unthinkable situation really is the case, maybe it's time to move on to something else
with her for awhile, like maybe swimming lessons. Then she'll want to pick up on bike riding again
when she's good 'n ready, and when it's /her/ idea.

Just some conjectural thoughts, anywayz. But I think maybe your understudy is a willful, stubborn
one. When she does get into cycling, she'll probably be a good hill climber.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 02:16:00 GMT, <[email hidden]>, "NY Rides"

Quoted message said:

This poor kid is being pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the
concept of pedaling. She even says, in her cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I
juss can't get it!"

Wasn't she given a tricycle? That's where I learned to pedal.

My Irish Mail is where I learned to love speed. And then I got a bike.
--
zk

She never had a trike. They figured a 12" bike with training wheels is the same thing, and it'll
save them $19.99 in the long run.

--
Low-Impact Rides In The LI/NY Area www.geocities.com/NYRides "Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 02:16:00 GMT, <[email hidden]>, "NY Rides"

Quoted message said:

This poor kid is being pressured into it and criticized for not being able to grasp the concept
of pedaling. She even says, in

her

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!"

Wasn't she given a tricycle? That's where I learned to pedal.

My Irish Mail is where I learned to love speed. And then I got a bike.
--
zk

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 12:42:03 GMT,

Quoted post said:

She never had a trike. They figured a 12" bike with training wheels is the same thing, and it'll
save them $19.99 in the long run.

Maybe if its' a fixed gear so she can also pedal it backwards.
--
zk

"NY Rides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I agree...and, by the way, this is not my child. It's my next door neighbor's little girl. I've
said the same thing to them. "When she's ready to ride, she'll get on the bike and ride." But I
think the scene is that Grandma and Grandpa just bought her a bike for her birthday and now
everybody expects her to use it.

Age 4: got my son a bike for xmas. He couldn't get the hang of it. Kept falling and getting
frustrated. Put it off till summer. Same thing. Only tried it for maybe 30 mins at a time. Age 5:
different bike. Same result. Age 6: Xmas. another bike (he had grown enough to change) 1/2 hour
after going outside, he was riding. 2 months later, going off small jumps. 2 months after that,
riding no handed.

All these times he *wanted* to ride, just couldn't get the hang of it. I could see he was getting
[censored] that he couldn't do it. Keep the sessions *short*. Too long, and they get too frustrated.

Each kid will learn in their own time.

Quoted message said:

I've taught most of the neighborhood kids to ride over the years. Some

took

Quoted message said:

a little work, some just needed a lift to the seat. But they all came to

me

Quoted message said:

on their own terms. This poor kid is being pressured into it and

criticized

Quoted message said:

for not being able to grasp the concept of pedaling. She even says, in

her

Quoted message said:

cute little baby voice, "I dunno wut it is but I juss can't get it!"

Makes

Quoted message said:

me sad to see her feeling like such a failure at such an early age. I

guess

Quoted message said:

that's why I'm so anxious to turn things around for this little one.

It will turn around when she's ready. What the parents/grandparents want does not matter.

Pete

NY Rides said:

She never had a trike.

My daughter was quite a bit slower than my son in learning to pedal. It does seem a lot easier on
the trike than on an upright bike.

We have a plastic three-wheeler with a handle on the back. Kids put feet on pedals, and mom or
dad slowly push the trike with the handle. This results in feet going in circular motion. Kids
get the hang of
it.

RFM

"Fritz M" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NY Rides said:

She never had a trike.

My daughter was quite a bit slower than my son in learning to pedal. It does seem a lot easier on
the trike than on an upright bike.

We have a plastic three-wheeler with a handle on the back. Kids put feet on pedals, and mom or
dad slowly push the trike with the handle. This results in feet going in circular motion. Kids
get the hang of
it.

RFM

So does this mean I can blame my parents for the problems I now have riding fixed gear? Hugh

"NY Rides" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Here's an interesting predicament.

My neighbor's daughter - I think she's 4 or 5 - got a new bike about a

year

Quoted message said:

ago. My neighbors have been trying to teach her to ride, but she just

can't

Quoted message said:

seem to get the rythym of pedaling. She seems to be of fairly normal intelligence for her age, but
she can't get the hang of this one thing.

If the bike is small enough, try to lower the seat and remove the pedals (remember that the left
pedal works the "wrong" way). That way, she will sit on the bike and push herself with her feet and
will eventually master the sense of balance.

The traditional trick of pushing the bike and letting the kid ride didn't work with my oldest
daughter, because she was afraid of going fast (i.e. faster than crawling speed). By removing
pedals, she was able to learn to balance at 0.5 to 1 mph in less than 1 week. Then I reinstalled the
pedals and she was able to pedal _very_ slowly, yet still in a straight line, around the block. It
took her a few months to master enough confidence to ride as fast as I am walking, but at least, she
had no problems keeping herself upright and learning rules of the road.

Regards,

Michel Gagnon