Riding a bike is a complicated task that requires trunk stability, full body strength, balance, coordination, motor planning, body awareness, and spatial awareness. Pedaling a bicycle is much more difficult than pedaling a tricycle and requires much more strength and force as well as more balance and body awareness. Although learning to ride a tricycle is an important step and milestone, mastering the tricycle isn’t the only step before learning to master riding a pedal bike.

A balance bike is also a great step to learning how to master riding a bike and is actually more effective than using training wheels. You can either buy a balance bike or take the pedals off of a pedal bike. When using a balance bike, the child should be able to sit on the seat with both feet on the ground. The child should use their feet to push off the ground and glide forward on the bike. The goal is for the child to be able to glide safely while maintaining their balance for a few seconds. Once they have mastered this, they can move on to putting the wheels back on or getting a pedal bike. 

Once your child is ready to learn how to ride a pedal bike, here are some tips to help your child be successful:

Safety

• Remember to make sure your child understands the importance of safety while riding a bike. Make sure they wear a helmet, wear supportive shoes, and avoid wearing baggy clothing that could get caught in the bike. Find a safe area to practice; avoid traffic, busy sidewalks and other hazards.

Practice Weight Shifting

• Start by having your child practice shifting their weight from side to side with their feet on the ground. Once they are comfortable with this, have them place their feet on the pedals while you are supporting the back of the bicycle. Shift the bike to one side and have your shield to shift their weight accordingly in the opposite direction to maintain their balance. 

Practice Turning

• Have your child practice steering while you support the back of the bike. Also allow them to practice turning in the direction of their weight shift. You can practice turns while using a balance bike as well to help your child be extra comfortable with turning!

Brakes

• Make sure your child is able to use their brakes before they start attempting to ride their bike. Have them practice using their brakes before they start trying to ride independently. 

Ride Downhill

• Let your child slowly coast down a small slope so they can get comfortable with maintaining balance on the bike without having to pedal.

Pedaling 

• If your child did well with maintaining balance while coasting downhill, allow them to first practice pedaling while going down a slope so they don’t have to focus on using enough force to get them going. 

Level Surface

• Once your child is comfortable with their feet turning on the pedals, have them practice starting from a standstill and using their feet on the pedals to ride on a flat surface. 

Navigating Obstacles 

• Once they have mastered pedaling and braking, have your child navigate obstacles such as cones and corners so they can master turning! 

If your child struggles with bike riding and other complex skills that require many different components, talk to one of our physical therapists and see if they think your child may benefit from a physical therapy evaluation!