By Nicole Pates & Georgia Storey
Learning to Ride (without training wheels)
Recently Nicole's nearly 4 year old daughter learnt to ride a bike, without training wheels.
It is a huge achievement. She was stoked. Watching her little face light up was everything. Followed up by staying at a caravan park a week later her confidence to ride and meet new friends.. this skill opened up so many new doors in her development & physical fitness.
Many parents sent messages and emails asking "HOW did you teach her?! How can we encourage it?"
So Nicole went to our resident expert at Western Kids Health, physiotherapist Georgia Storey, who leads our Learn to Ride program for answers.
Georgia has created this guide to give you some ideas on how to help your little one succeed. But please keep in mind, there are many ways to teach your child to ride a bike without training wheels, and there isn’t one best approach.
Why is Bike Riding Important?
Riding a bike is great for many reasons. It:
- Gets your child active
- Improves balance, coordination, and strength
- Enhances body and spatial awareness
- Builds endurance
- Encourages a healthy relationship with movement
- Creates social opportunities
Starting Without Training Wheels
Many people think kids need to use training wheels before riding without them, but you can skip that step. Riding with training wheels has its benefits, but it’s not necessary.
Your child can go straight from a two-wheeled balance bike to a pedal bike without training wheels. Research shows that using a balance bike helps kids learn to ride a pedal bike without training wheels earlier. Why? Balance bikes help kids develop balance and learn to control their bodies and steer, which are essential skills for riding a bike.
But if your child is already using a bike with training wheels, they know how to pedal, steer, and use the brakes. They have the strength to pedal up hills and control their speed going down hills.
Steps to Learning
- Get the Right Size Bike: Make sure your child’s bike is the right size. A bike that is too small or too big will be challenging to ride and there are other important features too, like the height of the seat post. Check out our How to choose a first bike blog for all the important aspects to consider when choosing a first bike.
- Use Hand Brakes: Bikes with hand brakes are helpful because foot brakes can be frustrating if your child’s feet slip. But don’t worry if your child’s bike has a back brake—they’ll adapt quickly.
- Teach How to Fall: Teaching your child how to fall safely can boost their confidence. Have them keep their hands on the handlebars and feet on the pedals, then gently tip them to the side onto a soft surface. Make it a fun game to help them not fear falling.
- Start on Grass: Begin by having your child ride down a small slope on grass. Grass is more challenging than pavement, but it encourages the pedalling motion. Use prompts like “fast legs” or “strong pushes” to help them pedal on their own.
Supporting Your Child
Support your child’s bike in these ways, starting with the most support and gradually reducing it:
- Hold under the seat and one handlebar (but not the bridge between the handlebars, as this can tip the bike over)
- Hold just under the seat firmly
- Hold under the seat lightly or use a pole attached to the back of the bike (see picture below)
- Use a towel under their arms and around their chest (check it out here)
- Run next to your child without holding the bike
- Let them ride on their own
Click to watch
Key Skills to Teach
Starting the Bike: Help your child learn to start their bike by getting into the “motorbike position.” Have them sit on the bike with one foot on the ground and the other on the highest pedal. Encourage them to push down on the pedal and push off the ground to start moving. Prompt them to pedal fast to maintain balance. Starting them on a slight decline will help start to pedal.
Braking: Teach your child how to use their brakes. Practice using the brakes while stationary so they understand how hard to press. Then practice while moving to ensure they can stop safely.
Falling: Have them keep their hands on the handlebars and feet on the pedals, then gently tip them to the side onto a soft surface. They should step out with their leg to catch themselves. Make it a fun game to help them not fear falling.
When Will They Be Ready?
Learning to ride a bike takes practice and opportunity. Research (Merce et al 2022) suggests that children who transition from a balance bike can ride without training wheels at an average age of just over 4 years. For children transitioning from a bike with training wheels, the average age is 6 years. However both are quicker than just trying only a traditional bike (no balance bike or training wheels) - 7.27 years! It is a hard skill!
Thank you for reading
Hopefully these tips help your little one learn to ride
Bike riding is a skill that takes time to learn. If your child is finding it tricky or you're stressed, don’t worry! I’ve got you. Pop over to my Instagram @nicole_kidsphysio for a chat or consider checking in with a paediatric physiotherapist. At Western Kids Health, we have “Let’s Learn to Ride” programs to help give your child a boost in their bike-riding journey. Check out our programs here
References:
Mercê C, Branco M, Catela D, Lopes F, Cordovil R. Learning to Cycle: From Training Wheels to Balance Bike. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(3):1814. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031814
Georgia Storey is a physiotherapist at Western Kids Health, pictured here teaching the Learn to Ride group. Georgia is is currently completing her Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice through Monash University. In conjunction with an Occupational Therapist, Georgia created the 'Let's Learn to Ride' program, which can be run individually or in groups. Our Learn to Ride groups generally run in the school holidays.
