That’s great, but how do I know when my child is ready?

Every child is different so there is no set age when a child should learn to ride a two wheel bike. Here are some good indications that will let you know that your child is ready:

• His knees are bumping the handle bars on his current tricycle
• She can peddle her tricycle both backward and forward
• He is showing an interest in riding a two wheel bike
• She can steer her tricycle like an old pro

OK, so I know my kid is ready. What next?

First of all get a bicycle that fits your child. I cannot stress this enough. It will be almost impossible for them to learn if the bicycle is too large or too small. Take them to the store and have them sit on the bicycle. Their legs should be nearly straight when the peddle is all the way down, but their knees should not be in the handlebars when the peddle is all the way up. A good size for a child to learn on is a 12” or 16” bicycle.

Second, get safety gear that fits your child. Elbow pads, knee pads and a properly fitted helmet will go a long way towards taking the danger and painful scrapes out of learning to ride a bike. There is nothing that will end a bicycle lesson faster than a scraped up knee.

Third, don't worry about using training wheels. Some children will need to use training wheels until they get used to riding upright on the bicycle. My oldest son took a little longer than normal to learn to ride a two wheeler so I slowly raised the training wheels to make it more "wobbly". Eventually he was ready to ride without the training wheels.

Finally, be patient and listen to your child. You need to encourage your child to try to ride his or her bike even if they are a little scared. If it becomes apparent that your child is too frightened then let it go for a day or so and try again. Getting your first big kid bike should be a fun experience and forcing your child to keep trying even though they are scared will not help them get over their fear.