learning to ride

Can you remember what you were taught as a child?

I remember coasting downhill helped with my balance but I once I saw a friend cycling around I just got up and went.

ebow3d said:

I've started to teach my 5 year old daughter to ride her bike without the training wheels. Its pretty hard on my back, running after her and holding her 🙂
Are there any specific methods, or just tips, on how to teach someone to ride?

Two things:

• Is learning to ride something which your daughter expressed an interest in OR is something that you feel she should learn at this point in time?
  
• Don't learn to ride on a paved surface
  

FWIW. A couple of years ago, when someone we know was trying to teach his wife how to ride (and, he wasn't a good rider, which may have exacerbated the "problem"😉, the apparently UNSPOKEN concern in the back of the new rider's mind(s -- including the woman in question) is presumably what to do when the bike comes to a stop.

In other words, AFTER you teach your daughter to use the (coaster) brakes AND to lean the bike to one side so she can secure one of her feet on terra firma, I think it will be easier for her to learn to ride because she will know that she can control the bike.

BTW. You may possibly want/need to, have the rear cog changed to one with more teeth ... it will make pedaling easier (i.e., establishing forward motion) ... if the cog has 16t, change it to an 18t cog. If it is an 18t cog, then have it changed to a 20t cog.

bump

alfeng said:

Two things:

• Is learning to ride something which your daughter expressed an interest in OR is something that you feel she should learn at this point in time?
  
• Don't learn to ride on a paved surface
  

She actually does want to ride, and is pretty excited about it. Given enough time, and practice, I'm sure she'll manage. Its just that its pretty back breaking for me to keep running after her, to keep her upright.
One thing that I find irritating, is the back-pedal braking on her little bike. Since she is new to cycling, she seems to struggle to keep the peddles in the best position for braking, or for taking off. When I bought the bicycle, I did not realise that.
Anyway, its good to hear other people's opinions/experiences on this matter. I learned many years ago, and actually forgot how I managed to do it. I guess, its just like riding a bicycle, isn't it.

For kids, practice makes perfect. Once they can ride on 2 wheels and knows how brakes work, then just let them ride and ride. It's inevitable that they'll fall and injury themselves at some stage in the process, but that's all part of learning. You can make use of obstacle courses to make it more fun and impart more skill on them, but there's a limit on their usefulness.

I'd like to learn how to ride again. The training wheels and everything. People should video out that stuff so you can see it when you are an adult. Like how you first got started. I could use some new tips. Lol

Well, you're most likely teaching your daughter to ride on a cement or brick pavement. It's best to wear a pair of trainers that have got good cushioning or a spring / air system. This will help absorb some of the impact hard surfaces will have on your legs and back. Also, ensure that you're teaching your daughter to ride on a flat surface and not slanted once. This will be safer for both of you.