How to teach your child to ride a bike
Learning to cycle is a big adventure for your child, but how do you get them ready for take-off? Here’s our step-by-step guide ...
You never forget the first time you rode a bike. That feeling of freedom when you suddenly take off on two wheels is pretty unbeatable.
Teaching your own child to ride a bike is just as momentous. It'll unlock miles and miles of family adventures, and is a great way to help them get active in the great outdoors.
In fact, once they're confident on two wheels, they'll be ready for anything.
We asked the experts at Halfords for their advice on making this milestone as enjoyable and as easy as possible.
Camera at the ready? Then let’s ride!
First of all, forget your own cycling ability. You don’t need to be Victoria Pendleton or Chris Boardman to pass on the all-important skills. That's because the key skill to master here is balance.
You can buy what’s called a balance bike (or ‘running bike’) – a wooden or metal-framed bicycle with no pedals – for use as young as two or three. Or, if you’re teaching a slightly older child, you may want to go straight for the model they’ll go on to cycle for real. If this is the case, all you need to do is take off the pedals.
How to get started in 8 easy steps
1 First steps? Exactly that. Get your little one to straddle their bike, sit rather than stand, hold the handlebars and use ‘giant steps’ to walk themselves along. Lower the seat so they can easily touch the floor with both feet.
2 There’s little instruction needed here, just watch them go. Encourage them to try hopping, too – pushing off with both legs at the same time, then coasting along with their feet lifted up. As their confidence increases, they’ll pick up speed and start steering.
3 Now there’s no hurry – they may be happy scooting around on their balance bike for months. Nudge the seat up as they gain confidence. At the ideal height, they’ll be able to touch the floor on tip toes, while straddling the saddle.
4 When you think they’re ready to try pedalling, upgrade to the bike they’ll learn on (if you haven’t already), and put one pedal on. They’ll get used to keeping a foot on the pedal, while having the other free to scoot and steady themselves.
5 It’s tempting to hold on to the bike to steady and steer them – and your child may insist you do – but it's best to steady your child and not the bike. Forget holding the handlebars or saddle, the best position is under your child’s arms, or a light touch on the shoulders.
6 Next up, fit the second pedal. If you haven’t been supporting your child yet, you’ll probably need to now, if only to launch them. Run alongside, encourage them to look ahead, pedal, pedal, pedal and, when you feel they’ve got their balance, let go. Remember, they can already balance – pedalling is just to keep it going!
7 Reassure your child that short spurts on the bike are just fine. Better to let them find their own balance than hold them firmly up for minutes at a time. (A nice trick is to stride backwards as soon as they start cycling independently, so when they stop and look back, the distance travelled seems longer!)
8 Until now, it’s been easy enough for them to stop when they feel wobbly, by putting their feet down. But we all know kids’ shoes don’t come cheap so, to save scuffing, teach them about brakes.
Make sure they can reach the brakes on the handlebars and pull them easily – adjust if needs be, then explain the importance of squeezing both at the same time. Have them practise while walking alongside the bike first, to better understand how braking works.
They’ll probably continue to rely on their feet for a while, but once they get fed up of the pedals bruising their shins, they’ll soon get the hang of it (avoid steep downhills until then!).
Keep training sessions short and fun. Once they, or you, are getting frustrated, it’s time to do something else.
Most kids are ready to learn around three to five years old, but be guided by them. It’ll be obvious if they’re not. They’ll probably be keener if they have older siblings or friends who cycle.
Head to flat areas where it’s easy to learn – playgrounds, empty car parks or traffic-free cul-de-sacs. Grass may be soft, but it’s hard to pedal on, so choose tarmac and plenty of space.
Be full of encouragement, smiles and cheers. Celebrate every successful few seconds upright.
Sign up for a Bikeability scheme, offered at many schools. Like the Cycling Proficiency test you may have taken, it’s a certificate of safety that gives them the confidence to have fun on two wheels. You can even work through the levels yourself if you’re a bit rusty! Visit bikeability.org.uk.
And once your child's ready for proper adventures, check out these family-friendly bike rides throughout the UK: there'll be no stopping them!
The journey to Christmas can seem like a long one, but imagine how much easier it would be with a helping pair of hands.
Get ready for big grins as you let Halfords get you from ‘help me’ to ‘under the tree’ – and most importantly, stress-free.
Whether it’s push, power or pedals they want, there’s an option to suit you. Charge their Christmas morning with excitement with our range of ride-on toys, or watch their eyes light up when they see that bike-shaped silhouette beneath the tree.
From the cute to the cool, you’ll find a scooter to suit their style for a guaranteed wrapping paper-ripping frenzy.
At Halfords, we know that a little journey can lead to a much bigger adventure, and with our range of kids' bikes, ride-on toys and scooters, there’s no better place to start.