thanks in advance for any helpMy son is 3 years old, and has been riding a balance bike for a solid year now. He's incredibly comfortable on it, probably too much so. He'll go to the top of the biggest hill in my neighborhood, lift his feet and hit 20+ mph then lean over into the turn at the bottom of the hill and somehow manage to avoid crashing. It terrifies me, but I'm also pretty impressed at the same time.
Anyways, I got some cool orange pedals for my townie bike and my son was insanely jealous. He kept asking repeatedly for orange pedals on HIS bike. I bought him an orange pedal bike instead. He was initially really excited about it but after trying to ride it like a balance bike, he got one of his feet caught on one of the pedals and he went down hard and he's much less enthusiastic. He'll sit on it and "ride" it while I hold the seat, but the coordination of steering and pedaling seems really challenging and he's not making much progress.
I'm aware that my child is still too young to ride a pedal bike, so I'm not expecting too much from him. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the transition from a balance bike to a pedal bike smoother like the transition from balance bike to pedal bike? I am hesitant to use training wheels because he has become very skilled at steering with two wheels and I am concerned that he may tip over on a training wheel bike. Perhaps my concern is unfounded?
Transition From Balance Bike to Pedals?
My son is 3 years old, and has been riding a balance bike for a solid year now. He's incredibly comfortable on it, probably too much so. He'll go to the top of the biggest hill in my neighborhood, lift his feet and hit 20+ mph then lean over into the turn at the bottom of the hill and somehow manage to avoid crashing. It terrifies me, but I'm also pretty impressed at the same time.
Anyways, I got some cool orange pedals for my townie bike and my son was insanely jealous. He kept asking repeatedly for orange pedals on HIS bike. I bought him an orange pedal bike instead. He was initially really excited about it but after trying to ride it like a balance bike, he got one of his feet caught on one of the pedals and he went down hard and he's much less enthusiastic. He'll sit on it and "ride" it while I hold the seat, but the coordination of steering and pedaling seems really challenging and he's not making much progress.
I know he's young to ride a pedal bike so my expectations are fairly low. Any ideas to help transition from balance bike to pedal bike? I'm worried about training wheels because he's got the 2-wheel steering down so well that I'm worried he'll tip himself over on a training wheel bike. Maybe that fear is silly though?
Anyways, I got some cool orange pedals for my townie bike and my son was insanely jealous. He kept asking repeatedly for orange pedals on HIS bike. I bought him an orange pedal bike instead. He was initially really excited about it but after trying to ride it like a balance bike, he got one of his feet caught on one of the pedals and he went down hard and he's much less enthusiastic. He'll sit on it and "ride" it while I hold the seat, but the coordination of steering and pedaling seems really challenging and he's not making much progress.
I know he's young to ride a pedal bike so my expectations are fairly low. Any ideas to help transition from balance bike to pedal bike? I'm worried about training wheels because he's got the 2-wheel steering down so well that I'm worried he'll tip himself over on a training wheel bike. Maybe that fear is silly though?
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thanks in advance for any help
In my opinion........
Each individual is different and at 3 you might be a year or two early with graduating to a real 2 wheeler.
Don't force him into something that he is not comfortable with.
Take it slow.
BUT.....maybe do a better job "coaching" him into NOT doing things that are dangerous ??
If you let that go unchecked, it is likely to carry over to bikes and maybe other things.......like cars later.
Each individual is different and at 3 you might be a year or two early with graduating to a real 2 wheeler.
Don't force him into something that he is not comfortable with.
Take it slow.
BUT.....maybe do a better job "coaching" him into NOT doing things that are dangerous ??
If you let that go unchecked, it is likely to carry over to bikes and maybe other things.......like cars later.
thank you so much for your suggestionIn my opinion........
Each individual is different and at 3 you might be a year or two early with graduating to a real 2 wheeler.
Don't force him into something that he is not comfortable with.
Take it slow.
BUT.....maybe do a better job "coaching" him into NOT doing things that are dangerous ??
If you let that go unchecked, it is likely to carry over to bikes and maybe other things.......like cars later.
I never heard of a "balance bike" --what is that like a child's bicycle but without any petals?
It seems like any parent could make such a vehicle for their kid just removing the foot petals from a standard bicycle and telling the kid to push it with his or her feet until you get to a hill and then just raise your legs and hold them out of the way.
It seems like any parent could make such a vehicle for their kid just removing the foot petals from a standard bicycle and telling the kid to push it with his or her feet until you get to a hill and then just raise your legs and hold them out of the way.
I had to wear a helmet when I was a little kid learning to ride a bicycle, but we only had helmets available because my dad and my older brothers were into parachuting and riding motorcycles, go-carts, dune buggys, & dirt bikes.
I can say that a fall from a dirtbike or a bicycle when you're wearing the proper protective gear hurts a lot less --- sometimes it doesn't even hurt at all. You could encourage your child to wear elbow pads, gloves, kneepads etc. and if he falls off the bicycle just chalk it up to experience, think about what went wrong, and then get back on and try the same maneuver again.
I can say that a fall from a dirtbike or a bicycle when you're wearing the proper protective gear hurts a lot less --- sometimes it doesn't even hurt at all. You could encourage your child to wear elbow pads, gloves, kneepads etc. and if he falls off the bicycle just chalk it up to experience, think about what went wrong, and then get back on and try the same maneuver again.
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