Anyone else have an older DC who can't ride a bike?

[rmzbm]

My 6 yr. old DD can ride one. My 8 yr. old DS can ride one.

However DS - age 10 - can't.

He is pretty uncoordinated. Not good at sports, etc.

My younger son (age 8) is the opposite, terrific athletically and the like.

Sore spot for older DS. We live on a road with a TON of kids, they ride bikes all day long, DS1 can't join and I can see it hurts his feelings.

So, I'm wondering - anyone else BTDT with any tips? There has to be a way to get him up and on his bike THIS summer!

I don't really get how to *teach* a kid to ride a bike as the other 2 just DID it, all by themselves.

I've tried the running behind him thing, no dice.

Anyone else have a kid learn later than average? Please tell me he WILL get it.

Help?

[lindberg99]

Oh, he can learn. I remember when I was in grad school and one of the professors had never ridden a bike and if he can learn at 35 (or however old he was) a 10 yo sure can!

What I would do is take him alone somewhere away from the neighborhood. He doesn't need his sibs and the other kids watching. Find a place like a walking path or empty parking lot with a *gentle* hill (like one you would barely notice if you were walking up it) and work on having him glide. Don't even try to put feet on the pedals, keep them down so he can use them for balance. Just let him go at his own pace and I bet if you do this for a few days in a row, he'll pick it up.

[rmzbm]

That is a good suggestion! Thanks! Never occured to me, he is embarassed to be trying out there with everyone WATCHING, yk?

Will try that!!

[Red Pajama]

My uncle is involved in an organization that teaches older kids how to ride a bike. www.losethetrainingwheels.org . There's some interesting things on this site.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by Red Pajama

My uncle is involved in an organization that teaches older kids how to ride a bike. www.losethetrainingwheels.org . There's some interesting things on this site.

Thanks!

...reading...

DH says get him training wheels...eek, no. He'd never use them and the kids would all laugh hysterically.

To give you an idea of how bad it is...he was riding my 2 yr. olds trike and fell off, skinning his knee. *sigh*

But as God is my witness this kid will learn!!!

[momofmine]

Yes, I would bet he has some confidence issues with it now, from the way you describe things. I agree to take him alone, without other eyes watching him, make it special and fun, quality time with you. Can you go along behind and hold him up by the seat? I think I was about that age when I first learned to ride a bike. (I was more of a reader/artsy person and never played sports.) My dad just took me to a hotel parking lot, held the seat until I found my groove, and I did it in an afternoon. It really is the kind of thing like reading, where they will just eventually get it, and once they feel what it feels like to have that balance, they will just be able to do it, and you never forget.

My DS who is actually very coordinated and very into sports, just learned to ride a bike this summer without training wheels, and he is almost 9. We just never really rode bikes much before, but he suddenly got into it, and wanted to do it, and learned in an afternoon. Literally within a week, he was mastering it well.

I would make sure it is what he wants to do, too, because I would want it to be his idea and desire.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by momofmine

Yes, I would bet he has some confidence issues with it now, from the way you describe things. I agree to take him alone, without other eyes watching him, make it special and fun, quality time with you. Can you go along behind and hold him up by the seat? I think I was about that age when I first learned to ride a bike. (I was more of a reader/artsy person and never played sports.) My dad just took me to a hotel parking lot, held the seat until I found my groove, and I did it in an afternoon. It really is the kind of thing like reading, where they will just eventually get it, and once they feel what it feels like to have that balance, they will just be able to do it, and you never forget.

My DS who is actually very coordinated and very into sports, just learned to ride a bike this summer without training wheels, and he is almost 9. We just never really rode bikes much before, but he suddenly got into it, and wanted to do it, and learned in an afternoon. Literally within a week, he was mastering it well.

I would make sure it is what he wants to do, too, because I would want it to be his idea and desire.

Definately his idea, it's all he talks about!

Glad to hear it can happen so quickly! I don't remember how long the others took...I just bought bikes, and they rode. I do remember being taught myself and falling a lot, he feels better when I tell him that.

[LynnS6]

Can he ride a two-wheeled scooter? If he can, then he'll learn to bike pretty quickly. (At least that's my experience, and that's what all the neighborhood kids told ds - it really helped boost his confidence!)

This is a great link:
http://www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm

I used this method, more or less, with both our kids this. We had planned to teach ds (7) this summer. So, we spent the first little bit just balancing. Once he understood that (a) he could balance while moving and (b) he could put his feet down, he learned really fast.

We also taught dd using this method because a neighbor gave us a bike for her, but they didn't have training wheels. And she really wanted to USE the bike, so we tried without the training wheels, and before we knew is, she was off and riding! Now if we can just teach her to STOP....(her current method is to run into things!)

I would say that at age 10, do NOT use training wheels. He can learn without them in a few days of practice.

[swell_mel]

I was 10 before I learned how to ride a bike. I just couldn't get the hang of it. My parents tried- even my next door neighbor's mom tried. I was just not very well coordinated. Before I finally learned I rode a scooter to keep up with all the neighborhood kids. Would he be cool with a scooter? There are some pretty cool ones out there. Of course that doesn't really help him learn to ride a bike. Maybe a training handle that attaches to the back? DH and I saw one at the sporting good store when we bought dd's bike. Good luck! Our bicycling adventure has just begun (with training wheels). I'm overwhelmed at the thought of taking them off.

[rmzbm]

Thanks!

We do have a scooter and he does well on it.

I was thinking about it earlier and I think a big part of it is fear. He's scared, he tries to hide it but it's pretty obvious.

The second I let go he falls over.

I think if, like a PP said, I can get him to a large grassy place it may help...concrete = not so forgiving.

I remember when I was a kid my Grandpa put training wheels on my bike but put them HIGH up - so basically they just ocasionally touched the ground, like it I leaned over or whatever. I felt secure but didn't really *use* them. I so don't wanna go that route though...

DH has tomorrow off, we're going to take him to a park with a cool bike trail and see how he does.

[Mandynee22]

My 8 yr old can't
My mom sent her a razor scooter for xmas. Problem solved LOL

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by Mandynee22

My 8 yr old can't
My mom sent her a razor scooter for xmas. Problem solved LOL

That's the kind we have!

[harrietsmama]

My kids both don't feel comfortable riding a bike. dd is 8.5 and ds is 6.5. dd will ride a scooter though. I figure it's a step in the right direction!

[journeymom]

Ds turned 9 four days ago and can't ride his bike yet. He's finally interested in it himself (agreed, it had to be his idea). A couple of weeks ago we all went to the park with a big parking lot. Dh basically held the bike upright and pushed while ds peddled. It was grueling for dh, but ds was actually getting hang of it!

Yes, it helped that they were on a very slight incline.

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by lindberg99

What I would do is take him alone somewhere away from the neighborhood. He doesn't need his sibs and the other kids watching. Find a place like a walking path or empty parking lot with a *gentle* hill (like one you would barely notice if you were walking up it) and work on having him glide. Don't even try to put feet on the pedals, keep them down so he can use them for balance. Just let him go at his own pace and I bet if you do this for a few days in a row, he'll pick it up.

and

Originally Posted by LynnS6

This is a great link:
http://www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm

I used this method, more or less, with both our kids this. We had planned to teach ds (7) this summer. So, we spent the first little bit just balancing. Once he understood that (a) he could balance while moving and (b) he could put his feet down, he learned really fast.

We also taught dd using this method because a neighbor gave us a bike for her, but they didn't have training wheels. And she really wanted to USE the bike, so we tried without the training wheels, and before we knew is, she was off and riding! Now if we can just teach her to STOP....(her current method is to run into things!)

I would say that at age 10, do NOT use training wheels. He can learn without them in a few days of practice.

:

Don't use training wheels! At ANY age! And don't try to hold onto the bike while they pedal! Both of those methods just make it harder, and are less successful.
The best way (other methods may work for some but this method works for all as far as I know) to teach someone (any age) to ride a bike is to talk off the pedals (you can leave them on too, but taking them off seems to make it easier) and lower the seat until the person can put both feel flat on the ground. Then just let them scoot around until s/he feels comfortable. After a while, encourage him/her to start gliding (picking up both fee at once for a short time). This is a good point to start gliding on a very slight slope. Once s/he is comfortable gliding, put the pedals back on and have him/her start pedaling. In most cases that's all there is to it!

[mommyoftwo]

My 7 year old dd won't take her training wheels off yet. I just figure that she will decide when she is ready. She is very cautious like her mom was. She is very coordinated and has great balance but just doesn't want to fall.

For the longest time, she wouldn't ride her bike at all. She does love her Razor scooter and will zip down hills at lightening speed.

It is a bit disappointing though because I love to bike ride and we live in an area with miles and miles of trails.

Anyway someone told me that a baseball field is a great place to learn. The dirt is hard around the bases but not as hard as pavement so it lessens the boo boos.

[onlyzombiecat]

My dd is 8. She has had a bike for a few years but has no interest in it. She almost never touches it so it still has training wheels.
She likes her scooter though.

[mamaveggie]

I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 8. My parents got a used one that was so high off the ground that I couldn't reach the pedals and it freaked me out so bad that I refused to try after the first attempt. I agree with taking him somewhere by himself. I eventually taught myself to ride on a bike that was much too small for me at my grandma's house by coasting down her driveway onto the sidewalk. On the other hand, my dh was riding a 2 wheeler by his third birthday.

[rmzbm]

Thanks for all the tips! Today's the day...hopefully I can come back and update with good news!

Send stable/non falling down thoughts!!

[zeldamomma]

Good luck, and thanks for starting the thread!

I was a late bike rider and none of my kids are riding yet-- the advice here is very encouraging. I can't wait to try it with my oldest!

ZM