Anyone else have an older DC who can't ride a bike? - Page 2

[AnnieA]

If today's teaching lessons don't work, you can try the Balance Buddy ( www.balancebuddy.com ). DSD 9 did not know how to ride until about a month ago. We put that on the back of her bike and spent about 20 mins on a Saturday working with her and then within 20 mins on Sunday, she was off to the races. It's worth a shot!

[warriorprincess]

My 11 yo DS can't- or more properly, won't. What happened was, he and his sister ( 2 years younger) got bikes at the same time. He got on and fell off. She got on and zipped down the street. He has refused to touch a bike since, and has thereafter called her bike "evil" and tries to push her off it if I don't keep him inside while she's riding.

[Teensy]

My 8 year old DS can't ride a bike either, but his 6 year old brother can.

I taught myself to ride without training wheels when I was three and when the kids were little I looked forward to family bike rides. Arrggghh. Drives me a little crazy that we can't go bike riding as a family (he's not scooter savvy either). I am hoping he will want to learn sometime soon. DD (also age 3) is expressing an interest in having her training wheels removed - I think she may be riding before her oldest brother.

[rmzbm]

Thanks for all the replies, nice to hear he isn't alone...

He did ok yesterday...stayed up longer. He really needs to get over the fear though. Soon, soon......we need a few more sessions.

Blech...nak...

[kewb]

I was 10 before I learned how to ride a bike. My neighbor was finaly able to teach me. Ds taught himslef to ride last summer at age 9. Dd is 8 and can not ride. She made us take off her training whells and now refuses to ride her bike. When she wants to she will. I believe dh was also a late rider. My mother is in her 70's and can not ride a bike.

[ziggy]

One of my friends turned 20 on May. We taught her to ride a bike for her birthday. It was pretty fun. I learned to ride when I was really little - 2 or 3. My dad used to use a little seat for me on the back of his bike, and my mother (for some reason) thought that this was the most unsafe thing ever. So my dad taught me to ride when I was teeny. I still preferred to be on the back of his bike, but it was neat to have my own.

And then when I was 5 my father taught me to ride a dirt bike and my mother abandoned all hope of my safety.

[ewe+lamb]

We don't have bikes as we live in a small flat and have a teeny tiny basement, we've got over it by both the kids having scooters and dd (5 nearly 6) on roller blades which she absolutely loves, not all of us enjoying cycling but there are other things which are just as cool! We take her blading and ds scooting every Sunday to the big park which closes off roads to cars etc and it's for bikes, blades and boards, it's great fun and all the older folk show the younger ones and kids how to do certain moves, skating backwards and loads of other things too - it's so cool - maybe you could find somewhere like that - dd finds the bmx/boarding/skate parks too itimidating with all the 'big boys' there! So I completely get you about all the other kids laughing - hope that the trail/park thing works out well and with lots of support and determination I'm sure he'll get the hang of it.

[AuntNi]

DD is 6, and got a bike (with training wheels) for Christmas. It's not too big for her, but she's been petrified of it. She finally started riding (still with training wheels) with her big-boy cousins over the weekend, and now says she loves riding. Who knows when the training wheels will come off - right now, I'm just happy she's on it.

I think it's within her normal range, however. She's always been on the late side of gross motor stuff, and didn't walk until she was 19 months. She's also really cautious, which is probably part of it.

[flapjack]

Similar issue here- neither of my boys can ride bikes.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by soygurl

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 wheels (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!

laughup Sorry I spent about 3 minutes puzzling over this and then I burst out laughing.

I'm pretty sure you mean the best way is to take off the pedals. It's quite a mental image of a kid trying to ride a bike without wheels!

[meowmix]

OMG. I almost never venture beyond the education boards, but I had to chime into this.

I rode my bike at a basic age, I guess I was 5 or 6 or something. My sister went to learn with my dad when she was about 5ish and fell off the bike and broke her arm! Needless to say, she would not learn to ride afterwards. She literally spent her childhood yelling at me to "WAIT UPPP!" as she ran behind us while we rode our bikes. It was this running joke in our family.

Finally, when she was about 9, I think, I got sick of having to ride my bike so slow so she could keep up. I told her I would give her 5 bucks to get on the darn bike and ride to the end of the block. Money was a great motivator, she was riding by the end of the day. My parents could do nothing to get her to learn, she was NOT interested... until I paid her to learn.

I don't think it will help you at all, but reading your post just made me think of my sister!

[momofmine]

OP,
how's he doing??

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by LynnS6

laughup Sorry I spent about 3 minutes puzzling over this and then I burst out laughing.

I'm pretty sure you mean the best way is to take off the pedals. It's quite a mental image of a kid trying to ride a bike without wheels!

Yes, I meant pedals!

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by soygurl

Yes, I meant pedals!

I didn't even notice it didn't say pedals. I guess I see what I expect.